Set high on the heather-strewn moors of the north Pennines, this pub-turned-boutique hotel in the village of Blanchland has been a hideaway for over 800 years. First it was a guest house of Blanchland Abbey, then a secret spot for fugitive general Thomas Forster, fleeing trial for his part in the 1715 Jacobite rising.
Locals claim Charles and Camilla spent time cavorting in the village in their early days of their courtship.Now, it’s a hotel that’s part of the Calcot & Spa — the same team behind the swish Calcot Manor and the Painswick in the Cotswolds— with cosy-luxe rooms kitted out in heather tones and homely additions such as hot water bottles and home-baked cookies. Guests tuck into hearty, seasoanl dishes in ancient corners before retiring for a pint ofbespoke Crewe Brew in the medieval bar, the Crypt. Don’t forget your walking boots: the Northumberland moors are on your doorstep. Trails trace the Cheviot Hills and wind alongside the rushing River Derwent.
Main photo: the Lord Crewe Arms
Overall score 7/10
Rooms and suites
Score 7/10
There’s lots of love squeezed into the 26 rooms here, which split into three categories based on their size: Cosy, Canny and the biggest, Champion. There are four rooms in the main house and the top pick is Bamburgh with its stained glass window — although it’s also the favourite of former resident Dorothy Forster, sister of Thomas, who is said to haunt it. The other rooms are scattered among an outbuilding, the Angel, opposite and in ten revamped miners’ cottages which are the best of the bunch. Thick wool carpets and touches of tweed hit the luxe-in-the-country brief; soothing purple walls and old fireplaces remind you of your ancient surroundings. Big bathrooms and posh smellies from Noble Isle are a treat after a day of yomping around the Pennines.
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Food and drink
Score 8/10
Seasonal, homegrown products such as carrots plucked from the pub’s vegetable patch and eggs laid in the hen house are the stars on the plates here. Dishes are homely and served in ancient nooks: perfectly gooey camembert with homemade cranberry sauce, feather blades of beef and hard-to-refuse sides such as fat chips. The Bishop’s Dining Room is upstairs — it feels like a posh friend’s dining room — and the Hilyard is where you can get cosy fireside downstairs. Raise a glass later in the Crypt, the pub’s medieval vaulted pub where you can sip on Crewe Brew, a specially crafted light pale ale, or find local gins such as Hepple, with ingredients from the Northumberland moors.
What else is there?
Score 6/10
You’re in deepest Northumberland here which means dark skies come with the territory. In the winter, astronomers armed with telescopes lead stargazing sessions for guests while local chefs drop in year-round to run bread and pie-making workshops and cookery classes. You’ll also find stargazing kits in your room to make the most of the pollution-free skies outside. Come in summer and you can head to nearby Derwent Reservoir to fish or paddleboard. Whatever time of year, bring your wellies and hiking boots so you can stomp around the glorious countryside that unfolds in every direction. You don’t have to go far for nature to unfurl around you: just over the road is a path that will magic up miniature waterfalls and a pine forest.
Where is it?
Score 9/10
Right on the border of Northumberland and Co Durham in the stone-flagged village of Blanchland; the quaintest stuck-in-time spot with honey-tinted cottages, an 11th-century church and cutesy tea room serving homemade quiche and marshmallow-topped hot chocolates. It’s so remote that a group of monks deemed it the best spot to worship and it’s stayed secluded ever since.
Head for hikes in Kielder Forest and Derwent Reservoir; you’ll get the best views over the valley with a three-and-half-mile stroll across the heather-covered moors to Cowbrye Farm, keeping an eye out for roe deer as you stroll. The market town of Hexham, half an hour’s drive away, has a bustling farmers’ market that spills out beside its abbey most Saturdays. Pair it with a visit to the pretty neighbouring town of Corbridge, stuffed with independent shops, cosy pubs and an ice cream parlour.
Price B&B doubles from £184
Restaurant mains from £17
Family-friendly Y
Dog-friendly Y
Accessible N
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