Shepherds House

The highlights

• Beautifully renovated stone farmhouse, old and new working in harmony.
• Stunning open plan, glass-fronted living area brings the outside in and provides a light-filled sociable space.
• Designer and antique décor combine to create classic elegance with high-end finishes.
• Far reaching, uninterrupted views across open countryside, bring your binoculars and see what wildlife you can spot.
• Secluded external seating and dining area provides the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the scenery with friends over a glass of wine or alfresco meal.
• Games room with pool table for professional and amateur players alike!
• Charming loggia and barn areas for that bit of extra space.
• Wonderful base from which to explore the wild, natural beauty of Northumberland.

You should know

• Two dogs are welcome at a charge of £30 per dog.
• It may be possible for the twin rooms to be set up as super king with advance notice.

The detail

This elevated, two floor property blends the old and characterful with the new and contemporary representing renovation at its best. Giving this former farm building a thoroughly modern makeover, architects have cleverly built a superb curving glass-fronted extension to the side of this once rustic farmhouse. Framed by the same characterful brown stone as the original dwelling, it houses a unique, light-filled, kitchen-dining room that opens out onto a raised patio and benefits from far-reaching views across open countryside towards Aydon Castle.

Inside Shepherd’s House, spacious interiors are finished to very high standards. Here again the old meets new, with choice antique pieces of furniture and homely country-style curtains sitting alongside designer fabrics and rustic overhanging rafters. The ground floor contains an elegant drawing room with sumptuous seating and a warming wood-burning stove set into the red-brick fireplace providing an ideal relaxation and socialising space. You’ll also find a games den complete with a pool table for some fun after dinner entertainment.

The upper ground floor extends into an open-plan contemporary living space. Benefitting from masses of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows which run the length of the frontage, the stylish extension incorporates a dining area for eight at a rustic wooden table, squashy leather sofas and the kitchen which is smartly finished in fresh Nordic blue and contains a large fridge/freezer, double sink, five burner electric hob, double oven, microwave and wine cooler. An island unit has a separate sink, full-size dishwasher and a separate seating area. A wonderfully sociable space for your group.

The new extension extends to two ground-floor, elegantly furnished, ensuite bedrooms, one king size master suite plus a twin. These rooms are suitable for guests of restricted mobility as they boast spacious, luxury ensuite wet-room showers. The master bedroom, meanwhile, has several floor-to-ceiling windows that lead onto the larger, rear patio and benefit from more superb views. Upstairs on the first floor, another pair of extremely comfortable ensuite rooms, one super-king and one twin, provide sumptuously luxurious accommodation with tranquil tones and classic style to provide a restful ambiance guaranteeing a peaceful night’s sleep.

The house is set in generous grounds which connect the rear patio and its alfresco dining area with a sheltered courtyard garden. Both afford yet more magnificent, uninterrupted views over a lake and parkland, across the Tyne Valley and as far as the North Pennine Moors. This a wonderful space for family and friends to get together and experience the natural beauty of Northumberland over a meal or drink. Available to you too is a charming stone loggia – an open-sided room suiting relaxation, reading or meditation – and a large, secure barn space where outdoor kit or bicycles can be securely stored.

The popular tourist village of Corbridge is just three miles away and offers a variety of shops, a delicatessen and one or two restaurants and cafés. Hexham is only six miles down the road and has supermarkets, numerous cafés plus a variety of pubs and restaurants. The Hadrian’s Wall Path passes only a mile to the north with the remains of the garrison town built to support it just a seven-minute drive south. In the local area too are a pick-your-own fruit farm, a Go Ape site and Hexham’s atmospheric, 14th-century gaol.

Features

Essential