Border House – Harbottle Holiday Cottage
A Traditional Northumbrian Country Cottage in the Heart of the National Park
When we first saw Border House, we were captivated by how authentic and true to its history this lovely, comfortable cottage is. This gorgeous Harbottle holiday cottage has a host of original features, including stone inglenook fireplaces in the lounge and kitchen (now housing a warming Aga oven), original stripped wood sash windows in many rooms and a fabulous tiered garden with a magnificent view of the forests and hills of the Northumberland National Park – a walkers’ paradise.
With 4 bedrooms (2 doubles, 1 twin and 1 single), this cottage is perfect for couples or a family at any time of the year – especially in the cooler months with the fabulous wood burning stove and Aga oven. Up to 3 well behaved pets are very welcome for an additional charge of £20 each. Border House has been awarded 4 stars by Visit England.
Just the two of you coming to stay? Receive 20% off your stay (except school holidays). Stayed with us before? Receive an extra 10% off!
Overview
Harbottle is a pretty little village in the heart of the National Park, with great walks straight from your doorstep. There is a pub in the village too which serves bar snacks and drinks, but no food. The nearest pub is less than a mile up the road.
Lounge
The comfortable lounge has a magnificent wood burning stove in an original inglenook fireplace. Beautiful antiques sit alongside modern comforts, such as the cosy sofa and chairs and the flat screen TV with Freeview and DVD player. There is a PlayStation games console with games and free Wi-Fi broadband internet access throughout the cottage. There is also a small selection of books, games and films and a dressing up box for children. An initial supply of logs is provided all year round and further supplies may be ordered in advance via our booking form or may be purchased locally once on holiday.
Kitchen
The farmhouse-style kitchen has been cleverly designed to suit the country-style of this lovely cottage. Cream washed cabinetry with plenty of storage, and at the heart of the kitchen is a warming Aga oven. All the usual appliances are provided, including dishwasher, large fridge/freezer, microwave, kettle and toaster – and an electric oven if you don’t wish to use the Aga, but we’re sure you won’t be able to resist! Door to the furnished patio and terraced garden. Highchair available upon request.
Dining Room
To the right from the main hallway is a large dining room with an antique oak table and chairs comfortably seating all guests, with a large sash window.
Laundry Room
Directly off the kitchen is a useful laundry room containing a washing machine, tumble dryer and additional storage cupboards.
Boot Room
A practical room accessed directly from the rear patio area and leading into the inner hallway, this Boot Room is perfect for mucky boots to be kept for drying off and to bring dogs inside to dry off after a long walk. Towels are provided for dogs.
Ground Floor Cloakroom
Accessed directly from the inner hallway, a simple ground floor cloakroom with WC and wash hand basin. The hallway houses a fun collection of hunting hats!
First Floor
Master Bedroom – Bedroom 1
With a large antique double (4ft 6″ wide) bed, wardrobe and chest, views of the hills and forests of the National Park can be seen from the original sash window of this lovely room.
Double Bedroom – Bedroom 2
Another good-sized room, with windows on two sides, overlooking the pretty terraced garden. Double bed (4’6″ wide), wardrobe and chest.
Twin Single Bedroom – Bedroom 3
A pretty bedroom with twin single beds and a large chest of drawers for storage. Windows to the front and the forests and hills of the Northumberland National Park can be seen from this lovely room.
Single Bedroom – Bedroom 4
A pretty bedroom with a single bed, plenty of storage space, an antique chair and original sash window providing a far reaching view of the forests and hills of the National Park.
Family Bathroom
A spacious country-style bathroom with a beautiful garden view. Extra large bath with shower over, WHB and WC. Noble Isle luxury complimentary toiletries provided.
Harbottle Holiday Cottage Garden
A pretty cottage garden is to the front of the cottage and to the rear there is a flagged patio area immediately outside the kitchen, with steep steps leading to a terraced patio furnished with a table, chairs and parasol.
Beyond the terraced patio there is a terraced and lawned garden, which affords fabulous south-facing views of the National Park. There is a seating area at the top of the garden to taken advantage of the view and on the other side of the garden wall can be seen the remains of Harbottle Castle.
The garden is surrounded by 4ft stone walls and there is a gate on the driveway, so as long as they don’t attempt to jump over the walls, the garden is suitable for dogs.
Northumbrian Tradition
Border House is a truly authentic traditional Northumbrian country cottage, still retaining it’s original grandeur but with all the modern home comforts too. This cottage is a complete escape from mundane day-to-day life, encouraging you to embrace your inner country-bumpkin!
Facts & Features
Sleeps
Up to 7 guests and 1 baby welcome.
Extra Touches
Welcome hamper including luxury toiletries, bespoke area and property guide.
Family
One baby welcome. Cot and highchair available upon request and stair gates at top and bottom of stairs.
Pets
Three well-behaved dogs welcome for a £20 charge per dog per holiday. Booking Conditions apply. There is a boot room for dogs to dry off after a long walk and stair gate at the bottom of the stairs.
Outside
Pretty enclosed garden to the front, flagged patio with furniture to the rear and a terraced and lawned garden to the rear too which is enclosed. The garden has south facing views of the National Park.
BBQ
There is a large BBQ provided at Border House all year round. There are utensils provided. Please bring your own charcoal. Please ensure the BBQ is cleaned prior to your departure.
Parking
Private driveway for 1 car and additional cars can be parked on the roadside in front of the house.
Designated Work Space
Drop leaf table in the lounge allowing you space to work remotely.
Arrivals & Departures
Arrival days are Friday or Monday (short breaks available)
COVID-19 Special Arrangements
New arrival and departure times have been introduced from July 2020 to accommodate the enhanced cleaning protocols necessary to ensure the safety of guests and housekeeping staff.
Arrival: from 6pm Departure: by 9am Click here for more details.
Other Information
Booking Conditions
Frequently Asked Questions
About Rothbury
Accessibility Guide
Bedrooms
2 double bedrooms both with double size beds (4ft 6″ wide). One twin bedroom with single beds (3ft wide). One single room with a single bed (3ft wide).
Bedding
A mixture of hypo-allergenic anti allergy bedding, and feather bedding is provided. There is no alternative available.
Bathroom
One bathroom with a shower-over-bath, WC and basin, with a heated towel rail. Complimentary Noble Isle toiletries.
Facilities
Traditional AGA and electric oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, toaster and kettle. Washing machine, tumble dryer, iron, ironing board and vacuum. Hairdryer, books, music and films. Wood-burning stove.
Mod Cons
TV with DVD player and PlayStation 2 in the lounge with games. Free unlimited wi-fi.
Accessibility
Accommodation on 2 floors; kitchen, lounge, dining room and boot room on the ground floor, and the bathroom and 4 bedrooms on the 1st floor. The stairs are wide but steep upstairs, so unsuitable for guests with limited mobility. The rear garden can only be accessed by steep stone stairs, so children must be monitored and will be unsuitable for guests with limited mobility.
Please be Aware
An initial supply of wood is provided for the fire at this cottage all year round.
The stone steps up to the furnished terrace are very steep and will be unsuitable for unsupervised children and anyone unsteady on their feet.
There is no mobile signal in Harbottle, however the cottage has a landline for emergencies.
Map & Local Area
Border House is situated in the pretty village of Harbottle, in the Northumberland National Park, which is also a designated International Dark Skies Park. This lovely cottage is in the heart of fantastic walking and cycling country as well as being within easy reach of the Heritage Coastline and inland attractions including Hadrian’s Wall and Cragside.
Border House is also very close to Kielder Reservoir and Forest, being on the very edge of the National Park. Kielder has an abundance of wildlife and activities, especially on the lake in the summer, as well as having the Observatory to see those starry skies!
You can explore the location of Border House on the map below which gives you a good idea of the area. The postcode of the property is NE65 7DG.
To find out the distance from your own home to Border House, how long it will take to drive there and other options for alternative transport, click here: Border House on Googlemaps and enter your home postcode in the box provided.
Click the map to view local facilities and other cottages in the same area and generally explore the location.
We liked the fantastic location and the lovely family kitchen. We loved the quirky original furniture throughout the house – it made it feel very special. The kitchen and utility room were excellent and we have a really lovely week in Harbottle.
Escape the ordinary read our guest bookTips from a local
Cragside is a must when staying in this area of Northumberland. Cragside was the first country house in the world to be lit using hydroelectric power by Lord Armstrong, a key figure in Northumberland. As well as the interesting house, the whole estate is open to the public with its magnificent walks and country trails, as well as a huge children’s play park and a nice café too.
It is ran by the National Trust, click HERE to visit the website.
Tips from a local
Dinner with a view – if you want very good traditional pub grub with the most stunning views of the Simonside Hills, then The Three Wheat Heads in Thropton is highly recommended. It has a good reputation in the area for food, and the views through the huge dining room windows are beautiful. With an inglenook fireplace with real fire, comfy seating and Northumbrian Ale, this pub is perfect for resting tired legs after a day exploring the county.
Tips from a local
Explore Thrunton Woods by trying one of their exhilarating walks to experience some of the best loved views of Northumberland from the top of lofty crags, through miles of maturing forest and open moorland. The two most popular trails are Crag Top Walk and Castle Hill Walk. You can park your car in the designated car park at Thrunton Woods and even take a picnic on a fine day. Thrunton Woods is located up the A697 north of Rothbury and is 30 minutes’ drive from Harbottle.
Sarah Carnegie
Owner of Border House
We asked Sarah, the owner of Border House, to tell us the history of the house:
“Border House dates back to 1900 when it was originally the village post office. When my parents acquired the house in 1980’s, they were given the enamel Post Office sign that you can see in the old photo to the left by the previous owner and asked to make sure it was kept at the house. It’s currently on the wall in the kitchen.
We believe that the rose on the left hand side of the front door that you can see in this old photograph is the same one that is there today.”
I have many, many happy memories of Border House, I hope you enjoy this lovely traditional Northumbrian house and leave with many happy memories too!”
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