by Helen Pickles, The Telegraph, January 12, 2018
An insider's guide to the most romantic hotels in Northumberland, including the best for rooms with four-poster beds and roll top baths, fine dining, beautiful gardens, historic architecture and pampering spas, in Chathill, Eshott, Blanchland, Alnwick, Otterburn, Corbridge, and near Hadrian's Wall.
Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa Chathill, Northumberland, England
8Telegraph expert rating
The core of the house is classic Georgian – large sash windows, Doric pillars, satisfying symmetry. Inside are high ceilings, decorative cornicing, and elegant sofas and console tables. There are plenty of areas to relax with a book or just hang out, including the light-filled Morning Room and the Library, the latter with over 2,000 books. There's 10 acres of gardens and woodland, featuring a yew-tree maze, and a paved terrace that makes a nice spot for afternoon tea. A small spa includes a pool and sauna. Rooms are light-filled and ridiculously large. Read expert review. From £105per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best hotels in Northumberland
Eshott Hall Eshott, Northumberland, England
8Telegraph expert rating
A Georgian country house that charms with all the essentials: a creeper-covered façade, window seats, panelled walls and plasterwork ceilings. Public rooms are elegant and furnished with a mix of antiques and reproduction furniture. Watching the wildlife – pheasants, deer plus red squirrels, if you’re lucky – through the huge sash windows is a treat. There’s an ancient tennis court, croquet set and woodland walks. Bedrooms are generous and all have good views. The two AA Rosettes dining room sources some fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden. Read expert review. From £75per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Langley Castle Northumberland, England
8Telegraph expert rating
This is the real deal: a 14th-century castle – all battlements and seven-foot thick walls – where you can swan around in grand rooms with window seats and huge fireplaces. Only the top bedrooms are in the castle though; most make do with the impressive view from the converted lodge and coach house. There are historical tours of the castle plus walking trails in the grounds. Borrow a pre-programmed sat-nav and head off to local attractions. Staff are predominantly local, chatty and take an old-school care of guests, almost motherly at times. Read expert review. From £99per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Lord Crewe Arms Blanchland, Northumberland, England
9Telegraph expert rating
A lord-of-the-manor building, in a pin-neat estate village, that oozes atmosphere at every stone-flagged turn. The original fabric of the building – the Abbot’s lodging of a 12th-century priory – has been blended with a 21st-century country-manor look: flagged floors, exposed stone and vast fireplaces mix with pale-painted floorboards, tartan cushions and modern ironwork candelabras. It’s big yet cosy, with quirky corners and unexpected flights of stairs. Outdoors-lovers are well catered for, with free bicycles, wellingtons and walking and cycling routes. Read expert review. From £119per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The most romantic hotels in Britain
Matfen Hall Northumberland, England
8Telegraph expert rating
This is a stately pile of a hotel, close to Hadrian’s Wall, that has managed to add a spa, leisure centre and golf courses without losing its grandeur. The impressive, 19th-century Gothic mansion – all vast mullioned windows, balustraded roof, towering chimneys – is the ancestral home of the Blackett family. The 16 rooms in the original house are very grand with magnificent windows overlooking the golf course or woodland, some with plasterwork ceilings and four-poster beds or fireplaces. Expect polished cooking with a robust Northumbrian feel in the two AA Rosette restaurant. Read expert review. From £106per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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The Joiners Arms Alnwick, Northumberland, England
8Telegraph expert rating
A destination pub with five flirty bedrooms; this is a weekend treat getaway sort of place. People come for the walking, the peace and the hearty food. The all-day menu offers crowd-pleasing, above-average pub staples, from mussels in garlic to Northumbrian beef bourguignon and classic steaks. The fish and chips, fish chowder and seafood sharing platter are legendary. The five rooms are big and sexy with deep-pile carpets, bold colours and a shameless 'boudoir' style – three have enormous baths set on plinths in the bedroom, a mirror at one side, drinks table at the other. Read expert review. From £145per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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William de Percy Inn Otterburn, Northumberland, England
8Telegraph expert rating
The smart, slate-grey and white exterior of the former coaching inn gives no clue that all may not be traditional inside. Interiors are rustic-chic – flagged floors, exposed beams and brickwork, scrubbed tables, mismatched chairs and floral banquettes – mixed with a French-boudoir vibe. Unashamedly flirty bedrooms have been designed for fun and indulgence. Carpets are thick and soft, walls are dark and rich, while pops of jewel-bright colours are found in velvet curtains and throws. Top-level rooms might include a gold-coloured slipper-bath. Read expert review. From £84per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
This article was written by Helen Pickles from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
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