Cosy cottage in beautiful Branxton

Our lovely holiday home, Mary's Cottage, is set in the beautiful North Northumberland countryside in a small peaceful village called Branxton, just a few miles from the Scottish Borders. The cottage offers country walks from the door and combines tranquility & style with warmth & comfort. It’s the perfect romantic, rural retreat at any time of the year. The space Our cosy, romantic cottage has been renovated and insulated to a high standard. We've used gentle Farrow & Ball colours, comfy sofas and double bed plus beautiful pieces of art by local artists to create a lovely, relaxing environment. The cottage is our own holiday home which means you can expect a high standard of cleanliness and professionally laundered bed linens and towels. LIVING/DINING ROOM: Comfy sofas to snuggle on, a log burner with fuel supplied and a cosy corner for dining. There's a wide range of books (including some about the history of the local area) and magazines for time spent relaxing indoors. KITCHEN: Well equipped and modern, the kitchen contains a large fridge-freezer, a wine fridge, dishwasher, single oven with induction hob* and a microwave. Complimentary tea, coffee, sugar, sweetener and a basic range of herbs, spices and cooking oil are supplied. (*Please note that the British Heart Foundation recommends that people with a heart pacemaker should get no closer than 60cm to an induction hob). UTILITY ROOM: The utility room houses a washing machine (eco-friendly washing powder supplied) and separate tumble dryer, iron and table-top ironing board plus room for coats, boots/shoes and doggy paraphernalia (bowls for food and water, emergency poo bags and a tick remover supplied). A fire blanket, fire extinguisher, basic first aid kit and a torch are also kept in here. BEDROOM: Comfortable double bed with pure cotton bedding, plenty of hanging/drawer space for clothes and remote controlled bedside lights. SHOWER ROOM: Modern shower/wet room with underfloor heating and a heated towel rail. We provide fluffy white towels and Faith in Nature toiletries including shampoo, conditioner and body wash. TECHNOLOGY: Free wi-fi. Television with Chromecast enables you to 'cast' your favourite TV shows, films, music, sport, games and more from your phone or other mobile devices straight to our TV. Hepburn radio which enables you to play music etc from your mobile/tablet via Bluetooth by simply downloading the View Quest app. OUTSIDE: At the back of the house is a sunny south-facing patio for sitting out, with table and chairs provided. The stone bench outside the front door is the perfect spot to sit on a summer's evening with a glass of wine to watch the sun setting. The side/rear area is gated and secure for dogs. (NB our neighbours, who have vehicular access over our drive to the rear of their cottage, occasionally take out their car - just something to consider if you leave your dog/s outside for lengthy periods). Guests have access to a lockable outbuilding enabling secure storage of fishing rods, bikes etc. We have left our own bikes and cycling helmets in the outbuilding and guests are welcome to use them AT THEIR OWN RISK. We've also left a coolbox for picnics and days out at Northumberland's beautiful beaches. The house is situated on a quiet road just a short walk from the centre of the village of Branxton with its charming village hall, beautiful 12th century church, the 'smallest visitors' centre in the world' and a way-marked walking route around the historic Flodden battlefield. The village, with just 60 or so dwellings and no shops or pubs of its own, is surrounded by farmland making it wonderfully free from traffic noise and unusually peaceful, especially in the evening. FACILITIES FOR BABIES: A high chair is available upon request. DOGS: Two small or one medium sized well-behaved dogs are welcome but, for the sake of our other guests we'd appreciate it if you would keep them out of the bedroom and off the furniture (unless you bring your own ‘dog throw’). We provide dog towels, bowls, a torch for late night wee-walks and a supply of emergency poo bags. There's also a handy outside tap for cleaning up boots and paws after muddy walks. PARKING: Parking on the quiet road right outside the cottage is free and unlimited. The area behind the property is our neighbours’ access route to/from their garage so must be left clear at all times. Guest access Access is via the front porch or the back door which leads into the utility room. Instructions for obtaining the keys to the cottage will be sent a week before your trip. PLEASE NOTE: For guests with mobility difficulties, although Mary's Cottage is all on one level there is a step up from the front porch to the hallway and a slightly raised metal door threshold at the back door. Other things to note The village of Branxton has no shops of its own but we are just three miles from Cornhill-on-Tweed which has an excellent village shop selling a selection of fresh local produce, including picnic hamper ingredients and home baking as well as household basics. **Please note this shop closes at 4pm on Saturdays.** A wider range of shops, pubs and cafes can be found in the quaint market town of Coldstream (five miles away) which has a good mix of small, independent shops running the length of the High Street, including a family butchers, fruit and veg shop, bakery and small Co-op supermarket. The Blue Bell Inn at Crookham, a 20 minute walk from the cottage, is great for traditional pub food and the highly regarded Collingwood Arms in Cornhill-on-Tweed (three miles away), a pub with a superb restaurant, is particularly good for Sunday lunch or a special meal out. Both pubs are dog-friendly at tables in the bar areas (it’s best to book for these). The villages of Ford and Etal are well worth a visit, with their cornmill, light railway, tea rooms and beautiful walks. In nearby Coldstream the Hirsel Estate provides beautiful walks, a craft centre, a Museum of Country Life and a tea room. It's worth checking opening times for these destinations before setting out as they vary according to the time of year. The cottage is almost equidistant from Berwick-upon-Tweed (13 miles) and Kelso (14 miles) and we love both! Berwick is larger and has a number of supermarkets, including Tesco, Morrisons and a Marks & Spencers Foodhall on a small retail park just out of the centre. Kelso is picturesque, set around a Flemish-style market square, and also has a good selection of independent shops including Rogerson's shoe shop and Mayfield Garden Centre, slightly out of the town centre by the river. The Abbey is worth a visit and Kelso has a Sainsbury’s and a monthly farmers' market, usually held on the fourth Saturday of the month with the exception of July and Christmas (you can check dates on Visit Kelso). There are several folders of information in the cottage about places of interest in Northumberland and the Borders plus walking routes and menus from recommended local pubs, restaurants and take-aways. Please tell us about the places you’ve most enjoyed visiting in our Visitors’ Book.