Just off the A1 at Berwick in a countryside setting yet close to the beautiful beaches of Northumberland’s Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Ground Floor:
Kitchen/dining room: Electric Cooker, Microwave, Fridge/Freezer, Dishwasher, Washer Dryer, French Doors Leading To Garden…
Bedroom 1: Kingsize (5ft) Bed Ensuite: Cubicle Shower, Toilet
Bedroom 2: 2 x Single (3ft) Beds
Shower Room: Cubicle Shower, Toilet
First Floor:
Living room: Smart TV, Woodburner
Bedroom 3: 2 x Single (3ft) Beds
Bathroom: Bath, Toilet
Electric central heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and Wi-Fi included. Initial logs for wood burner included.
Unallocated on-site parking. No smoking.
Murton Whitehouse Steading is a U-shaped steading, sympathetically converted into six cottages, all with private gardens and grouped around a central courtyard. An ideal getaway for a family or a small group, this cottage at Murton Whitehouse Steading will comfortably sleep up to six people. On the ground floor of this charming house, you’ll enjoy preparing meals and snacks in the kitchen/dining room, utilising the door out to the garden while the kids play, and whoever isn’t cooking can enjoy a glass of wine in the sunshine. If it’s not as sunny and warm; the view is equally as nice. Two of the bedrooms are downstairs, including the largest of the three, which has an en-suite shower room. Also on the ground floor is a very useful shower room, accessed from the spacious hallway. The remaining bedroom on the grounds floor is a twin room. Upstairs, the main living room shared the floor with the third bedroom. The main bathroom completes this floor.
Within 100 yards of the property is a riding school and there are various walks available through the beautify countryside from the steading. The historic town of Berwick-upon-Tweed is approximately 3 miles away, with the Elizabethan town walls, well worth strolling arounds. Berwick has a thriving compliment of restaurant and pubs – you may be surprised to learn that ‘Lowry’ painted many pictures of the area. This park of Northumberland is famed for the spectacular coastline beached with views of the turbulent past within close proximity. Unmissable places to visit include Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Bamburgh Castle and Chillingham Castle. Edinburgh is 60 miles away, as is Newcastle. The Cheviot Hills are close by with numerous walking routes, whilst the Scottish Border is within 5 miles and the pretty coastal village of Eyemouth is less than a 20-minute drive. If you are lucky, you might be able to see the dolphins in the harbour.
Beach 3 miles. Pub 2 miles.
The relatively unspoilt, rugged coast of Northumberland is often described as a birder’s paradise, but the inland landscapes of rolling moors, peat bog, wooded valleys, pristine rivers, and meadows and grasslands have much to offer a wildlife watcher too.
Managed by the National Trust, the Farne Islands are a group of rocky islands about two miles off the Northumberland coast and undoubtedly one of the best places for bird watching in the UK. They’re home to many breeding species of seabirds including puffins, shags, guillemots, fulmars, kittiwakes, and terns. In autumn, a large colony of grey seals arrive to pup on the islands, and it’s also a good time of year to look out for rare migrants that may have been blown off course. Access is via a boat from nearby Seahouses; depending on the time of year it may be possible to land on some of the islands to see the wildlife up close.
Also owned by the National Trust, is Embleton and Newton Links, a beautiful stretch of sand and dunes which is home to a breeding colony of terns at Long Nanny on Beadnell beach. Newton Pool nature reserve has bird watching hides where you can watch oystercatchers, redshanks, herons, and other waders along the shoreline.
Head inland to Northumberland National Park to see moorland species such as black grouse, golden plovers, and curlews, as well as crossbills and goshawks in the woodlands. Look up to see a rare hen harrier dancing in the skies above, while dippers, goosanders, and grey wagtails can be spotted alongside the numerous rivers and streams that meander through the park. Red squirrels, roe deer, and wild goats are also found.
At Kielder Forest, in the heart of the park and just three miles from the Scottish border, ospreys breed and there is a cabin where you have the chance to view these magnificent birds up close as they rear their chicks. At the northern end of Kielder reservoir is Bakethin reserve, where the open water and wetland habitats support whooper swans, barnacle geese, pochards, and mallards in the winter.
The dunes, saltmarshes, and mudflats of Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, located off the Northumbrian coast about 10 miles south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, are important for a host of migratory birds. Pink-footed geese, brent geese, wigeon, and bar-tailed godwits are just some of the species that arrive for the winter, while the hawthorn hedges attract redwings, fieldfares, and goldcrests. Birds of prey can regularly be spotted on the reserve too. Keep an eye out for kestrels and merlins. Access to the reserve is via a tidal causeway so check tide times and the weather before you go.
Hauxley nature reserve is owned by Northumberland Wildlife Trust and offers magnificent views across Druridge Bay. It supports a huge variety of birdlife such as tree sparrows, reed buntings, bullfinches, turnstones, and coots, and visitors in the summer will be treated to spectacular wildflower displays. You might even spot an otter or a stoat. With extensive facilities including accessible trails, bird hides, an eco-friendly Wildlife Discovery Centre, a café, shop, and play area, it’s the perfect place for a family day out.
