As anybody familiar with Walltown Byre, the sister property to Lowtown Cottage, will know, its owner and designer Sabina Forwood was the queen of vibrant colours and playful interiors. Like her larger sibling, the two-bedroom Lowtown Cottage is packed with Sabina’s signature design touches: eye-popping colours, rich textures, eclectic artworks and big views of the surrounding Northumberland countryside. An avid art collector and accomplished artist herself, Sabina's influence encourages guests to seek creative inspiration in the rugged countryside that envelops these homes as well as in the artworks they find within them.
First impressions of Lowtown Cottage are misleading. A narrow track brings you through acres of rolling countryside right down to an unassuming stone cottage on the edge of the Vallum. Only the dainty yellow and green sheep statue, perched on a stone at the front of the property, hints at the surprises to come.
As you approach the front door, you can glimpse a modern timber and glass extension on the west wall of the house before stepping into the converted farm cottage to discover - yellow. The entire ground floor of the cottage, comprising an open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting room and the new rear garden room, is resplendent in bright daffodil yellow. Tucked in one corner, a compact lapis blue kitchen contains everything required to rustle up delicious meals to serve at the dining table or nibbles to enjoy in the comfort of the cowhide armchairs by the inglenook fireplace.
The garden room features floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors leading out to the patio, delivering both southerly and westerly views and making it the ideal spot from which to contemplate the untouched beauty of the surrounding countryside. The peace here is complete, broken only by the calls of curlews and plovers, and the occasional passing deer.
Two vaulted en-suite bedrooms await discovery upstairs. Channel your inner Dutch master in one, where a vibrant floral print is daubed onto black wallpaper and continued in fabric adorning the blind and window seat cushions, before leading into a striking black painted bathroom. The second bedroom, dressed in striped apple green wallpaper complemented by a pink silk window seat, features a vast velvet bed flanked by bespoke Susi Bellamy lampshades and cushions.
Sabina Forwood’s interiors are not for the faint-hearted. Thought-provoking, inspiring and surprisingly restful, they invite the brave to explore colour and art in a rustic setting. Whether you envelop yourself in the romance and tranquillity of this intimate cottage with a loved one or see it as a bolthole from a larger group gathering when taken together with Walltown Byre, it will richly reward those bold enough to sleep amidst the tulips!
ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION
For guests looking to holiday together but enjoy their own space, Lowtown Cottage can be let in conjunction with Walltown Byre sleeping six, Walltown Farm Cottage sleeping six plus a child's bed and sofa bed, and Fell End sleeping eight plus five children's beds. Alternatively, book Walltown Farm Cottage & Byre as a combined unit sleeping 12+2. Lowtown Cottage is approximately a 10 minute walk away along the public footpath from Walltown Byre and Walltown Farm Cottage while Fell End is approximately a 25 minute walk away along the public footpath or a short drive.
Getting availability
