After days out on sandy Beadnell Bay — which is a pleasant two miles away on foot, or 10 minutes by car — you can bring your pooch back to Long Byre and relax in rural tranquillity. A byre is an old English word for a cow shed. But while this byre is still surrounded by the organic Fallodon farming estate, fine furnishings and comfort have replaced the feeding troughs and cubicles of old.
There’s an immediate feeling of space in the bright, open-plan living area, which extends from a top-notch, everything-you’ll-need kitchen across to the sitting room with its four-seater sofa, log-burning stove, crammed bookshelves and 43-inch Smart TV featuring Netflix and Prime Video. Tables stand ready for dining or game-playing.
From here, floor-to-ceiling sliding French windows open onto a small terrace containing a table and chairs; this sun trap is great for outdoor eating, reading or evening drinks and is fully enclosed so your four-legged friend can safely join you here too.
On the same floor is a super-king (or twin, if preferred) bedroom looking out dreamily across fields to the estate’s old walled garden, competing with another Smart TV for your eyes’ attention. There’s room in this large chamber for a travel cot too, should one be needed. Spotlights on the ceiling and lovely feature wall lights ensure a cosy ambience, and a deep bathtub and capacious walk-in shower both beckon in the luxurious en-suite.
Thoughtful touches proliferate. Impressive interior design. Ample storage. Biomass central heating, fuelled by wood chips harvested on site. And a nail-free grab handle available for the shower or bath to aid guests with limited mobility, for whom this single-floor property works well.
Around the sustainability-focused estate, a trout-fishing lake below the old watermill is available to guests, as are plenty of walking tracks. The ‘Coast & Castles’ cycle route passes straight through, and red squirrels, deer, otters and much birdlife all make appearances.
Close by are the popular Ship Inn at Low Newton, renowned for its seafood lunches, ruined Dunstanburgh Castle and the golden sands of Newton and Embleton Bay between. Holy Island and the enchanting Heritage Coast towns of Alnmouth and Bamburgh are also within easy reach, as is an inland day trip to Hadrian’s Wall, accomplished courtesy of the nearby A1 road, and so too are inland trips to walk the Cheviot Hills.
ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION
For guests looking to holiday together, there are seven other properties on the same estate - Brunton Granary sleeping 8, Mill Race sleeping 4, Brunton Burn sleeping 2, Brunton Lake sleeping 4, Swallow Dean sleeping 2, Brunton House sleeping 16, and Stable Cottage sleeping 6. Long Byre, Swallow Dean, Brunton Lake, Brunton Burn and Mill Race cottages form part of a renovated farm steading in that order going clockwise around the courtyard. Brunton Granary adjoins Brunton Burn at the rear. Brunton House and Stable Cottage sit on the opposite side of the burn.