Historic Mansion Annexe | Exclusive Privacy VIP

An exclusive, historic, eco-friendly sanctuary providing a peaceful escape, well-connected for Newcastle, Sunderland, and the North East coast. This stunning Grade II* Listed Building offers the ultimate blend of high-end luxury and nature. Enjoy absolute privacy with no other guests on site. Ideal for families, with a double bedroom and day bed in the living area. Cot on request. Delight in our massive lawns, curated library, photoshoot location, and free-roaming hens. Note: no cooking or TV. The space Mansion Annexe comprises three beautiful, ground-floor rooms within our historic Grade II* Listed home, curated to offer an exclusive blend of heritage charm and boutique luxury. Our visually stunning property and grounds have even served as a backdrop for professional photo shoots, including campaigns for Oddballs Underwear. The Bedroom: A serene sanctuary featuring a comfortable double bed dressed in crisp linen dried naturally in the fresh air. The bed is framed by a striking period window that offers peaceful views with large trees and the evening sunset. The Luxury of Space: Our very spacious bathroom is a guest favourite, complete with a toilet, sink, large shower, and an expansive window that floods the room with soft, natural light (fitted with a blind for your complete privacy). We maintain this space using premium, non-toxic plant-based products from Purdy & Figg, ensuring a pristine clean with no harsh chemicals. The fresh towels adorn a genuine Victorian-era Chamber Pot. The servants would empty the chamber pot after use by the landowner’s family and guests. Please don’t use the Chamber Pot - it’s just for fun and photos! The Grand Living Area: Designed for deep relaxation, the large living room features living plants and fresh flowers, premium real leather recliner sofas, authentic animal hide rugs, and a striking antler chandelier overhead. It boasts spectacular dual-aspect views: you can watch the sunrise over the vast eastern gardens and catch the sunset from the western window. For your convenience, a low table with two chairs, a fridge, and a kettle are provided for refreshments, complete with elegant Denby cups and saucers, gold edged glassware and luxury cutlery contained in an elegant Optima picnic basket. Bespoke Family Sleeping Arrangements: Positioned at the far end of this airy, light-filled living area is an elegant daybed. It can be styled as a cosy single bed or extended with an additional mattress to form a comfortable double (please let us know your preference before arrival). Tailored for Younger Guests: For young families, a high-quality Hauck travel cot can gladly be provided upon request at the time of booking. Please note the Annexe comfortably accommodates a maximum of 4 adults. Your Private Entrance: Your exclusive entrance is accessed via our historic gardens, where you will pass through a beautiful floral arch that is magically lit with twinkling fairy lights at night. Adjacent to the entrance, a dedicated outdoor sitting area features high-quality patio furniture reserved for your sole use. To ensure your comfort whilst walking the paths, we recommend wearing appropriate outdoor footwear. Please note that due to its protected, Grade II* Listed status, the property features a few steps up to the entrance and cannot accommodate wheelchairs or mobility scooters.Arriving at Your Sanctuary: The property entrance from the main road and the surrounding grounds are exceptionally secluded. While this privacy is a core part of the Annexe’s unique charm and supports our wonderful nocturnal wildlife, we keep outdoor lighting to a minimum. If you plan to arrive after daylight hours, we kindly suggest preparing your arrival time accordingly and bringing a torch to help you navigate the paths with ease. To enhance your evening under the stars, a firepit or chimenea may be made available for an additional fee; please request this at the time of booking so we can have it ready for you. The History - Deep Roots & Wartime Heritage: Steeped in rich local heritage, Scots House is one of the oldest and most significant residences in the area. Its earliest historical footprint is recorded right within the famous Boldon Buke of 1183—the historic survey of the Bishopric of Durham—marking over eight centuries of standing history on these grounds. Centuries later, during the First World War, the estate played a vital role in the national war effort. The grounds were transformed into a major military hub, serving as the training camp and base for the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. Over the course of the war, the estate housed and trained approximately 27,000 soldiers before they departed for the front lines, while the main house itself was used to help recovering officers convalesce. When you stay at the Annexe, you are truly stepping into a living piece of British history. The Space & Property Ecology: A Sanctuary of ProtectionOur property is managed as a strict, chemical-free sanctuary. We use absolutely zero pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic chemicals in our gardens. This eco-conscious care extends indoors, where we rely strictly on eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning methods to protect both our guests and our environment. We operate on the scientific principle that every single plant, insect, and organism plays a vital, irreplaceable role in maintaining a balanced food web. Your arrival begins by passing through a magnificent grove of 150 protected trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. You will then cross a natural brook that feeds into a beautiful, walled pond. This aquatic ecosystem serves as a thriving habitat and home for our resident mallards and moorhens, alongside the occasional hunting grey heron. Throughout the spring and autumn, we protect this watershed by practicing natural rewilding. We allow native flora and wild plants, which some might traditionally classify as "weeds", to complete their full life cycles. The wider gardens transition into a fully functional wildlife habitat. This area is home to our free-roaming chickens, who rely on the untamed soil for natural dust baths and foraging. Crucially, these wild boundary zones, filled with dense trees, shrubs, and uncultivated plants, serve as a protected release site for rescue hedgehogs rehomed here due to specific health needs. By protecting these insects, hedgehogs, and small mammals at the base of the food chain, our ecosystem successfully supports stunning apex predators. Guests frequently glimpse or hear our resident birds of prey, including owls, kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzards, hunting across the grounds.For your comfort, we maintain a traditionally mown lawn immediately adjacent to your terraced outdoor sitting area. This provides a clean, accessible space to relax, allowing you to safely immerse yourself in a fully functioning, protected ecosystem right outside your door. Guest access We want you to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of our estate. During your stay, you have wonderful access to our historic outdoor spaces:Your Estate to Explore: As our exclusive guests, you are warmly invited to relax and unwind across our expansive, lawned gardens. You are also very welcome to wander over to our grand pond area, where you can enjoy watching and feeding the wild ducks and moorhens.A Gentle Note on Our Shared Paths: The pathways leading through the main lawned garden are occasionally used by our family (two adults and one child) to access the adjacent property and stables—most often just passing through to feed our free-roaming chickens.Complimentary Parking & Arrival Walk: Parking on the estate is entirely free. From the parking area, the Annexe is just a short, scenic walk through the gardens, which includes a small number of traditional stone steps. To ensure your comfort along the garden paths, suitable outdoor footwear is highly recommended, particularly during the winter months.Embracing the Natural Darkness: Because our historic grounds are beautifully secluded, we keep outdoor lighting to an absolute minimum to protect our local nocturnal wildlife. If you expect to arrive after dark, we highly suggest bringing a torch with you to make navigating the garden paths to your entrance seamless and easy Other things to note What to expect: This is a premium, high-end historic escape where you invest in total exclusivity over a standard rental. There are no slamming doors or noisy corridors here—just pure, VIP privacy. To preserve this sanctuary vibe, there is no TV or kitchen facilities. Our secluded grounds feature 150 protected trees and rare wildlife; to protect them, outdoor lighting is minimal and deliberate wild, native planting surrounds the property. No unannounced gatherings or parties. Food deliveries are welcome; message us for the postal address. WiFi included.