Bring your family, your dogs, your walking boots, your bikes, your running gear – even your horses if you wish. Leave behind your worries, your work and the crowds. A mini-break at Ilderton Dod Barns will relax, invigorate, inspire and recharge.
“Come and spend a few days with us at Ilderton Dod Barns on our working hill farm in North Northumberland, within the National Park. Our converted hay shed sleeps up to 8 in one large upstairs bedroom (sole use only) with a double bed, bunk and 4 singles plus there is a folding bed for use if required. There are dividing curtains for privacy. With 2 large showers, a large sitting room / diner, washing machine and log burner, it’s more luxurious than most. There is also a barbecue / seating area plus lockable bike storage, and grazing for horses if required. Up to 3 dogs are allowed downstairs. There is another cottage next door sleeping up to 3, plus 2 dogs in one upstairs bedroom.
We have a varied clientele – many arrive and never leave the farm because they enjoy the tranquillity. The accommodation is surrounded by 1800 acres of our own access land with thousands of acres beyond which is ideal for wildlife spotting, off road biking, trail / fell running, horse-riding, walking etc. We are within the International Dark Sky park and binoculars, chairs and a telescope are provided for spotting the stars. There are several historic monuments on the farm including a fort, standing stones and rig and furrow.
For serious walkers and fell runners, Hedgehope and Cheviot, the highest peaks in Northumberland, are within 5 miles. For the less serious we provide printed maps of 5-10 mile walks, plus we have 2 marked routes around our land suitable for all ages. The Pennine Way, the oldest and most famous national trail, passes 2 miles from the accommodation and you can walk to the Scottish border. If you are unsure about planning your own route you can organise for a guide to take you somewhere special with Revier Guiding in Wooler.
The Sandstone Way mountain bike route passes within metres of The Barn, and route 68 NCN passes within 1.5 miles. There are unlimited circular routes possible from the doorstep, many incorporating a visit to the nearby Ingram Cafe.
We have 650 ewes on the farm all year with hundreds of lambs from April. Approximately 60 cows and calves graze the hills in summer. During your stay you may well see action involving quad bikes, working sheep dogs, lambing (Apr / May), shearing (July), silage / hay making (Aug) and so on. There is also a commercial grouse shoot on occasional days from August to October.
For those that do like explore further afield, our local towns are Alnwick (16 miles, location for Harry Potter films), Wooler (10 miles, or less on foot / bike), Berwick Upon Tweed (27 miles, historic walled town right on the Scottish border). The coast is less than 20 miles away with multiple very quiet, dog friendly sandy beaches, pretty seaside towns, boat trips and plenty of seals, puffins and other wildlife to see.
For the adventure seekers, Adventure Northumberland (Alnwick) offer coasteering, surfing, paddle boarding, rock climbing, canyoning etc. Or for the fishermen among you there are 2 fisheries within 10 miles, at Chatton and Thrunton. Kimmerston Riding Centre 15 miles away offers pony trekking including beach rides around the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, but we can provide grazing if you would prefer to bring your own horse. Please contact us for more details.
Northumberland is still largely undiscovered which most guests comment on, and often return again and again.