Notes from the host
Cove Cottage
Cove Cottage is a converted barn which is located very close to the sea at Budle Bay in the small hamlet of Waren Mill. It is part of a group of 4 properties set around a shared courtyard called Smugglers Court. It has a quiet outdoor seating area with table and chairs, which is a suntrap and ideal for enjoying the sunshine. The courtyard is enclosed but is shared with the other properties and so it is not possible to guarantee that a gate will not be left open by other residents. There is a covered bike store at the back, with 2 heavy duty hooks for securing your bikes.
The cottage is furnished and equipped to the same level as our own home, so you can be assured of cleanliness and comfort. Relax on our comfortable large corner sofa and enjoy the plentiful fluffy towels and crisp hotel quality cotton sheets.
Cove Cottage is an upside-down house with the living area and kitchen on the first floor to take full advantage of the wonderful exposed original barn beams. On the first floor is the open plan kitchen/ dining area with fully fitted shaker style kitchen complete with electric fan oven and grill, induction hob, extractor, microwave, toaster and dishwasher and fully equipped with everything you need. The cupboards are packed full of all the crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, glass- and ovenware and kitchen utensils for all your cooking needs. There is an oak dining table with seating for four.
The lounge area has original beams, a corner sofa and various pieces of oak furniture. For the cooler days there is a cast iron log burner-style electric fire. Radiators in all rooms provide a cosy environment, no matter what the weather. Cove Cottage is exceptionally warm and cosy in winter, you will certainly not feel the chill.
There is a well-stocked bookcase with fiction and non-fiction books as well as a good selection of DVDs and CDs for you to enjoy on your holiday. The cottage has a flatscreen freeview smart TV with catch-up services such as BBC iPlayer as well as a DVD player. We also have a Sony PlayStation PS3 games console with Move controllers, complete with a large selection of games for the whole family. You can access Netflix on the smart TV, which gives you a huge selection of current shows, box sets and films.
On the ground floor there are two bedrooms, one with twin single beds with recent pocket sprung/memory foam mattresses and one with a comfortable king size bed with a recent Hypnos pocket sprung mattress with topper. Both bedrooms have plenty of wardrobe and drawer space. There are hairdryers and bedside lamps in each bedroom. Also on the ground floor is the family bathroom, complete with period features and roll top bath, which has a powerful over-bath 10.5kW electric shower with air boost.
There is fibre broadband and wifi at the cottage (approx. 35 Mb, so you can stream and download without interruption) and we have provided our guests with a landline phone with honesty box, as mobile signal can be variable on some networks but is getting better as new masts are installed in the region.
There is off-road parking for one car in the courtyard down the side of the cottage, with further parking for additional cars available outside the courtyard. Please note that no cars can be parked in the main courtyard in front of the houses (this applies to all the properties in Smugglers Court) except when you are just taking things in and out of your car. This leaves the courtyard as an open space for everyone to enjoy.
If you want to experience the stunning beauty of this area whilst enjoying the quietness and comfort of Cove Cottage, then this is the place for you. There is a footpath up the side of the field behind the cottage, just cross over the road (to Belford) and go through the farm gate and then walk up the hill to get stunning views over Budle Bay. The new coastal footpath also takes you from behind the cottage, around the side of the campsite and back onto the single track road which runs from the B1342 (to Bambrugh) up to Spindlestone. Walk back down to the sea and Budle Bay from here.
Northumberland still remains one of the best undiscovered places of natural beauty in the UK, steeped in history with many wonderful castles and historic houses, sweeping expanses of beaches with dunes, Holy Island, Hadrian's Wall and the wild Cheviot Hills to name but a few. Boat trips leave Seahouses daily for the Farne Islands, weather permitting.
Below we have listed a little of what's on offer in the Northumberland area and you will receive a detailed email complete with local information before your stay:
Budle Bay is part of the Lindisfarne nature reserve. This is a very popular bird watching spot and it is right on your doorstep. The lovely village of Bamburgh is only 2 miles and there are various public footpath routes with stunning coastal and inland views. We are also just a few miles by car to Holy Island, Alnwick Castle, Berwick-upon-Tweed and many other beautiful spots along this lovely coastline. The vast and usually deserted Ross Sands are just a couple of miles north from Cove Cottage.
