Ashgillside Cottage
Traditional cottage, ideal for friends and family to explore this beautiful unspoiled area of natural beauty in the North Pennines. The 17th-century village of Alston is 5 miles with local amenities.
The 17th-century village of Alston is the highest in England, around 1,000ft above sea level. The train station here is England’s highest narrow-gauge railway and is the starting point for the South Tynedale Railway. You can also join the Pennine Way walking trail from Alston or jump in the car onto the A686, one of the AA Magazine’s ‘Ten Great Drives’. Those with a sense of adventure can embark on a long, steep climb up Hartside Fell, which also forms part of the Sea to Sea Cycle Route.
Entering this cottage, you will walk into the hallway with a useful utility room to the left, benefiting from underfloor heating, a drying rack, Belfast sink, and coat hooks – perfect after a muddy walk. The bathroom is also off the hallway on the ground floor, with a shower over the bath to enjoy a long soak and WC. The lounge is opposite and features a cosy wood burner, original exposed beams, a TV/DVD, and comfortable sofas to kick back and relax. The window has stunning views across the South Tyne Valley to Cross Fell and, in the springtime, you can enjoy watching the lambs playing. Next door is a snug area, with a TV/DVD and seating. It offers a great space for children who may want to watch their own films or play some board games and have time to chill out. The kitchen follows on from the snug – it is spacious and well equipped with a table to enjoy breakfast or an evening meal while making plans for the next day. There is an electric hob and oven, dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, and fridge/freezer. Head from the lounge back into the hallway and up the stairs to the first floor. You will find two bedrooms: a pretty twin with exposed beams and a lovely low window that allows you to lie in bed and look out across the fields, and a king-size bedroom, again with beams and a low window.
There is a private, enclosed garden at the front of the property with seating to enjoy a good book or coffee on a nice morning. Private parking for 2-3 cars is available within the garden, and there is a spacious, lockable garden shed where you can store bikes, kayaks and skis. The owners’ also have a log cabin in their woods which makes an ideal picnic destination after one of the many splendid country walks available from the cottage.
