Northumberland self catering holiday cottages

Lily Cottage is in the  picturesque village of Belford, North Northumberland.  There are several pubs, shops and a cafe within a few minutes stroll of the cottage.  The magnificent heritage coastline which is an area of outstanding natural beauty is a short drive away.

Easily accessible  from the main A1 road, this deceptively spacious cottage offers comfortable self catering accommodation throughout the year. Recently renovated to a high standard it has two bedrooms and is ideal for couples or small families.  There is also a cot and high chair available for the wee ones.  For comfort and safety Lily Cottage is no smoking.  There is free Wi Fi which also works in the garden.

Built in 1837 the stone built cottage is extremely comfortable with a recently landscaped, large enclosed garden to relax in and convenient free parking.

You won't find theme parks in Northumberland, however, you will find Hadrian's Wall, castles used during filming of Harry Potter and Robin Hood, miles of glorious unspoiled coastline, National Parks, and forests, spectacular golf courses and bird sanctuaries. Your visit can be as relaxing or energetic as you choose.  The area is ideal for golfing, bird watching, hiking and fishing breaks too.

The cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh are one hour's drive, but there are plenty of museums, walks, gardens and activities nearer this rural retreat.

Lily Cottage has one bedroom with a double bed and a smaller room with two single beds, both rooms are tastefully furnished in pine.  There is also a cot and high chair available if required. There is convenient free parking right outside the cottage door.

For your comfort the cottage is no smoking, well behaved pets are very welcome.  Children love the picture book cosy charm of Lily Cottage 

The cottage is fully central heated at no extra cost and controllable at your own convenience.  The lounge also features a custom built oak fireplace with a dual fuel stove for which we supply an initial supply of logs. 

Bedding, towels and tea towels are included. There is a Sony CD/Clock/iPod dock in the master bedroom and hairdryers. The stone hot water bottles are certain to keep your toes warm  throughout the night during colder months.  Beds are made up for your arrival.

The cottage is a large landscaped, enclosed garden with patio furniture a  barbeque and a fire pit. The garden is not overlooked so you can enjoy the sun in private and children or pets (who are most welcome!) can play quite safely with no danger from traffic.  There is also a Swingball and other games available.

Belford was a historic coaching stop on the old A1 trunk road from London to Edinburgh.  The village was bypassed in the 1983 leaving it free of heavy traffic but with easy links to the main A1. With a population of around 1000 Belford is small enough to maintain a friendly community feeling, yet has 4 pubs, a community club a golf club and a selection of specialist shops.  Driving into the village you will see the ivy clad Blue Bell Hotel with St Mary's Church tower behind, a lovely sight at any time of year. See the photo album for more shots of Belford village.

History

In the reign of Charles I a visitor to Belford described the village as "the most miserable, beggarly town with little shelter for horse or man"!  Happily, the fortunes of the village changed when the Manor was bought by the Dixon family in 1726 and Abraham Dixon went about improving his estate.  Belford's population grew and Dixon commissioned James Paine to design a country seat - Belford Hall which was completed in 1756. The hall was later bought by a Newcastle merchant William Clark who commissioned John Dobson to remodel and add two new wings in 1810.  The hall eventually fell into disrepair until the Northern Heritage Trust raised £2m for restoration work, the hall is now divided into luxury apartments.

Around one hundred years ago historian W.W Tomlinson described the village as "an exceedingly quiet place with quaint reminiscences of the past in its irregular streets and plain gray houses of stone".  The village still maintains a slower pace of life, popping into a shop for one item can be an event as the weather, the roads and life in general will be discussed between the locals, and you who will become a "local" after a day or two!

William Clark owned the land which Lily Cottage stands on, however in late 1800's the land was sold off in parcels to pay death duties.  In the title deeds to the cottage it is referred to as "South West Street Cottage", an update of the deeds from 1913 hangs in the cottage although the period cursive script is hard to read.

Belford once boasted a castle, now the site of West Hall farm on the outskirts of the village.  The owner of the farm's research reveals that a timber fortress probably stood on the site as early as 1050.  The moat of "Belfurth Castle" can still be traced, at one time it accommodated 70 armed horsemen, the castle's well still exists, a few steps away from the current farmhouse kitchen.  Remember, this is Border Reiver country, on a misty winter day on Belford Moors it's not hard to imagine you're in a scene from Braveheart!