Accommodation.
Originally built as the village school, North Cottage is all on one level.
A welcoming entrance porch leads onto a spacious living room with original restored wooden floors, wood burning stove and a picture window looking across the garden directly to the sea.
The old school room - now the living room - leads onto two bedrooms: one double and one twin. Both bedrooms also boast original wood flooring and some of the original roof beams on show.
The double room – which used to be the headmaster’s study – benefits from thick stone walls, a south facing window, a double height pitched ceiling and double bed creating a quiet and peaceful oasis of calm.
The twin room – which faces west offers two single beds in a relaxing room.
The bathroom - has a walk-in shower with rain head and a large heated towel rail.
Outside in what used to the school outhouse - is secure storage for bikes, large beach equipment and a chest freezer.
What you can expect during your stay.
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Welcome.
A welcome tray of milk, tea, coffee, and biscuits will be waiting for you on your arrival.
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Heat.
Oil fired central heating is available throughout the cottage. For additional warmth and cosiness there is a wood burning stove in the living room and the garden room.
A starter supply of kiln dried low moisture, hardwood logs, kindling, fire-lighters and matches are provided.
If you would like to purchase further supplies during your stay, we recommend buying the same excellent quality low moisture logs from Hobberlaw Plants just on the outskirts of Alnwick.
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Sleep.
Your beds will be fully made up for your arrival. All bed linen is from John Lewis and washed in non-bio soap powder.
One set of towels: one hand and one bath are provided for each guest. Extra kitchen and bathroom towels are available.
Beach towels are also there for you in case you fancy a trip to the beach or a bracing dip in the North Sea.
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Cook.
We have a fully stocked kitchen with: pots, pans, utensils, cutlery, crockery, glasses, jugs, serving dishes, storage boxes, tins, a teapot and cafetiere, magnetic pan stands, cloth napkins, placemats, tea towels, an apron, a tablecloth and oven gloves.
The kitchen is complete with: integrated appliances, oven, ceramic hob, dishwasher, fridge and microwave.
A starter supply of toilet roll, dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid will be provided.
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Entertain.
There is free fibre optic superfast broadband and Wi-Fi available in the cottage as well as Smart TV, DVD player, radio.
There is also a selection of reading materials including magazines, novels, local interest books, tourist information leaflets, maps and guide books.
We have also provided a guide of places we, and other guests, have visited to point you in the direction of things to see, do and dine.
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Clean.
We pride ourselves on being chemical-free at North Cottage and only use eco-friendly and sustainable cleaning products from the KOH range.
There is an electric Gtech cordless vacuum cleaner, mop, eco-cleaning cloths plus a variety of sweeping brushes, dry mops as well as a dustpan and brush.
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Laundry.
For all your laundry needs, the cottage is supplied with a: washing machine, indoor clothes airer, outdoor rotary airer, pegs, laundry basket, iron and ironing board.
Outside.
The cottage offers private off-street parking and an enclosed garden looking directly onto the sea.
The original low stone walls around the garden afford you unrestricted viewing to the north and east. To the north you look towards Dunstanburgh Castle and the distant lighthouses of the Farne Islands; to the east you have uninterrupted views over the shoreline and north sea.
Northumberland has the darkest skies in England and there are frequent sightings of the northern lights. The aurora are strongest in November and February and can be clearly seen from the garden. We recommend you download the AuroraWatch UK app to get alerts about when the lights are visible.
If you wish to enjoy the views, without being impacted by weather, the garden room provides the same views with the added luxury of shelter from the elements. The garden room has a comfortable sofa, wood burning stove and low-level lighting to minimise reflections.
For warmer days, there is a wooden bench next the cottage and a bistro table and chairs for two outside the garden room. There are also sun loungers and deck chairs at Northh Cottage for your use.
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Extras.
We also supply some extras for those ‘just-in-case’ moments, which includes: a hair-dryer, first aid kit, sewing kit, shoe cleaning kit, umbrella, hessian shopping bags, notepad, pencils and pens.
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Pets.
We accept one well – behaved dog at an extra charge of £25. Should you wish to visit a place of interest where dogs are not allowed we recommend a dog walking and pet sitting service ‘ Happy Pets’ in Boulmer Village.
Happy Pets is run by Ailsa Hunter at www.dogwalkingnow.co.uk
Mobile: 07811 682 474 Email: ailsahunter2@gmail.com
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Children.
We welcome older children. Buckets, spades, fishing nets, games are provided. The property is not suitable for small children due to the low garden wall and the elevated position with a drop onto rocks and the beach.
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Shop.
If you would like to order your groceries for your Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all deliver to the cottage.
In Alnwick you can find Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s and Marks and Spencer’s Simply Food, we also recommend the artisan Northumbrian supermarket Turnbull’s for local fresh meat and produce. For convivence items there is a Co-Op Local in Longhoughton, the next village over.
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Parking.
We also provide a Northumberland Parking Disc to give you access to free parking in Alnwick Town. A list of car parks can be found here.