Things to do Archives - Stay on the Hill

THINGS TO DO IN NORTHUMBERLAND FOR FAMILIES

SOTH — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:05:03 +0000

FAMILY THINGS TO DO IN NORTHUMBERLAND

A family holiday with Stay On The Hill means there are plenty of opportunities for adventure! From the doorstep of your cottage, you can explore the beautiful Northumberland countryside, including a lovely walk to the River Tyne. Hadrian’s Wall and the market towns of Hexham and Corbridge are only a short drive away. You also have easy access to a whole host of exciting activities and days out.

Whether you want to visit one of the historic castles, take a picnic to one of the stunning beaches and explore the rock pools, discover your wild side in the many woods, waterfalls and hills or challenge yourself at coasteering, there is something to do for all of the family.

And don’t let rain stop play. There are plenty of indoor activities to discover, or just grab your wellies and a raincoat and embrace the north-east weather!

Here is a list of some family fun we think you might like:

Have an animal encounter at Northumberland College Zoo (Kirkley Hall), and see meerkats, lemurs, snakes, tree frogs, armadillos and many more species. Become a zoo keeper and have an up-close experience, or walk around Kirkley Hall gardens and the surrounding woodland.
Step back in time to see jousting, roman soldiers, falconry displays and medieval knights at the many English Heritage sites across the region, including Chesters Roman Fort, Belsay Hall, Warkworth Castle and Lindisfarne Priory. Visit historical houses, beautiful gardens and get close to nature at some of the National Trust sites, including Wallington, Hadrian’s Wall & Housesteads Fort, Cragside and Allan Banks & Steward Grange.
For something a bit different and exhilarating, try coasteering. This is a mixture of swimming, rock pooling, cliff jumping and caving and is an ideal activity for adults, children, families and groups of friends. For coasteering and other adventure water activities, check out KA Adventure Sports.
For young astronomers, book a Space Kids Event at Kielder Observatory. “These events are great fun for all the family, lots of hands on activities and even the adults come away having learnt a thing or two about our universe.” In Northumberland, we’re fortunate to have very low levels of light pollution, making it one of the best places in the country to go stargazing.
Take a boat trip to the Farne Islands or Coquet Island, where you will see many species of seabird including puffins, seal colonies and if you’re lucky, a dolphin or two along the way. There are a number of companies that operate tours out of the harbour at Seahouses.

For more inspiration, check out the following links for the latest activities and days out:

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WALKING ST OSWALD’S WAY

SOTH — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 09:03:47 +0000

WALKING ST OSWALD'S WAY

St Oswald’s Way is a long-distance walking route, exploring some of the finest landscapes and fascinating history of Northumberland. The route links some of the places associated with St. Oswald, the King of Northumbria in the early 7th Century, who played a major part in bringing Christianity to his people.

From Holy Island (Lindisfarne) in the north, St. Oswald’s Way follows the stunning Northumberland coast, before heading inland across beautiful countryside to Heavenfield and Hadrian’s Wall in the south.

Emma, who is one half of Stay On The Hill, recently set out on this fabulous route…

“A couple of friends and I decided to walk St Oswald’s Way earlier this year. We wanted to explore parts of our own county that we often miss by driving straight past. We decided to tackle the 97-mile route by starting in Hexham and finishing on Holy Island. It is possible to walk it all in 5-7 days, but we chose to take one day per week off work and taxied ourselves to and from the start of each section.

We battled some adverse weather conditions and muddy swamps one week, and then the following week, we were basking in sunshine, enjoying a cheeky shandy pitstop looking out across the North Sea

The contrast of scenery has been incredible – rustic, rural farmland; quaint, sleepy villages; ambling river paths; vast forests; wild moorland; tourist hot spots; dunes and impressive coastal castles. I have thoroughly enjoyed this adventure and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to explore more of our amazing region. We are now in discussion about what to do next – maybe Kielder to the Lake district!”

For more information about walking St Oswald’s Way, click here

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FISHING ON THE TYNE

SOTH — Thu, 04 May 2023 07:43:24 +0000

Fishing on the Tyne

The Tyne River provides an excellent habitat for a wide variety of fish and is now considered to be the best river system for Salmon and Trout in England and Wales, challenging some of the more famous Scottish rivers.

The North Tyne runs from the Scottish borders and the South Tyne runs from the North Pennines, both meeting to form the River Tyne at Warden, just outside Hexham. This is known as Watersmeet.

With springtime salmon numbers on the increase and more availability on the calendar, April and May are great months to get in some Spring fishing. Along with being more affordable, it is hugely rewarding and a stunning time of year to be down by the river.

There are still some rods available in these early months, so head to Warden Fishing https://www.wardenfishing.co.uk/and book yourself a rod and even a meet-and-greet. Ghillies can show you the beats and explain the pools. Warden Fishing has helped several rods to catch their first salmon over the last 3 years.

How about making a night of it and staying over at Stay on the hill. The Coach House is just under a mile from the river, while the Laverick and Bothy are around 2 miles. Please check out our availability on our booking calendar.

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NORTHUMBERLAND – ONE OF THE UK’S MOST ROMANTIC GETAWAYS

SOTH — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 08:36:05 +0000

“This English County is so far north, it’s often overlooked. All the better for those who do make it here, who achieve the smugness of exploring heart-stoppingly beautiful landscapes without the crowds. Of course, everyone knows Hadrian’s Wall and Bamburgh, but Northumberland has still retained its raw beauty and old-school appeal.”

Condé Nast Traveller has named #Northumberland as one of the UK’s most romantic getaways and we couldn’t agree more.

Northumberland is a land of big adventures. Whether you are passing through on your travels or planning a LONGER visit. We have everything from romantic ruins to deserted beaches, cobbled towns to the finest restaurants.

Here at Stay On The Hill, we offer a number of luxury accommodation options for your romantic getaway. Choose from The Bothy, a fabulous and cosy cottage nestled on a hill in the tranquil countryside with sweeping views of the valley, or one of our four, individually-styled guest rooms at The Coach House.

Click here to read the full article on the UK’s most romantic getaways in Condé Nast Traveller.

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