Approached along a quiet lane, this ground-floor apartment is located in a sheltered valley and surrounded by open countryside. Opposite the house (the first floor is run by the owners as a B&B) are the imposing ruins of Thirlwall Castle. For a family or small group of friends, this is the perfect spot in which to enjoy some peace and tranquillity. Riverside walks, the Pennine Way and the Hadrian’s Wall Path are accessed directly from the apartment, and it is ideally situated for exploring all the Hadrian’s Wall sites and museums. The Roman Army Museum is less than a mile away by foot, for example, and the fort of Vindolanda – one of Europe’s most important archaeological sites – is just 9 miles by car. The nearest town, Haltwhistle (3 miles), has quirky shops, restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts, and the market town of Hexham is 20 miles east, where you will find a medieval abbey, a range of handsome historic buildings and the oldest purpose-built prison in England.
The apartment is on the ground floor of a farmhouse that was built in 1800 using stone from Hadrian’s Wall, and the age of the property can still be seen in the atmospheric exposed stone walls in the lounge and kitchen, and the painted stone walls in the bedrooms. The lounge also doubles as a dining room and has a wood-burner-effect electric fire to gather around after the days’ explorations, and the kitchen area has plenty of cupboards and all the equipment you could wish for to cook hearty meals. There are two pretty bedrooms, both with magnificent views of Thirlwall Castle, which share a family bathroom.
Outside, the walled garden with furniture and charcoal BBQ makes a lovely alternative space in which to dine on a warm evening, or simply a pleasant spot to relax and enjoy the fresh air.