As Ninebanks Youth Hostel becomes a private house, thanks must go to all the people who made Ninebanks the special place it was: the guest, staff, and volunteers, and most of all to Pauline and Ian, whose investment and commitment to the youth hostelling movement enabled Ninebanks Youth Hostel to welcome guests for 35 of its 79 years.
Celebrating 79 Years of Community and Connection
Since opening its doors in 1947, Orchard House also known as Ninebanks Youth Hostel has been a sanctuary for explorers and travellers, welcoming guests for nearly eight decades. Converted from 17th-century lead miners’ cottages and mine shop, these historic walls became the backdrop for countless friendships, lifelong partnerships and shared adventures.
What began as a simple hostel championed by the Tyne and Wear Youth Hostel group, only gaining the “modern luxury” of electricity in the 1950s, grew into an iconic fixture of the hostelling landscape.
When closure loomed in 1990
Long-term YHA members Pauline and her family stepped in to save the hostel when the YHA put it up for sale in 1990. They purchased the property and ran it as an YHA affiliate for the next 35 years.
Under their devoted care, Ninebanks underwent a gradual transformation. They introduced private ensuite rooms and meticulously restored the common room’s magnificent stone floor – numbering and lifting and replacing every single slab.
Passionate advocates for sustainability, Pauline and Ian also pioneered eco-friendly hospitality, making Ninebanks the very first hostel in the UK to install electric vehicle chargers.
35 Years Later
It is a sad reality that owner-run hostels rarely outlive the vision and dedication of their creators. Ready to retire or at least to move on from full-time hostel management in the early 2020’s Ian and Pauline started to sell the hostel as a business. In 2026 they were forced to change the sale to residential use.
True to their spirit of community, nothing from Ninebanks has gone to waste:
- Beds were donated to the Friends of Tanners Hatch group to help save Tanners Hatch Hostel, as well as to nearby Alston Hostel.
- Duvets found a new home at Ballater Hostel.
- Bedding is now in use by volunteers at the Edinburgh fringe
- Small equipment and books all went to charity shops
- Equipment & Expertise were passed to the Rocks and Wheels project in Dalbeattie, where Ian and Pauline themselves are bringing decades of hostelling knowledge to support the team.
Reflecting on their journey, Ian and Pauline shared these parting words with the admin team at Independent Hostels:
“We want to thank you for all that you have done for us, for the network, and for our guests…. We’ve always appreciated being part of the independent hostel community. May it grow and thrive!
We’re not leaving hostelling completely with some input into the Rocks and Wheels project in Dalbeattie and if you ever think we might be able to offer any help or support to hostelling please do let us know. With love, best wishes and gratitude Pauline & Ian”
In August 2026, Ninebanks Youth Hostel was sold for a second time and is now a private family home.
As this chapter comes to a close, thanks must go to all the people who made Ninebanks the special place it was: the hostellers, staff, and volunteers who created memories that will live on through the years, and to Pauline and Ian, whose investment, dedication, and commitment to the youth hostelling movement enabled Ninebanks Youth Hostel to thrive for 35 of its 79 years.
