http://www.sandersonyoung.co.uk/downloads/magazines/SY0901

PREMIER PROPERTIES & FABULOUS FEATURES

Spring | Summer 2009 £2.95

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CLEAN CARS MINE’S A PINT

Cut your carbon and travel in style OURfootprint FRIENDS ECLECTIC

Neil Morrissey on brewing a new career in beer

Inside one of the world’s most eccentric hotels

GROOVY CHICKS Hatching hens and other credit-crunching fiscal fixes

VISION ON The latest trends in home entertainment BEAUTIFUL HOMES

Pages and pages of dream homes and interiors

SANDERSON YOUNG | SY

Duncan Young reflects on a challenging few months and the green shoots of recovery now beginning to show

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northeast local company rather than a cheaper national supplier. Other businesses pon reflection, the last six months of 2008 saw some of the worst are dong this, such as the owner of the Queen’s Head, Great Whittington, trading conditions I have experienced in estate agency over 25 Northumberland, who told me recently that the meat served in the pub’s years. Market confidence throughout all sectors appeared to restaurant was from local cattle, slaughtered in Whitley Bay, hung in crash and burn and many of my colleagues were astounded at the Ponteland and bought from the butcher next door to the pub. extremely low levels of business that were transacted between September This pub is making a real effort, not only to supply its meat from local and November 2008. sources, but also its potatoes, real ale, cheese and other fresh produce.

The good news is that since January 2009 activity levels have significantly This is obviously keeping many people employed and I suspect a lot more increased and virtually all estate agents in the North East are now reporting of us need to be aware of these important factors for the future. far greater levels of buyer registration, internet activity and viewings, as At Sanderson Young, all our recommendations are made to local building well as offers. surveyors, architects, solicitors and accountants. We do not support or run Mortgage availability has reduced, yet we still have thousands of mortgage conveyancing factories outside the region, since we believe in providing products available to suit all types of purchasers and we are able to freedom of choice to our clients from the many local experts. provide excellent mortgage advice to many clients.

Later in 2009, we look forward to opening our new flagship office at 95 The media continue to run sensational and often wholly inaccurate stories High Street, Gosforth, opposite The County pub. An extensive because, apparently, bad news sells… something I have never understood. refurbishment is being carried out to restore a beautiful period building to The truth is that many economists are forecasting a rapid rebound in the provide a modern, state-of-the-art estate agency where we will be working value of property with a possible period of rapid inflation in the near future. alongside our new partners in the Great This is an early warning to those who don't Coffee lounge to encourage clients to own property to make sure they don't get socialise, work and relax within this very caught out in rented if they can afford to buy. comfortable environment.

Similarly, those enjoying the artificially “MANAGING THE GAP BETWEEN Innovation in estate agency is always of discounted interest rates on their borrowings THE SALE AND THE PURCHASE IS paramount importance and, looking back should realise that these will not stay at this THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE OF over the 10 years since we launched level for long - things that go down can often A HOUSE MOVE …”

Sanderson Young, I am extremely proud of go back up just as quickly! the many people who have contributed to the Property valuations have hardened and the company’s success; from its marketing, clients who are keen to move are doing so at media and production teams, to our sales the right and very sensible price. Managing negotiators, sales progression and professional consultancy teams. the gap between the sale and the purchase is the most important feature I am sure that the next 10 years will provide many more and greater of a house move, and while people are selling at lower figures, they are challenges, with social networking sites and greater reliance upon internet certainly buying at the same. marketing influencing the buying and selling of houses.

The housing market is in a period of stability and now relies purely upon I was born and bred in the North East, as were so many of the professionals confidence. Those who have secure employment, especially professionals within Sanderson Young, which remains a local independent professional within the medical, academic and government sectors, can take advantage estate agency. We look forward to being of assistance to you throughout of the current situation, with good value properties and low interest rates the coming months. that can be fixed for a reasonable period of time.

If I can be of assistance to you in any way, please contact me via email at I personally am committed to ensuring that I buy products, services and duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk goods from the North East, and I moved the printing of this magazine to a

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GROW YOUR FURNITURE COLLECTION THIS SPRING

Enjoy stylish new furniture for the new season at Chapmans. Classic to contemporary, living to dining, we’ve got perfect pieces to help your rooms bloom this Spring. Call in today.

You’ll find us at Siesta House, Market Street, Newcastle. Customer car park available. We’re open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm.

Sunday 11am to 5pm. Call us on 0191 2327628 or visit www.chapmansfurniture.co.uk Also at Siesta House,Victoria Viaduct, Carlisle.

OPEN SUNDAYS 11AM - 5PM

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SY | SANDERSON YOUNG

EXCITINGMOVES Sanderson Young’s sales director Alan Gardiner and new homes director Janet Hopkinson offer their analysis of the expertise vital to selling your home

ALAN GARDINER With signs of spring all around us, we have been greatly encouraged in North Northumberland by significant and measurable increases in buyer activity over the first few months of 2009.

With the Bank of England base rate at an all-time historic low and investor concerns regarding the returns and stability of many types of investment, we are seeing the beginning of a resurgence in property investor activity.

As a tangible asset many, even first-time property investors are demonstrating signs of being more confident about the medium to long term performance of the property market, and as such perceive 2009 as the right time to buy.

With mortgage interest rates continuing to decrease, benefiting those on tracker mortgages and the standard variable rate, and increased income from long-term rental and the holiday let market, the investment yield from the residential sector is now looking better than it has done for many years.

The changing nature of the property market over the last few years has resulted in increased demand within the rental sector for assured shorthold tenancies, with tenants demanding good quality accommodation, but happy to pay an increased rental level to secure the right property.

As for the holiday let market, close to half of our sales in 2009 so far have been within the holiday let sector building on demand through 2008. With the UK currency exchange rate being very poor as well as other economic concerns, landlords are reporting a marked increase in bookings for holiday lets in Northumberland.

This, combined with the reduced cost of ownership via reducing interest rate charges, is more than ever making for increased demand for characterful properties, particularly on the North Northumberland coast.

Holiday let can be a great fun asset, with a very useful managed income, and the possibility of using it as a second home for family and friends. This, combined with the picture of reduced prices and the anticipated eventual return of capital growth, is giving the holiday market a real boost.

The team in our Alnwick office will be delighted to provide specific and bespoke advice for your property investment needs, or your next home when relocating to this most beautiful part of the country.

For more information, please contact Alan Gardiner at the Alnwick Office, tel 01665 600 170, email alan.gardiner@sandersonyoung.co.uk

JANET HOPKINSON 2009 will see the move from our Sales office at 55 High Street, Gosforth to our superb new office location at 95 High Street, commanding a corner position opposite the County Hotel.

The first part of the jigsaw has been completed, with the relocation in February of all the Sanderson Young administrative departments –

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accounts, media, secretarial and also our expanding lettings management department to the first and second floors of this building.

These moves, and the resultant relocation of our computer servers and relocation of our main telephone system, have enhanced our internal and external communications and our customer service.

Our Lettings’ office expansion from Newcastle Quayside to our new regional lettings office in Gosforth has resulted in a wider variety of middle to top end lets coming to the market from clients drawn to our new location and our truly regional focus. Meanwhile, we retain a presence in our Quayside office for the marketing of city centre lets.

Our website, meanwhile, continues to have a major influence on our successful sales and lets, and the rapid growth in the use of the internet by people researching the market is fully reflected in the popularity of our site.

An enormous amount of work has gone into creating a quality site that allows us to market our properties in the most effective way possible and we are also now launching a regular email newsletter to all our registered vendors, potential purchasers and VIP members to reflect the range and quality of properties we have for sale and for rent throughout the region.

In addition to the site, nothing can replace the face-to-face advice that our staff offer our clients and we are committed to the ongoing professional development of all our personnel.

Our offices are also welcoming environments and our forthcoming new office on Gosforth High Street will also have a coffee shop to enhance the relaxing atmosphere.

We are encouraged by an upturn in activity in the first quarter of 2009 and we monitor our key result areas daily to maximise our opportunities to convert enquiries into sales and lets.

Our proven marketing strategies, quality photography and brochure design also improve our clients’ chances of selling and achieving the best price.

For more information, please contact Janet Hopkinson at the rare! office, tel 0191 223 3500, email janet.hopkinson@sandersonyoung.co.uk

your missing piece Quality properties deserve the quality marketing campaigns Sanderson Young is famous for. So what about your business? Imagine how much more successful you could be with the proven expertise of SY Media & Design behind you.

Our creative work is so highly regarded that our skills are now being sought by a diverse range of businesses outside the property industry.

Marketing and PR expertise, brochures, adverts and branding campaigns from concept to delivery are all available to you now, plus a wealth of experience in design, print, media planning and buying.

With proven expertise in marketing, design, print, media planning and buying, SY Media & Design offers a complete service from concept to delivery. To discuss how we can help you to increase your company’s profile, call Sue Tomlin or Anthea Slater, tel 0191 213 2533

contents

contents

Managing Director Duncan Young Sales Director Alan Gardiner Operations Director Janet Hopkinson Regional Sales Manager Hazel Ross

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Editor Jane Pikett 01434 607 466 Editorial Mark Anderson Phil Anderton Emma Andrews Kathryn Armstrong Neil Gordon Maria O’Connor Rosie Waller

P8 Sales Sue Tomlin Anthea Slater Sanderson Young Media 0191 213 2533 Photography Kevin Gibson David Grebby Adam Lawrenson Nicky Rogerson

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rare! Office

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Print Potts www.potts.co.uk

Made in the North East

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Duncan Young encourages regional support

Alnwick Office

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Design Mark Denny Production Damian Wood

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Exciting moves

Ponteland Office

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Mine’s a pint

Gosforth Office

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The impressionists

Regional Lettings

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Our friends eclectic

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A new icon

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Dream homes

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The right to light

How does your garden grow?

The beauty of Chipchase Castle Nursery

New homes making their mark on the region

Inside one of the world’s most eccentric hotels

Credit crunching The canny cruncher’s money-stretching tips

Baltic Place ... a very 21st Century landmark

Stencilling’s historic template of artistic interiors

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Let’s get moving

Man with a plan Parviz Alizadeh’s space-age riverside

Making the most of a booming rental market

Neil Morrisey on brewing a new career in beer

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Hay & Kilner’s expert view of Trusts

The key to marketing and selling your home

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In Trust

Groovy chicks Chickens ... the ultimate pet in a credit crunch

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Seeing the light through planning permissions

Home and away Touring Britain’s best boutique B&Bs

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New Homes

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Speculate and accumulate Expert support on property investment

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The roar of Tamora

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The joy of the open road and the TVR Tamora

Hidden Gems Beautiful places to shop, eat and stay awhile

Cover: Tall Tress Page 32

ISSN No: 1740-3375 Whilst every care is taken in compiling the contents of this magazine, the publisher accepts no responsibility for the effects arising thereof.

All material is copyright.

Reproduction of any part of the magazine is forbidden except by written permission of the publisher.

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rare! Office

Gosforth Office

Ponteland Office

Alnwick Office

Lettings Office

Mayfair Office

0191 223 3500

0191 213 0033

01661 823 951

01665 600 170

0191 255 0808

0870 112 7099

SY | PROFILE

PROFILE | SY

mine’ s apint

The phrase ‘I fancy a beer’ has subtly changed in the last 10 years to actually mean, for some at least, ‘I fancy a lager’. But real ale campaigners now have a - possibly unlikely champion in Neil Morrissey. Rosie Waller meets him in Newcastle

he difference between most of us deciding to open a pub and Neil Morrissey doing it is that we’d be significantly less likely to have a national TV series hanging on the back of it.

But then Morrissey isn’t shy when it comes to marketing, and there are few along the York to Harrogate road who haven’t heard of Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn at Marton cum Grafton. Indeed, word has spread so successfully that they get quite a bit of business from those of us further up the A1.

He’s also not done badly getting word out about his new beer, Morrissey Fox Blonde, and you wonder how many of the slightly sniffy online reviews from the real ale fraternity are stirred by a pang of resentment.

While he’s a way to go before he gains national treasure status, Neil Morrissey is unquestionably one of our more established household names - the man who behaved badly on screen and off, then reformed to fix things in the guise of Bob the Builder. But an authority on real ale? The beer experts are stroking their beards.

Whatever, Neil’s sights are set on fixing our drinking habits. If massive enthusiasm

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equals passion and commitment, then he’s passionate alright, and he certainly talks like he’s in for the long haul.

He’s talking about a movement to reject the bland lagers that have flooded the market and cheapened our pub culture, and if he can make a bob or two from it, fantastic. But he wants to take the real ale campaign with him.

We’re in The Forth, that fine hostelry on Newcastle’s Pink Lane, accompanied by Neil’s friend - ale developer, business partner and uncanny doppelganger, Richard Fox, from whence the Fox in Morrissey Fox comes. If you saw Neil Morrissey’s Risky Business on TV last year, Fox will be familiar. a whole load of things. They made us feel really honoured, and it was really about “There’s a definite interest in wanting to drink something proper and tasty,” Richard us coming to thank them.” says. “It’s obvious from our sales that the number of real ale drinkers is growing They also worked in the call centre on behalf of Comic Relief this year. Morrissey all over the country, especially the North East. This one appeals to women and Fox was the official beer for the appeal, raising what they think was in the region younger drinkers.” of £50,000.

There is no Morrissey Fox on sale in The Forth. Hmmm. Neil spends his time Neil hasn’t had it all easy in his life; indeed he has first-hand experience of some analysing the ales they do sell, and sampling several of them. It’s a tough life. It’s of the causes Comic Relief might contribute to. Born in 1962 in Stoke, he was put time real ale drinkers had a better image he says. “People write us off as middlein care at the age of 10 after being involved in a string of burglaries. aged blokes in hairy jumpers. Rubbish.”

But later he won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and made “For some reason, we had this massive lager influx in the 70s. ‘Harp Stays Sharp his acting debut in 1984 playing alongside Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins in to the Bottom of the Glass’, and all that, I suppose because it was new and sparkly.

The Bounty. The rest we all know about.

But real ale is our heritage. That’s the difference.”

He certainly seems keener to talk beer than he does his part in the series Waterloo Richard Fox is genial company and shares his friend’s boundless enthusiasm for Road. “All those people living 30 to 60 degrees north or south of the equator live things like provenance, real ale, pubs, locally on the grape belt and grow wine. Here, we’re on sourced ingredients, pubs (did we mention pubs?), the grain belt, and we’ve a rich heritage of drinking and old fashioned joie de vivre, that makes for an ale with our food. apparently very genuine friendship.

“IT’S OBVIOUS FROM OUR SALES THAT “When these fizzy lagers came in, they caught on, He’s a chef by trade, and founded the rather but they haven’t destroyed the thirst for good, THE NUMBER OF REAL ALE DRINKERS IS wonderful Blues Bar in Harrogate when he was real ale. Look at Newcastle Brown, how long that’s GROWING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY…” only 24, which made him Britain’s youngest been around.” licensee at the time.

Morrissey Fox Blonde’s first cask was filled last He’s here with Neil to meet call centre workers at September. “But we’re now the fastest selling new Waverleys in Gateshead - one of the biggest ale that’s ever been. We’re in 1,000 pubs across the distributors of guest ales in the country. “They’re fantastic, we couldn’t have been UK and if it’s not in your pub, go and ask for it. Get on the Morrissey Fox vibe, and anywhere near as successful without them,” says Neil. look out for the Brunette in the autumn. That’s going to be a real English best bitter. ”But the reason they can sell it is all down to the taste, because although it’s useful The following year we’re bringing out the Redhead.” for the profile, people don’t care who you are, even if you’ve stepped out of the Not terribly surprisingly, given Neil’s flair for promotion, plans are afoot for a new grave as Marilyn Monroe - nobody's going to drink your beer if it’s rubbish.”

TV series. On beer. And travel, another passion.

The women were incredibly welcoming, he adds. “They knew we were coming “We’re just in the talking stages at the moment, but we’d call it Around The World and they all made food for us, which was so sweet. They didn’t go out and buy it, in 80 Beers. It will be a good old voyage of discovery. Did you know,” he goes on, they made it. We had pease pudding sandwiches, shepherd’s pie, corned beef pie, “the oldest known recipe in the world was carved in a rock in Mesopotamia, today’s

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SY | PROFILE

Iraq, and it’s for beer. We’d start filming there, where beer was distributed by camels, and then go through Europe and to the UK. “Historically, there’s an amazing brewing tradition in Yorkshire and the North East, and Scotch whisky uses beer mash as a prime ingredient.�

Beer, whatever the colour, flavour or strength, has only four ingredients - hops, barley, water and yeast. It’s easy to make, Neil says, though the four ingredients come in a multitude of colours and flavours and can be applied and mixed in many ways.

Saying that, “the one in Iraq has coriander and bits of orange in it, and I don’t think it had hops so you had to drink it quickly. Hops work as a preservative and weren’t really used until the late 16th Century, so Henry VIII would have had hops in his beer. Queen Elizabeth I had a quart of ale for breakfast. At four per cent. She’d have been p****d on that. But water was so unsanitary that hardly anyone drank it. “I’ve become a proper beer bore,� he adds. “We’re a good provenance beer, and we hope to take it to the world.�

Morrissey Fox Blonde is available from Tesco and selected pubs. For details see www.morrisseyfox.co.uk

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NO STRINGS

Along with acting, brewing and running a pub, Neil Morrissey has another interest that has brought him to the North East on numerous occasions, and that’s his role as patron of the Newcastle-based charity, No Strings.

No Strings makes life-saving films for children in developing countries, using puppets. Founded by Newcastle-based Johnie McGlade and Michael Frith, former vice executive producer and artistic director to Jim Henson and The Muppet Show, and Michael’s wife Kathy Mullen, one of its principal performers, No Strings has made a series of films dealing with issues like landmine-awareness in Afghanistan, natural disaster awareness and preparedness in South East Asia, and now HIV / AIDS messages for children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa. “I love what the organisation does and I’ve been involved right from the start,� he says. “I’ve been with No Strings to Afghanistan and if I have the chance I would love to travel to Uganda and Kenya later this year. It has the capacity to have a positive effect on so many children’s lives. “It’s going from strength to strength and doing fantastic work. It can save their lives. What you always want is for education to engage with people, and using puppets is a magical way of doing that, especially when you’re working with some of the most original and creative people in the industry.�

To find out more about No Strings’ life-saving puppetry and film work, see www.nostrings.org.uk

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SY | DESTINATIONS

ANGELIC UPSTART andering into The Angel Radcliffe just after 9am on a bright spring morning, I’m greeted by the welcoming smell of bacon, eggs and coffee provided by Virginia Steer – renowned caterer of this parish and a formidable force in this big B&B kitchen.

Plonking myself down at the kitchen table as Virginia juggles mushroom omelette, smoked haddock and eggs, she explains that the regular clientele of this beautiful B&B love the big, newly refurbished rooms with their contemporary styling, Wifi and Tyne Valley views, the relaxed, homely feel of the house and, of course, the fabulous breakfasts.

The shooting and wedding party guests, visiting ramblers, tourists and fishermen who come here also enjoy the hospitality of The Angel Radcliffe’s sister hostelry, The Angel Inn, directly opposite.

The Angel Inn and the Angel Radcliffe B&B create a handsome partnership at the eastern entrance to historic Corbridge, both of them melding contemporary design with restored original features to create a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere.

The Angel Radcliffe is the most recent addition to the stable, bought and gutted 18 months ago and sharing The Angel Inn’s white and duck egg blue livery and light, airily comfortable interior design.

It has been beautifully refurbished in the style of a boutique hotel with luxurious, contemporary styling, bright open spaces and beautiful furniture and fittings.

Its original historic features have been restored and meld beautifully with the new décor to create stylish spaces which suit this big old house well, creating a fine homecoming after a day’s hunting, shooting, fishing or touring – or an evening in the pub.

The pub is an 18th Century coaching inn – one of the oldest in Northumberland - and is as much a landmark of ancient Corbridge as the River Tyne and the village’s Roman remains, and its reputation as one of the best pubs and restaurants in the area is well-deserved.

The owners of the pub and the B&B, plus The Queen’s Head at Great Whittington, just along the valley, are John and Lynn Gibson. They acquired The Angel Inn in 2005 and have created a great pub where, eating

Jane Pikett recommends you eat, drink and stay awhile at The Angel Inn, Corbridge and its sister B&B

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BUSINESS OR PLEASURE …

“ITS ORIGINAL HISTORIC FEATURES HAVE BEEN RESTORED AND MELD BEAUTIFULLY WITH THE NEW DÉCOR TO CREATE STYLISH SPACES…” or drinking, partying or relaxing, the experience is always enjoyable, comfortable and memorable.

The bar at The Angel occupies a simple, airy space of natural wood and pale colours where real ales from local independent brewers mix nicely with excellent bar meals made, wherever possible, from locally sourced produce.

And while the bar meals at The Angel are approachable and easy, if you want to experience a smarter dining atmosphere, you can find it in the newly extended restaurant, which occupies a stunning space with slate floors, exposed stonework, chunky wooden furniture and a handsome roof with solid oak beams.

This, and the stylish adjacent lounge bar, makes for a great party or wedding venue, while the restaurant’s classic menus include such gems as Twice-baked blue cheese and spinach soufflé, Beef fillet and onions, and Crème brulee.

And with 15 stylish, comfortable rooms between the pub and the B&B, there’s no need to travel far to bed and dreams of one of Virginia’s breakfasts. What could be better?

The Angel Inn and The Angel Radcliffe, Main Street, Corbridge, NE45 5LA, tel 01434 632 119, www.angelofcorbridge.co.uk n

The stunning new restaurant at The Angel, Corbridge, has all the style and comfort of our historic coaching inn, plus a handsome roof with solid oak beams and paintings by some of the best artists in the Tyne Valley. Our chefs have created a range of classic and innovative dishes using the best local produce to suit all palates and moods, marking us out as one of the best restaurants in the area.

The new and varied wine list leads you through some of the most famous wine growing regions of the world. Traditional French stand side by side with emerging New World Wines, offering a chance to taste and experience styles and vintages not always available in the North.

The Restaurant is also available on limited days as a very special function suite.

The Angel Inn Main Street. Corbridge, Northumberland NE45 5LA

“This, and the stylish adjacent lounge bar, makes for a great party or wedding venue … “

Tel: 01434 632 119 info@theangelofcorbridge.com | www.theangelofcorbridge.com

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INTERIORS | SY

Shooting Parties

Your Occasion, Our Accommodation …

Fishing Parties Wedding Parties

Whatever Your Pleasure ...

theimpressionists Gothic, medieval, art nouveau, arts and crafts, birds and blossoms – stencils open up a new world of interior design opportunities for even the least creatively minded, and Northumberland is home to a world-leading example of the art, as Jane Pikett discovers

THE ANGEL INN & THE ANGEL RADCLIFFE

The Angel Inn

Tel: 01434 632 119

Main Street. Corbridge, Northumberland NE45 5LA

info@theangelofcorbridge.com | www.theangelofcorbridge.com

hen Helen Morris and Michael Chippendale got married last summer, the wedding breakfast took place in the garden beneath gazebos festooned with cherry blossoms… stencilled cherry blossoms.

After all, it would have been strange had there been no influence from this particular decorative art at the event, as stencils dominate Helen and Michael’s home and their professional lives.

In fact Michael, a graphic artist by profession, has created more than 3,500 individual designs over the two decades which have seen their business, The Stencil Library in Northumberland, grow to become a world leader in the craft and Helen become an international authority.

Their home, the 18th Century Stocksfield Hall in the Tyne Valley, is also a showcase for the art, each square inch of every surface covered in stencilled designs so breathtakingly beautiful that magazine editors the world over despatch photographers regularly to record it.

Now if, like me, your only close contact with stencilling to date has been an unfortunate encounter with the mass-produced variety beloved of 1990s home

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makeover TV shows, resulting in blotchy trails of ivy and – far worse – teddy bears careering around your unfortunate offsprings’ nursery walls, you probably don’t want to see another of these templates as long as you live.

But stencilling at Stocksfield Hall is an art which has resulted in the most breathtaking artworks I’ve seen in a long time. I defy anyone not to tour this place in a state of wonder, so beautiful are the effects created by Michael, Helen, her cousin and their business partner Rachel Morris, who also lives at the hall.

Walls which look as if they have been papered in the most exclusive wall coverings you can buy are, in fact, stencilled. Lampshades, mirrors, wooden chests and shelves have been treated to exquisite designs, and furniture, floorboards and carpets have been treated in many themes, including art nouveau, medieval, far eastern, Indian and Chinese, jewelled, gilded, mirrored and pearlescent.

So many surfaces are covered that it could be complete overkill, but it isn’t, it’s just absolutely delightful, and when one of this artistic trio wants a change, they simply grab paint, brushes and stencils and start over.

Like many of the best ideas, this one began as a passing fancy and grew so big that it’s almost taken on a life of its own, so widely renowned is The Stencil Library.

Helen, a former fashion model (yes, she’s not only artistic, but strikingly beautiful too…) and ex-film extra (she’s in the Mike Figgis film Stormy Monday…), was about to launch a horticultural business in the 1980s when she asked Michael to make her a giant hydrangea head stencil to brighten up her office space.

Michael, or Chips as he’s known, declared himself too busy with his work designing Newcastle city centre bars and advised her to ask around local interior designers instead. But when Helen shopped around, she found there were no stencils of the quality she wanted and, interestingly, the interior designers she consulted said they’d like some too.

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SY | INTERIORS

“ … DEPENDING ON THE SIZE AND COMPLEXITY OF THE TEMPLATE - EITHER WAY, OR IN-BETWEEN, THE EFFECT IS STUNNING.”

Chips was duly set to work and the rest, as they say, is a history that has seen the development of more than 3,500 designs and The Stencil Library being generally accepted as the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of decorative stencils.

Once Chips started making them, Helen found interior designers who wanted to buy them, and then she started to get interest from World of Interiors Magazine, House and Garden, Elle Decoration and more.

“Needless to say, I found I was so busy with this new stencilling business, that I didn’t have time to start the horticulture business,” she says. “And I also didn’t know how to stencil properly myself either. Chips showed me, but he was an artist and I wasn’t. I insisted that the designs and equipment had to be easy to use by anyone, artist or not.”

And indeed it is, surprisingly easy to use. Helen and Rachel run workshops at the Stencil Library, but you don’t need one to get yourself going. They have a lovely shop there, stocked with everything you need, or if you’re ordering online you get full instructions and it is, Helen assures me, all very easy to do.

Not only that, it’s much easier and quicker than wallpapering – so easy that you can do a small room in a day, a large wall in an afternoon.

“It’s just important you have the right paint and brushes, and then you’re away,”

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she says. “You can do floors, ceilings, walls, fabrics, upholstery, glass and mirrors, china even. I did china tea cups for everyone one Christmas and they made lovely presents. You just do the design and then bake them in the oven. They’re lovely.

“A customer recently did a heron design on a glass door panel, which looked amazing, and Rachel buys vintage clothing and tie dyes and stencils it, then sells it in the shop here. It’s stunning. She’s amazing at it, and she’s a former accountant so, as I say, you really don’t have to be an artist to be good at this.”

It has to be said, you’d never have Rachel down as an accountant if you saw her boudoirs at the top of the house. Without wishing to stereotype accountants, they aren’t generally renowned as the most creative types (in the artistic sense at least) but Rachel’s rooms are stunning – a treasure trove of vintage style where elegant 1950s dresses and jewellery are as much a part of the décor as her stencilled furniture, lush fabrics and walls.

Each room in the house has been themed and created by one of the trio. A bedroom features a silver chinoiserie pattern with mirrors and crystals inspired by Brighton Pavillion. The kitchen features a dramatic black and gold Japanese garden repeat studded with tiny crystals, while one of the guest bedrooms is inspired by Wallington Hall’s pretty flowered panels and echoes the beautiful views of the garden and estate beyond.

You could get yourself started on a cushion cover or blanket box with a stencil bought for a few pounds, or go entirely mad and spend a few hundred, depending on the size and complexity of the template. Either way, or in-between, the effect is stunning.

One of the latest collections, entitled Larger than Life, is a series of contemporary oversized flower designs to make feature walls you might otherwise spend a lot of money on wallpaper by the likes of Cole & Son to create.

You can use stencils on canvas to make works of art, and the joy of these templates is that they can be used over and over and are completely flexible. A taste of the Orient, fashion-inspired patterns, graphic block-patterns and of course birds and blossom are all represented in Chip’s thousands of designs and if – incredibly – you honestly can’t find what you want, he’ll design it for you.

SY | INTERIORS

at

doityourself …

He’s even done a set of film stars’ faces, including Helen’s (as I say, she was an extra a few times) and does a lovely line in pug dogs - one of Helen’s penchants and an oft-repeated pattern in the house.

Time at Stocksfield Hall is spent companionably and in inspiring the creative juices, the work of this trio exquisite while Helen’s company is joyful and full of laughter.

She doesn’t take any of it too seriously, which is good considering that they have to frequently change the designs to keep the house fresh for the regular tours.

That, and the hall is rented, so when they eventually leave it will all have to be painted magnolia. “Imagine!” she laughs, “the thought of it!” I can’t – it would be a crime. Go and see it, and then see if you can resist joining the craze. My blanket box is done … now for the rest of the house.

acanthus

Once you’ve been on one of the house tours at Stocksfield Hall, or seen the blog and the website, you simply have to have a go yourself.

Helen and Rachel Morris’s courses run throughout the year, and the Hall is open to day tours every month until December.

For details, contact Helen and Rachel, tel 01661 843 984 or see the website at www.stencil-library.com and the blog at www.designinspiration.typepad.com

16 Watling Street, Corbridge, Northumberland 18 | the collection

T: 01434 633700

SY | TRAVEL & INTERIORS

TRAVEL & INTERIORS | SY

“THERE ARE ALWAYS SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND THIS PLACE IS KNOWN FOR BEING A BIT DIFFERENT AND VERY SPECIAL …”

FOR FRIENDS

eclectic

Enjoy the world’s finest hotels without spending a penny on flights ... Kathryn Armstrong visits the eclectic and eccentric Crab Manor

I

t’s hard to say whether the 12ft yeti on the landing is the most striking resident of Crab Manor. He’s certainly not the only thing wearing a glossy coat, as skins of all kinds adorn the walls of this most original hotel. Fur coats and yes, some stuffed animals, are dotted about too. There is definitely a tactile thing going on here.

Crab Manor, in the village of Asenby near Thirsk, has to be among the most eccentric hotels in the country, with a style of decor that mixes vintage with glossy to create a unique destination.

It is also incredibly popular, with some rooms booked until well into 2010 says manager Mark Spenceley, today’s guide of the Manor’s 14 rooms, which each play homage to famous hotels of the world. Should you choose to, over a fortnight you could do your own world tour without ever having to leave.

It wouldn’t be a hardship. Crab Manor Hotel sits alongside the famous Crab & Lobster pub, which existed before the neighbouring manor was converted and which sets the tone for the fantasy world that is ‘Crab-ville’.

The thatched pub is a shrine to the art of rummaging. The building is low and whitewashed and on the outside walls are old advertising signs, Colman’s Mustard among them. The bar area has a racing theme, fitting in nicely with nearby Thirsk, Ripon and York racecourses and packed to the gills on race days.

Racing enclosure badges in myriad colours flutter from the ceiling and the walls are choc-full of books, leaflets, race cards and brochures. The tables and chairs are mismatched and the window seats are adorned with shabby-chic cushions and throws.

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“IT IS ALSO INCREDIBLY POPULAR, WITH SOME ROOMS BOOKED UNTIL WELL INTO 2010 …”

In a first for investigative journalism, I find myself in the men’s loos, arriving through a corridor which houses an occasionally played piano. This toilet is a shrine to Marilyn Monroe, with images of her everywhere and even some ladies smalls (not authentic I presume) draped from a drying rail.

“I go to the States every now and again and usually come back with some kind of Marilyn memorabilia for in here,” explains Mark.

We progress to the cosy dining room, decorated with menus from famous restaurants the world over. Apparently, Dave Barnard, who established the restaurant and manor, was banned from some renowned restaurants for trying to make off with their precious menus.

It’s awash with antiques, artefacts and bric-a-brac, including pretty screens, many of them adorned with the aforementioned fur coats. The place continues to evolve as its owner Paul Mackins and his wife hunt out new things and a light and airy conservatory, for example, gives a nod to a nautical theme with sails and sea-faring memorabilia, parrot included.

The world journey starts in Crab Manor. A beautiful Georgian manor house of honey-coloured stone, its hallway is packed with things, including a hat stand adorned with, appropriately enough, hats - a dozen or so, all well used.

“The first owner had to furnish the hotel with items from house clearances, so he collected an awful lot of things”, laughs Mark. “We’ve de-cluttered a bit, but made sure there are things to make people smile and feel comfortable.”

It works. This isn’t jumble-sale ‘junk’, more what these days you’d call ‘re-purposed vintage’. Or some would. Above all, it’s fun and makes for a welcoming, un-stuffy place.

The main lounge is really quite grown-up and sensible, with comfy country-house chic sofas that have been sat on enough times to envelop you and your Sunday papers and low tables that will stand a glass without a coaster; well-used and all the more welcoming for it.

Downstairs is Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons room, which is all very grand, country house and chintzy with its four-poster bed and a marble bathroom.

Elsewhere there is the Cipriani - a wonder of bright pennants, posters and harlequin masks inspired by the Venice Carnival, its marble bathroom as Italian as it gets.

Upstairs, we pass our friend the yeti and a huge clock that is a replica of the one at Havana railway station. At this point, we can go Stateside with a visit to the Waldorf Astoria, to Scotland and the very tartan Turnberry room, or to South Africa and on around the world.

Mount Nelson is the place to release your inner wild animal – you’re on

the Masai Mara, safari is the theme with lots of animal prints and tribal weaponry. Spears, machetes and that kind of thing - very romantic!

If by now you’re thinking it’s all a Disney nightmare, be assured. It’s all in the best possible taste. The fittings are of the best quality and more subtle than they sound. It is all very grown up, and the bathrooms are luxurious with fluffy robes and Molton Brown bath treats.

Outside the Manor, in a small courtyard, there’s a sauna and hot tub, while a trip around the garden will transport you into a real fantasy world. The thatched tropical beach rooms were added to bring a sense of seclusion, offering the tropics and the Arctic within a few steps.

The Le Tousserok, Mauritius, room is decorated in beachy, wood-washed hues with simple accessories and shells. You can sit under the stars in a hot tub and sauna, close your eyes and think very tropical thoughts as you sip on a cocktail.

The clever design of the grounds ensures privacy and seclusion, bamboo planting creating privacy and the established gardens offering a sense of wildness and escape.

By far the most popular room in the hotel is Bora Bora. It’s usually the one chosen as the honeymoon suite says Mark, and it’s easy to see why.

Decorated in a tent style with cream drapes on the ceiling and walls, it feels restful, exotic and peaceful – a bit of a haven. Add champagne and a hot tub and you have the perfect romantic retreat.

At £230 a night, it’s booked up for a long time to come, says Mark, who is pleased to say that the hotel seems to be riding any notions of a credit crunch.

“Well, it’s the tropical feel without the airfare”, he says. “There are always special occasions and this place is known for being a bit different and very special, with the combination of rooms and a great restaurant.”

The newest additions to the Manor are luxury lodges built from chunky Latvian logs, assembled by a team of Latvians within a week. They have a cool, contemporary feel and are warm and welcoming. State-of-the-art lighting and bathrooms, cuddle-up fur rugs and throws complete the effect.

Definitely a place for a winter retreat where you’d hope to be snowed in.

Our world tour complete, Mark explains a customer loyalty scheme whereby visitors get their passports stamped to earn treats like champagne, an extra night’s stay and ultimately the chance to stay in the ‘real’ hotel room once they have experienced all the Crab Manor versions.

So far, they haven’t had to stump up a trip to paradise just yet. Just as well it’s on the doorstep.

For more information, contact Crab Manor, Asenby, North Yorkshire, tel 01845 577 286 or see www.crabandlobster.co.uk n

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SY | PRIVATE FINANCE

“ ” DON

E V E I L E B ’T

E P Y H E H T Paul Hardingham, director of Sanderson Young Private Finance, reassures Neil Gordon that there are still attractive mortgages available, even in the current financial climate

I

f you believe that the banks and building societies have completely run out of cash for mortgages, Paul Hardingham, director of Sanderson Young Private Finance, says you couldn’t be more wrong.

“I know a lot of people believe it is impossible to get a mortgage these days but I cannot say it often enough: this is simply not the case,” Paul insists. “Admittedly, there some types of mortgages that are now confined to the dustbin of financial history, such as the 100 per cent plus loans of a few years ago, but these only ever represented a small proportion of the mortgage market as a whole.

“I don’t blame people for thinking that good mortgages are now a rarity, but the media must take a lot of the blame for unwittingly spreading misinformation about the current mortgage situation.

“Of course the past 18 months have had a seismic effect on the financial services industry, but that effect has been to abandon the rash practices of the past and a return to more balanced lending.”

I am old enough to remember the bad/good old days when getting a mortgage meant having to submit every wage slip from paper round onwards, obtaining a letter of recommendation from the Archbishop of Canterbury or his equal and a nerve-wracking interview with the bank or building society branch manager in which you were made to feel like a bigger spendthrift than Ancient Rome’s Nero.

However, I am also young enough to remember good/bad old days when you couldn’t walk down a high street without being lured into a bank or building society with the promise of being given more money than Croesus in exchange for a signature on a form.

“Those two extremes were equally unhelpful, but happily the balance has swung back to the point of equilibrium,” says Paul. “There are plenty of excellent mortgages available for anyone whose personal finances are fundamentally sound.

“By that I mean have you saved a suitable deposit for the property, do you have a clean credit history (no bankruptcy, County Court Judgements or similar) and do you have stable income/employment prospects? In other words, all the lender wants to know is can you reasonably be expected to pay the money back.”

The Credit Crunch was largely created by banks and building societies who forgot this basic element of the mortgagor-mortgagee relationship, so can Paul find appropriate mortgages for his clients?

“Again, there is a popular media-driven misconception that the only mortgages available will lock the borrower into a lifetime of unfavourable terms,” adds Paul.

“Of course, people don’t want their mortgage repayments used to pay for a lender’s previous mistakes and it is my job to make sure they don’t.”

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But is the failure of some financial institutions to pass on the Bank of England’s record low interest rate of 0.5 per cent an attempt to quickly claw back lost profits using our hard-earned cash?

“I should stress that at Sanderson Young Private Finance, we work on behalf of our clients, not on behalf of the lender,” Paul says. “We have no sales targets to meet and our advice does not depend on the commissions offered by the lenders we recommend. Instead, our role is to find the most suitable mortgage for you.

“Crucially, the most suitable mortgage for you is the most advantageous, and this is not necessarily the same thing as the cheapest mortgage available.

“In the past, cheap mortgages in the short term turned into expensive mortgages in the long term as borrowers were locked into unfavourable terms and conditions.

My principal goal is to find the best mortgage for your circumstances, at the most flexible rate, which allows you to make the house move you want.

“No one should make a mortgage decision based on a web-based search or a newspaper’s tables. Such figures are too general; what is needed are the personal levels of service that we offer which look at the underlying features of a mortgage over its life. Moreover, I give my clients regular reports on movements in the mortgage market so that any choice they make will be an informed one.”

After the insanity of the last 18 months, it is a huge relief to find someone who understands both the fundamental principles of sound finance and who is prepared to work on behalf of their clients.

But don’t take my word for it – ask Paul.

Paul Hardingham would be be delighted to discuss your mortgage needs at his office on Gosforth High Street, or at your home or workplace. Contact Sanderson Young Private Finance (SYPF), 55 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle, NE3 4AA, tel 0191 284 3723, mobile 07803 592 352, or see www.sypf.co.uk

Innovation Financial Management Limited trading as Sanderson Young Private Finance is an appointed representative of Personal Touch Financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. We do not normally charge a fee for mortgage advice, however this will be dependent on your circumstances. If a fee is charged our typical fee is £250.

QUALITY MORTGAGE & INSURANCE ADVICE AND …

! ” e e f f o C t a “Gre

SANDERSON YOUNG PRIVATE FINANCE IS OFFERING NEW CLIENTS COMPLETING A MORTGAGE OR INSURANCE TRANSACTION THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE: - Our usual level of professional advice and service

“and” - £50 worth of “Great Coffee” vouchers for clients taking a new mortgage or re-mortgage.

- £25 worth of “Great Coffee” vouchers for clients taking a new life insurance policy.

- £10 worth of “Great Coffee” vouchers for clients taking a new buildings and contents policy.

Please contact us to take advantage of this offer:

0191 284 3723 paul.hardingham@sandersonyoung.co.uk Please quote reference SYPF409 - not to be used in conjuction with any other promotion.

“Great Coffee” offer available at their Quayside and Gosforth locations on production of Sanderson Young Private Finance loyalty card which will be issued following completion of the mortgage or insurance transaction.

Innovation Financial Management Limited trading as Sanderson Young Private Finance is an appointed representative of Personal Touch Financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. We do not normally charge a fee for mortgage advice; however this will be dependent on your circumstances. If a fee is charged our typical fee is £250.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

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the collection - rare! office

rare! Office The regional office of our exclusive rare! division offers a specialised service tailored to the very specific requirements of those selling or requiring high-value properties throughout the North East.

Our highly experienced team looks after local city sales in excess of £700,000 in value and supports sales throughout the North East of property valued in excess of £1 million.

Our negotiations are handled with discretion and our detailed approach has produced exceptional results over recent months, selling four houses over £1 million in the first eight weeks of this year, during which time we saw a general upturn in activity in the housing market which was very encouraging.

Certainly, despite the general economic downturn, our rare! division has continued to succeed, with sales in the last six months exceeding the capital value of previous years, and sales of several million pounds being achieved on some superb properties.

Our expertise in covering the entire region is manifest in our continuing support for high-value sales from Berwick to North Yorkshire and from the Northumberland coast towards Cumbria in the west.

Professional marketing advice and support from Duncan Young and Hazel Ross is highly regarded and we are expertly supported by our Mayfair branch, which is able to capitalise on our London and international connections.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1NY | Tel: 0191 223 3500

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

For a comprehensive marketing plan or a confidential sale, please contact Hazel Ross, tel 0191 223 3500 or email hazel.ross@sandersonyoung.co.uk or Duncan Young on the same phone number, email duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk

the collection - rare! office

Rocklyn Lodge was originally built in 1988 and occupies one of the most impressive garden sites within Runnymede Road. The property was purchased by the current owners in 1993 and since that time and certainly in the last 2 years the property has been extensively remodelled and refurbished to an extremely high standard. The gardens and grounds that surround the house are magnificent and are very private with the front of the house having a discreet electronically operated set of wooden double gates leading through to a superb courtyard and parking area for many cars. This also gives access to the double garage. The house has superb brickwork and features attractive external cross timbering and panelling to the first floor level giving a Tudor style. The tiled roof is impressive and the external lighting is fantastic throughout the whole of the property especially at the rear where the gardens are magnificent. The approach to the house is very impressive and the gardens have been meticulously maintained with beautiful tall trees and large shrubs giving tremendous screening and privacy. Rocklyn Lodge is a highly impressive luxury home and enjoys such a magnificent site within Darras Hall with convenient and easy access to the Broadway for local shopping facilities as well as an excellent Chinese and European restaurant with a very good reputation. The house has the benefit of extensive high quality appliances and fittings which will only be truly appreciated from an internal inspection. The entrance hall to the property is magnificent and features superb natural solid oak to the doors, skirtings and the highly impressive staircase. To the ground floor the principal house has a stunning drawing room with beautiful bay window and fireplace, an elegant dining room also with an impressive fireplace and lovely aspect to the front of the property and a very cosy family room which overlooks the front of the drive.

The kitchen/breakfasting room is to the rear of the house and was refurbished in 2007 to a stunning standard with granite floor tiles extending through from the kitchen and breakfasting area to the garden room and the conservatory. The kitchen has American walnut cabinets and bespoke appliances including extensive fittings and a four oven Aga. The American walnut contrasts well with the painted wood cabinets and the black granite as well as the magnificent lighting. The kitchen leads to an annex and utility and laundry room which connects the double garage as well as the gymnasium and ground floor leisure room. At first floor level the former snooker room is now used as a cinema and playroom with an adjoining kitchen. The whole of the annex would easily accommodate an independent relative with its kitchen, living area and ground floor bedroom but is currently used for more leisure and recreation purposes.

Returning to the main house the principal first floor landing leads off to four bedroom suites. The master is extensively equipped with fitted wardrobes and luxury bespoke cabinets, it has its own en-suite bathroom with free standing stone oval shaped tub bath as well as two stone oval shaped basins, a large double shower and beautiful tiling. The three remaining double bedrooms are extensively equipped and fitted with wardrobes and storage space and one has its own private bathroom/wc as well as the remaining two sharing and a Jack & Jill luxury bathroom/wc with both rooms having en-suite steam/showers with built in speakers. Rocklyn Lodge has a state of the art heating system and boiler as well as beautiful lighting, cross leaded windows and very tasteful interior dĂŠcor. The location of the property and the quality of the house must be internally viewed to fully appreciate the standards that have been set. This is a stunning home in a fabulous location.

the collection - rare! office

Rocklyn Lodge Runnymede Road, Darras Hall, Ponteland

26 | the collection

rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: ÂŁ2.25 Million

CARLTON TERRACE, JESMOND

• One of Newcastle’s finest listed townhouses, designed by John Dobson.

• Extensively rebuilt and remodelled.

• Contemporary interior successfully blended with period features.

£1.25 Million

• Master bedroom with double shower/steam/sauna cabinet and magnificent spa bath.

• Four further bedrooms, three with en-suite facilities.

• Outstanding levels of luxury and impressive internal fittings.

• Family bathroom with walk-in wet room and illuminated spa bath.

• Magnificent entrance reception hall with beautiful marble tiled floor.

• All bathroom fittings by Ben de Lisi and Villeroy and Boch.

• Three reception rooms with fabulous fireplaces and beautiful tall ceilings.

• Underfloor heating, mood lighting and wiring for Bang and Olufsen.

• Stunning kitchen with state of the art appliances and separate utility room.

• Separate mews house accommodating a double plus garage, private studio

• Substantial dining area through to a beautiful orangery leading onto a landscaped courtyard.

For further details contact Hazel Ross on 0191 223350

and en-suite.

• 10 year Zurich guarantee.

the collection - rare! office

the collection - rare! office

North View Farm The Avenue, Medburn Situated at the eastern boundary of The Avenue and enjoying fabulous views to the west overlooking surrounding countryside, is this exclusive development of three luxurious stone built detached houses. The properties are being constructed by Greenmore Developments Ltd, who are establishing a reputation for their superior quality and standards of craftsmanship. Each house will occupy a plot varying between 0.27 acres to 0.32 acres and will have impressive stone boundary walls with electrically operated wrought iron double gates giving access into the individual drives and courtyards. Each of the properties, built in stone under pitched slate roofs, will have fabulous views over the open countryside and rural setting and they will each have their individual architectural design, which is highly impressive. The accommodation to the properties at ground floor level include a large and welcoming reception hall leading off to a cloakroom/wc. There are four reception rooms; including a formal dining room, a family sitting room, a study/family room and a garden room. The garden room will have a stunning open glazed aspect and view over the countryside and links into the kitchen and breakfasting room, which is equally impressive. Early purchasers will have a choice of fittings within the kitchen and bathroom areas. At first floor level the accommodation includes a master bedroom with its own lounge area, en-suite bathroom with shower and en-suite dressing room with fitted wardrobes. There are three further double bedrooms to the first floor; two with en-suite shower rooms and one having access to the family bathroom. At second floor level the accommodation will be flexible, providing two further bedrooms with a bathroom/wc or a multi-function games room and option for a study, office or cinema.

The middle of the three houses has larger accommodation at first floor level, creating five bedrooms, two bathroom/wcs and one shower room/wc. Beneath the master bedroom there is an integral double garage. The remaining two houses have a triple garage and a double garage respectively and both have access to a first floor studio and office, which would create a very pleasant hobbies area.

These properties will be landscaped with lawned areas and planted shrub and flower borders. The standard of specification proposed for the interiors is extremely high, with beautiful wood doors, double glazing set in wood frames, a comprehensive alarm system and good quality central heating systems. Individual specification will be detailed on file. Two of the properties will be ready for occupation by the summer of 2009 and one slightly later. Medburn is proving to be an increasingly desirable village, with excellent accessibility into Ponteland and Darras Hall with its excellent shops and restaurants, as well as into Newcastle city centre and the Western Bypass linking to the Team Valley, the Metro Centre and Newcastle’s International Airport. The standard of build within these properties is extremely high and the floor area of all three properties is very substantial.

Plot One - plot area: 0.32 acres, total house floor area: 372 sq m (4,003 sq ft), garage: 53 sq m (570 sq ft) With Multifunction Room over: 58 sq m (624 sq ft) garage total area: 111 sq m (1194 sq ft) Plot Two – plot area: 0.28 acres, total house floor area: 339 sq m (3,723 sq ft), garage: 36 sq m (387 sq ft)

All viewings and enquiries in respect of these properties to Hazel Ross on 0191 223 3500.

Prices on Application

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rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

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Plot Three – plot area: 0.27 acres, total house floor area: 371 sq m (3,992 sq ft), garage: 34 sq m (365 sq ft) With Multifunction Room over: 32 sq m (344 sq ft) garage total area: 66 sq m (709 sq ft)

the collection - rare! office

The Old Manor House Hepscott

Situated in 3.732 acres of magnificent gardens, is this stunning detached modern mansion house. The property was extensively remodelled and refurbished in 2005 and is now offered for sale with superb accommodation in a beautiful area of Northumberland. The electrically operated remote controlled gates are impressive and lead to a large drive and courtyard, as well as a triple car garage. Above the garage is a separate annexe and flat with its own private staircase, a luxurious bathroom/wc and an open plan double bedroom, living room and well fitted kitchen. The main house has a superb pillared entrance leading to the majestic reception hall, with cloakroom and separate wc. The kitchen/breakfast room has its own family area; it is a stunning room and is very much the focal point of the house, contrasting between cherry wood cabinets and painted cream cabinets with black granite worktops and extensive built-in appliances. The kitchen leads on to a utility and laundry room, as well as a passageway connecting to the leisure suite. The dining room has a lovely bay window and interior design. The drawing room has a media wall including a plasma screen TV. To the front of the house there is a study with log burning stove which leads on to a garden room and

Located on the western boundary of Hepscott and set back from a fabulous mature tree lined avenue, is this beautiful stone built detached house. Internally the house has very impressive accommodation over three floors. The reception to the property is superb with an imposing stone pillared entrance porch leading through to the vestibule and main hall including a cloakroom/wc. The principal drawing room is a delightful room. The dining room enjoys a southern elevation and bay window. Both reception rooms have stunning fireplaces. The family sitting room connects through to a passageway which in turn links to the children’s playroom. To the rear of the house there is a working office and study.

There is a large family farmhouse kitchen with painted wood cabinets and an Aga with four ovens. To the first floor the master bedroom has its own en-suite dressing room and lovely en-suite shower room as well as access onto its own private terrace. There are three further double bedrooms to the first floor, two with an en-suite shower room or bathroom and the fourth bedroom lying adjacent to the main family

conservatory connecting to the triple car garage and annexe flat above. Adjacent to the garage is a gardener’s wc. To the first floor the large landing leads to five bedroom suites; the master with its own private passageway, dressing room, lounge area and luxury en-suite bathroom with double Jacuzzi bath and wet room.

There are four further double bedrooms to the first floor, one with its own lounge area and two with external terraces. The en-suite bathrooms and shower rooms are magnificent. To the second floor there is a self contained apartment with a gymnasium, lounge and luxury bathroom/wc. The gardens that surround Tall Trees include beautiful lawned areas and superb flower borders, well stocked with plants and shrubs and mature trees. There is also a very impressive pond at the front of the property with lighting and fountains. To the rear there is a separate water feature with a bridge. There are a number of terraces and private sitting areas throughout the gardens. Tall Trees is a beautiful house in a fabulous area.

Its intelligent wiring, close circuit TV surveillance and in-built speakers to many rooms, provide just some of the features of this amazing house. Tall Trees is a very special property.

Price on Application 32 | the collection

bathroom with double Jacuzzi bath and separate shower room. To the second floor there are two further bedrooms connecting from a central lounge, providing an ideal den and space for teenagers. The Manor House has a great deal of style and character being an imposing stone building under a pitched slate roof set in such lovely grounds with beautiful trees.

The formal lawned areas are divided into three substantial recreation areas with large timber garden store shed and access to the equestrian facilities which include a large stable, a tack room, training arena and two grazing paddocks. The house is ideally suited for those families who require grazing for horses. The property has the benefit of gas fired central heating, a comprehensive alarm system, entry phone on the front door as well as the gates and beautiful lighting which is a feature throughout many parts of the house. Extensive parking is available within the secure grounds as well as the integral double garage. The Old Manor House is a beautiful property for which viewing is strongly recommended.

Price on Application rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

the collection - rare! office

Tall Trees Gubeon Wood, Tranwell Woods, Morpeth

the collection - rare! office

the collection - rare! office

Artists impressions

Occupying a mature and very popular location within Runnymede Road is this substantial detached family home. Detailed planning permission has now been granted for the property to be substantially extended and remodelled, to provide an even larger and impressive detached family house. The current layout of the accommodation includes to the ground floor: an entrance vestibule leading through to the reception hall, with cloakroom/wc. There is a lovely lounge to the rear of the property with double doors onto the garden, as well as a dining room and a study. To the front there is a kitchen/breakfast room and a utility room. At first floor level the property has five bedrooms, two with en-suite bathrooms and one family bathroom. The house has a double garage. The mature trees and shrubs that surround the property give good screening and privacy and the house has a lovely driveway leading to the car parking space. The remodelling and redevelopment of this house will provide an even larger luxury home with intended layout and accommodation as follows: entrance vestibule leading through to the reception hall and connecting from the vestibule a cloakroom/wc.

The main kitchen/breakfast room will benefit from large glazed windows looking

Park House North Lodge, Lambton Park, Chester Le Street onto the rear gardens, with double doors onto the terrace and patio. There will be a main family lounge and a dining room, as well as a study. To the first floor of the house, the landing will connect to two very large double bedrooms, with fabulous views from their windows and Juliet balconies. Both of the bedrooms are very substantial and have their own en-suite bathrooms. One will have a large en-suite dressing room. The first floor will also lead to two further bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc. The main stairs will then continue to the second floor of the property, where the master bedroom will be set into the roof space with large glazed window views overlooking the gardens at the rear, as well as an en-suite master bathroom/wc with separate shower. There is a sixth bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and a small study. The property is available for rent on a six month Assured Short Hold Tenancy at this present time, whilst if a purchaser is found for the house they will then enter into a contract with the owner to redevelop the site in accordance with these plans. The fixed price contract for the redevelopment works will be agreed and signed prior to the purchase of the house. Full architectural details are available on plan.

Price Guide: ÂŁ1.25 Million 34 | the collection

Representing one of the finest detached houses within its exclusive residential setting, is this beautiful detached family home. Purchased by the owners in 1990, the house has been superbly extended, refurbished and remodelled to the very highest of standards. It is undoubtedly one of the finest properties within the area, which is well known for its high quality detached homes. It is set within walled surrounds and mature trees. The house has a stunning site, with electric gated entrance and beautiful lantern lights around the tarmacadam drive leading to the courtyard. The gardens are magnificent, especially at the rear, with family terraces and patios, a lovely water feature and a super pergola. The house matches the gardens in its quality, with a superb entrance reception hall and stunning solid oak handmade doors leading to principal reception rooms. The drawing room is very tastefully decorated and has a fireplace and oriel bay window. Double doors link to the dining room, which has a semi circular bay window and beautiful lighting. The kitchen/breakfast room features handmade solid oak cabinets with granite worktops and built-in appliances. The breakfasting area is fitted out with beautiful oak panelling. All of the cabinets are supplied by

the reputable Herrington Gate, specialist furniture makers. The kitchen leads on to the family sitting room with media wall, plasma screen TV and handmade dresser. Both the sitting room and the kitchen open on to the conservatory and garden room which lead onto the gardens and terraces to the south. There is also a cocktail lounge open through to the snooker room, with a full size snooker table which may be available subject to separate negotiation. To the first floor the master bedroom suite has fitted wardrobes and store cupboards, as well as a lovely dormer window and an en-suite bathroom/wc. There is a guest double bedroom with fitted wardrobes and en-suite shower room and two further double bedrooms which have access to the family bathroom/wc. The large roof void shows obvious potential for further bedrooms if required. The property has an integral double garage, gas radiator central heating, good quality double glazing with cross leaded window finishes and a comprehensive alarm system with closed circuit TV surveillance cameras. The house is built in the Arts and Crafts style and is a very fine example of its era. A beautiful home, which we strongly recommend viewing.

Price Guide: ÂŁ1.2 Million rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

the collection | 35

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Runnymede Road Darras Hall, Ponteland

the collection - rare! office

the collection - rare! office

Occupying what is perhaps regarded as the finest site in central Gosforth is this detached 1957 built family bungalow. The site extends to 0.35 acres and is located on the corner of The Drive and Westfield Drive. The gardens are a delightful feature of this house, being beautifully presented with open lawned areas and superb flowers and shrubs, as well as flowering blossom trees and evergreen fir trees. Tall brick wall boundaries give screening and privacy. The double drive leads to the attached integral garage. The property was purchased by the current owners’ family in circa 1980 and provides a very rare and special opportunity to acquire a great bungalow site within the heart of Gosforth. The bungalow shows potential for updating and modernisation work. It has double glazing with cross leaded windows, a gas central heating system and an alarm system.

The entrance vestibule and hall lead on to a cloakroom and

Andes House West Park Road, Cleadon Village separate wc. The sitting room is to the front of the property with a bay window and lovely marble fireplace. An archway connects through to the dining room. The kitchen / breakfast room is at the rear with oak cabinets and built-in appliances and leads on to a rear entrance hall, with boiler room and access to the garage. The night passageway connects to four double bedrooms; the largest two having fitted wardrobes and storage space, as well as a family bathroom/wc. The smaller two bedrooms are used as a study and a family sitting room. The gardens at the rear include a delightful period summerhouse, a terrace, beautiful lawned areas and flowers. This is a very special property in a fine area of Gosforth, with excellent access to the High Street and its amenities. A super property for which we strongly recommend viewing.

Price Guide: £1 Million 36 | the collection

Occupying a secluded and private position in what has to be one of the premier streets of this sought after village. The front elevation of the premises has a full southerly aspect and access onto a sun terrace and patio. Offering a huge degree of privacy and seclusion this impressive home has recently undergone a full refurbishment programme and now offers the discerning purchaser a substantial home with high quality fixtures and fittings which include a new fitted kitchen/diner with slate flooring, the centrepiece of the room being a glorious cherry red Aga. The principal lounge has impressive double glazed picture windows overlooking the southerly aspect of the gardens and the terrace and leads onto a games room with attractive curved feature window to offer the most of this view. Additional rooms to the ground floor include a study and a granny annexe, which would provide ideal additional accommodation for elderly relatives. Access to the first floor is via a sweeping spiral staircase with full height picture windows overlooking the drive. To the first floor the accommodation extends

into four good size double bedrooms, the master bedroom having large en-suite facilities and a balcony whilst the second bedroom/teenagers room has access to a recently installed quality en-suite and an unusual feature of a large rooftop terrace making the most of the south and westerly aspects. An additional master bathroom and separate WC and a further spiral staircase gives access to an impressive loft room ideal for storage and computer games etc. Externally access is via an unmade part of West Park Road adding to the degree of privacy and seclusion and then via gates leading onto a block paved driveway with access to a double garage with quality German automatic door. The front elevation of the premises has a full southerly aspect and access onto a sun terrace and patio. Steps down from this lead to mature lawned gardens that have extensively planted borders with matured trees, landscaping, and rock garden. Viewing is an absolute must. This is a wonderful setting for this prime residential site in the heart of Cleadon Village.

Price Guide: £995,000 rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

the collection | 37

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

The Drive Gosforth

the collection - rare! office

the collection - rare! office

A fabulous stone built detached house, built in 1997. Lynn Law House is a very special property, presented to a high standard by the owners. A lovely entrance reception hall with cloakroom/wc leads to a drawing room with views to the front and rear of the house. The focal point of the room is the high mantled stone fireplace surround with brick recess, tiled hearth and feature coal burning effect gas stove. The room has a feature solid oak floor and glazed double doors at the rear leading onto the terrace. The dining room has a feature old fashioned cooking range and a stone floor and leads through to the kitchen/breakfast room, fitted with a fabulous arrangement of hand painted cabinets, corian and granite worktops incorporating a Belfast double sink, a four oven Aga and builtin appliances. The utility & laundry room is at the side. There is a family room to the front of the house which is currently used as a music room.

To the first floor, the master bedroom has fitted wardrobes and an ensuite bathroom/wc. There are three further double bedrooms, one with an

Corwell House Well Bank, Corbridge en-suite shower room/wc, as well as a family bathroom/wc. To the second floor there are two further bedrooms, each with their own staircase; one used as a gymnasium, the other as a study and office. The property has a tremendous garden, with grounds approaching one acre, including electrically operated gates set in stone pillars to a courtyard and parking area, a detached double garage and a gardener’s wc. The main gardens are to the side and the rear of the property, with the rear having a fabulous open grassed field, a stable block with two loose boxes, tack room and large double store room and a beautiful illuminated terrace. The house has gas central heating, double glazing and alarm system and tasteful décor. This is a beautiful stone house in a small cul de sac of only four exclusive properties. Whalton is one of Northumberland’s finest residential villages, with good accessibility and commuting to Ponteland, Morpeth and Newcastle. Viewing is strongly recommended.

Price Guide: £950,000 38 | the collection

A very exciting opportunity to purchase a beautiful stone built detached house on the edge of Corbridge overlooking the river. Corwell House is situated in just under an acre of grounds, including tall mature trees, large open lawned gardens and a patio terrace. Electrically operated timber gates give access to the property via a large tarmacadam drive and courtyard. There is a separate detached double garage and a side car port. The property was originally built in 1976 and was purchased by the current owners in 1991. The house has been superbly extended, renovated, remodelled and refurbished since that time and now provides a luxurious detached home in a very impressive setting, only a few hundred yards from the centre of Corbridge, with its sought after shops, public inns and restaurants. The accommodation includes a lovely entrance reception hall with shower room/wc, a sitting room with beautiful oak fireplace and solid fuel fire insert and a dining room. The kitchen is very well equipped with a range of contemporary units and

has its own family area. The kitchen leads through an archway to a breakfast room, which connects in turn to the garden room/conservatory. There is a third reception room to the rear. The billiard room is to the side of the property and is a very substantial room and would easily divide into two reception rooms if required. This room has a lovely bay window. To the first floor the master bedroom has a Juliet balcony overlooking the gardens, an en-suite dressing room and an en-suite bathroom/wc with double Jacuzzi bath and double steam shower. There are four further double bedrooms, one with an en-suite shower room/wc, as well as a sauna. Three of the bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and store cupboards. There is also a family bathroom/wc with roll top bath. The property has a study/office to the first floor and a first floor playroom landing/lounge. The property has gas central heating, double glazing, an alarm system and beautiful gardens which must be viewed to fully appreciate. This is a very impressive house.

Price Guide: £950,000 rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

the collection | 39

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Lynn Law House Whalton

the collection - rare! office

the collection - rare! office

Artists impression

Artists impression

Occupying a site of 1.4 acres and accessible from a quiet cul de sac of only three houses, is this superb detached family home. The property was originally constructed in 1981 and enjoys fabulous gardens and grounds, including an open grass meadow. The property has well proportioned accommodation in its current layout, including an entrance reception hall with cloakroom/wc, a spacious drawing room and a large sun lounge. The kitchen is at the rear of the property and is fitted with Winchmore oak cabinets supplied by Bainbridges and is open through to a breakfasting area. There is a conservatory with lovely views over the gardens. The ground floor has a utility and laundry room, as well as a formal dining room. To the first floor the master bedroom has an en-suite shower room/wc which has been refitted in recent times. The bedroom is well equipped with handmade Paul Lamb supplied bedroom furniture. There are also three further bedrooms, one of which is in the process of being refurbished and decorated. There is a main family bathroom/wc which is also being modernised at this present time. The house has a double garage and an impressive gated entrance with brick pillars to a large tarmacadam drive and courtyard. Planning permissions have been passed and are available on file for this house to be

Willowbrook Villa Ashbrooke Road, Sunderland transformed into an even more impressive and substantial luxury mansion house. The planning permissions are identified with computer generated images. The floor plans identify the addition of a new formal lounge at ground floor level and the remodelling of the current accommodation to form a snooker room, dining room, cinema, gymnasium and a very large family room with kitchen and breakfasting area, as well as a corner orangery, a number of different storage rooms and a double garage. The second floor level is substantially remodelled to provide five double bedroom suites, one of which has an en-suite dressing room. The site surrounding this property will justify the proposed extensions and remodelling of this house, which is undoubtedly capable of creating a very luxurious modern mansion. The property in its current state also provides a very comfortable family home and the option is available to purchasers to consider both the current accommodation and the proposed accommodation. Hepscott is a very pretty village with good quality homes and this is one of the finest sites within the village. An excellent opportunity to acquire a beautiful home.

Price Guide: ÂŁ950,000 40 | the collection

Occupying a fabulous corner site within Sunderland’s finest residential area is this very substantial detached three storey family home. The property was built originally in 1874 and is situated in a beautiful valley within the Ashbrooke area, close by to the cricket club, good quality schools, park and excellent road links. The property has self contained accommodation to the lower ground floor, where a fabulous fully renovated three bedroomed apartment is available. The apartment has its own external entrance and overlooks the beautiful terraced gardens beneath. Its accommodation includes a living room, a well fitted kitchen with integrated appliances, one double and two single bedrooms, a luxury bathroom/wc and a separate shower room. The principal house has an entrance reception hall with cloakroom/wc and connects on in turn to a living room at the front with super views and a well fitted kitchen with integrated appliances. The lounge is

at the front of the property and has super views and the dining room is to the side. To the first floor there is a family bathroom/wc and a fourth bedroom accessed from the rear mezzanine landing.

From the principal landing there are three bedrooms, the master with a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite shower room. The upper floor has access to a fifth bedroom, with wood stripped flooring. The property has double glazing, gas central heating, a double garage and fabulous gardens. Willowbrook Villa is a very impressive property, surrounded by other good quality homes. The availability of its self contained 2/3 bedroom garden apartment provides a super mix for independent relatives, possible rental income, or as a studio to work from. Also available is the ground rent and restrictive covenants relating to the other properties on this part of Ashbrooke Road.

Price Guide: ÂŁ825,000 rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

the collection | 41

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Blechynden Lodge Fir Tree Copse, Hepscott

the collection - rare! office

the collection - rare! office

This is a beautiful detached house, which is privately set back from the Front Street at Whitburn, and set in a fabulous mature garden site. This property was originally built in the 1950s but was dramatically remodelled and extended in 2002. The house has electronic gated access leading from the Front Street into the gardens, with beautiful mature trees. The driveway leads to an open courtyard and parking for many cars, as well as a detached garage with clock tower and electric doors. The gardens are very impressive, with lovely lighting and lawned areas, as well as a timber deck and patio. The house itself has an entrance porch leading through to the reception hall where there are two large store cupboards. Internally, the property benefits from very impressive woodwork with beautiful panelled wood doors and skirting boards. The main sitting room has a lovely window overlooking the gardens and an attractive fireplace. The garden room is to the side of the property with doors onto the patio terrace. The dining room is to the

Whaggs Lane Whickham centre of the house and the kitchen/breakfast room is at the rear and was refitted in 2007 with beautiful cabinets and built-in appliances. It leads on to a family playroom. To the side of the property there is a utility/laundry room, as well as a shower room and wc. Historic plans were passed for the construction of a swimming pool to the rear of this house and these will be available to prospective buyers. To the first floor the master bedroom is well fitted with wardrobes and has a luxury ensuite bathroom/wc. There is a second guest double bedroom with fitted wardrobes and en-suite bathroom/wc. Two further bedrooms have access to a family bathroom/wc. The property has a comprehensive alarm system, double glazing and gas central heating system (with a new boiler installed in 2007). This superb home is very well located within Whitburn, with excellent road links into Tyneside and Sunderland and good access to the nearby beach and local shopping facilities. A very impressive home, in a lovely area.

Price Guide: ÂŁ795,000 42 | the collection

Designed and built by the current owners, this hugely impressive and individual four bedroomed detached dormer style family house, is situated within the highly regarded residential area of Whickham. Whickham itself supports a wide range of shopping facilities and amenities, along with connecting road and bus links for commuting purposes into Newcastle city centre and surrounding parts of the region. Designed to a high specification, attention to detail is evident, with such features as the internal door surrounds, self cleaning glass to the first floor and under-floor heating to the ground floor.

Additional features include the magnificent central oak wing staircase and matching internal oak doors, electronically controlled entrance gates, double glazing and a hot tub located in the rear garden. There are also numerous quality fixtures and fittings, particularly to the kitchen and bathroom areas, which complement the substantial sized living accommodation. The accommodation briefly comprises: an impressive entrance hallway featuring a magnificent oak wing staircase to the first floor landing. The lounge is to the rear of the property with living flame gas fire set within a marble fireplace surround and with French doors to the delightful garden room which overlooks

and leads on to the rear garden. The family room is at the front of the house with a contemporary wall mounted electric fire. The dining room is at the centre of the house with a bay window and the breakfasting kitchen is at the rear with a range of contemporary base and wall units incorporating integral appliances. From the reception hall an inner hall leads to a utility room and shower room/wc. To the first floor the master bedroom has its own dressing area and an en-suite bathroom/wc. There are three further bedrooms, each with fitted wardrobes and one with an en-suite shower room/wc. There is also a family bathroom/wc. Externally the property is accessed via electronically controlled wrought iron gates, opening to a block paved driveway and leading in turn to an integral double garage with remote controlled up and over doors and double panelled radiator. Landscape gardens surround the property, with manicured lawns and block paved pathways, as well as a water feature to the front and a hot tub to the rear. A delightful family home in a highly desirable location. Viewing is highly recommended in order to fully appreciate the standard of accommodation this property has to offer. This property is offered for sale or to let.

Price Guide: ÂŁ645,000 rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

the collection | 43

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Woodlands Whitburn

the collection - rare! office

West Acres occupies a very prominent site within the heart of Hexham. The gardens and grounds of the property extend to just over 2.7 acres and include a magnificent wooded dene, with a small burn running through part of the grounds. The property itself is an impressive stone built detached house, which is only a short walk away from the town centre. The property has been altered and extended over the years and more recently had the benefit of a triple car garage and general store rooms as well as a garden room giving fabulous views over the grounds. The property is offered for sale principally as a residential dwelling, although it is noted that the site itself, as well as the building, may attract interest from other prospective developers considering it for residential care, sheltered housing or perhaps redevelopment for new housing. The house has fabulous well proportioned rooms, with three principal rooms, as well as an L shaped kitchen/breakfast room with farmhouse pine cabinets and four oven Aga leading through to the garden room. At first floor level there are four bedrooms; one with an ensuite shower room and one with an en-suite bathroom. There is also a family bathroom, separate wc and a fifth bedroom/study. West Acres is a fabulous property within the heart of Hexham.

the collection - rare! office

West Acres West Road, Hexham

Price Guide: ÂŁ800,000

Castleton Grove Jesmond Occupying a fabulous site is this pleasant detached family home, which is available immediately for redevelopment and extension works. The current accommodation to the house

has

been

prepared

ready

for

redevelopment and is not habitable at this present time. The accommodation includes an entrance porch, a hall, sitting room, dining room, family room which opens to provide a kitchen area, garden room, utility room and garage. To the first floor there are four bedrooms, a bathroom and a shower room. The

Beautifully situated in this very attractive village, close by to Ponteland and with good access to Newcastle, is this superb 1843 built stone family home. In recent years the property has been greatly extended at the rear and is deceptively larger than its initial front appearance. The gardens at the front are delightful, with open lawned areas, patio terraces and courtyard and many beautiful trees. To the rear the house has a garden area with summerhouse and greenhouse. The Old School has a great deal of architectural style and character. The house also has the benefit of three large garages; one triple and one single plus, whilst at the rear there is a substantial workshop and utility room, as well as a range of outbuildings. The entrance to the property is impressive, with a corner vestibule leading through to the reception hall, with mahogany wood flooring and a cloakroom/wc. The sitting room is a lovely room with a great deal of style and character and windows overlooking the front garden and the side of the property. The

plans that have been passed for redevelopment

focal point of the room is the attractive mahogany fireplace. A glazed door leads on to a garden room and conservatory. The dining room is a very elegant room, beautifully decorated with tall ceilings and understood to be the original school room. There is a family study which is professionally fitted with mahogany furniture, the room has a corner study desk, a bureau with cupboards and drawers and shelving above. The kitchen/breakfast room is at the rear and is well equipped and fitted with a range of cherry wood cabinets and an Aga. To the first floor, the master bedroom has fitted wardrobes and lovely window views. There is a second bedroom to the main landing and family bathroom/wc. To the rear landing there is a third bedroom and a separate wc. Dalton is a very pretty village and this is a fine example of one of its lovely houses. It has good accessibility into nearby Ponteland and many good local facilities. A fine country home.

Price Guide: ÂŁ650,000 44 | the collection

of this house identify a tremendous refurbished layout, with the entrance hall leading onto a cloakroom/wc, the original sitting and dining rooms being retained and then the remodelling of the large kitchen/family room at the rear of the house with folding doors leading out onto the gardens. At first floor level the house will retain four good bedrooms; two with en-suite shower rooms and the remaining two having access

to

a

family

bathroom.

A

great

opportunity to acquire a development site and a property which can be personalised to your own potential and detail.

Price on Application rare! office 0191 2233500

rare! office 0191 2233500

the collection | 45

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

The Old School Dalton

SY | SANDERSON YOUNG

FOOD | SY

Sanderson Young expertise is supporting investors large and small seeking maximum return on property investment, discovers Jane Pikett

avers are suffering and property is a good investment again - a fact that has driven Sanderson Young to set up a new Investor Club for clients keen to maximise buying power and tap into professional expertise.

MD Duncan Young and corporate client director Nicola Osborne are now forming a consortium of individual property investors who will either purchase on their own or combine with others to negotiate better discounts.

“There are many excellent investment opportunities available on new build, tenanted stock or second hand sales,” says Nicola Osborne.

“We have the expertise to advise clients on maximising capital returns, and on finance through Sanderson Young Private Finance. We can negotiate discounts on new build stock and our new Investor Club combines the buying power of our clients to secure better deals.

“We enjoy excellent relationships with house builders and landlords and we are well connected to banks to ensure transactions proceed to completion. Our knowledge of the market, key buyers and contacts ensures maximum returns for our clients.

“We are seeking individuals with funds who are seeking medium to long-term capital growth on their investment.”

There is no fee for membership of the Investor Club, the intention being simply to introduce potential purchasers to investments and to use the company’s extensive contacts to group buyers and maximise buying power.

Nicola, a specialist in valuation, research and reports, land acquisition and sale, market and site appraisal and regeneration, is also strengthening SY’s corporate client base, offering expertise in specialist areas including investment sales and purchase, market appraisal, site acquisition, planning and funding. “Increasingly, we are assisting our larger investment clients with sales, purchases and asset management,” says Duncan Young, “and we are working with banks and insolvency practitioners to bring potential investments to our clients’ attention. We have access to many clients who are willing to invest in full property portfolios, development sites and land with planning permission at the right price, and we are currently advising investments of significant funds.”

For further details of Corporate Client Services and the Investor Club, please contact Duncan Young or Nicola Osborne at the rare! Office, High Street, Gosforth, tel 0191 223 3500, or email duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk or nicola.osborne@sandersonyoung.co.uk n

S

46 | the collection

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANCY Sanderson Young can provide a full service to the developer and landowner from site or building acquisition to final sale of individual units. Our experience covers many types of development projects including commercial to residential conversion, mixed use sites, and social housing. We aim to maximise value for our clients through our comprehensive professional services.

Mixed Use There has been significant activity in mixed use development in recent years which has resulted in major regeneration in our cities. Our team has advised on some of the leading mixed use schemes in the city.

Valuation and Consultancy

Jesmond has a new Italian vibe thanks to Franco’s – a glamorous take on a great Italian night out

We have the in-house expertise to provide formal valuation advice and consultancy reports on individual residential dwellings, as well as development opportunities.

www.francosjesmond.com

Residential Investments Sanderson Young offer both access to investment product and the expertise to advise on maximising capital returns.

Development Appraisals We advise many clients on the value of potential development opportunities through our appraisal work.

Regeneration Our team has considerable expertise in advising on long term regeneration projects. We have worked with major regeneration bodies and developers to assist in the transformation of our cities.

Land Sales & Acquisitions Sanderson Young have a highly experienced team dealing with the sale and acquisition of land for residential, mixed use and regeneration purposes.

For further information please contact Nicola Osborne or Duncan Young:

t: 0191 223 3500 nicola.osborne@sandersonyoung.co.uk |duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk

Franco’s is one of those special restaurants that you can’t resist returning to again and again, a glamorous haven with beautiful chandeliers, candle-lit tables, sumptuous décor, Italian barogue furniture and even Swarovski crystal-studded seating.

This is decadent, funky and very special – and that’s before you even try the fantastic food. But then everything about this gorgeous restaurant is sumptuous, including its

location, tucked away behind Jesmond’s funky Brentwood Avenue, home to some of the smartest shops in the city and loved by people with discerning taste.

Whether you’re here for a business lunch or a romantic dinner, the Franco’s experience is all about a special experience which even includes the option of dining under a lavish sail canopy with hundreds of fairy lights – warmed by hot lamps of course.

The owners, Franco and Judith Graziani, are already known for their hospitality at their Newcastle city centre restaurant Paris Texas and Hexham’s La Famiglia, and Franco draws on his Roman heritage in creating his traditional menus of pizza, pasta, meat and seafood dishes.

Gamberoni tempura, antipasto, char-grilled prime rib eye beef on the bone, frittura di pesce, and even local cod and chips – this is a varied and robust menu accompanied by excellent, good-value wines.

Parties and functions are also on the menu, plus a fantastic location next to the Metro and car parking that means, should the fancy take you, you can leave the car and pick it up next morning – which all adds to the happy vibe!

Franco’s Terrace Bar and Restaurant, 1 Brentwood Mews, Jesmond, NE2 3DH, tel 0191 281 3434

BUONGUSTO!

SPECULATE… AND ACCUMULATE

the collection - alnwick office

Alnwick Office North Northumberland remains one of our most sought-after spots to live and also one of Britain’s best-kept secrets, boasting a beautiful landscape that is by turns rugged and romantic.

Famously, it is home to a stunning coastline, breathtaking countryside, historic towns like Alnwick and Morpeth and picturesque villages, and we are perfectly placed to help you to find your ideal property and to discover the delights of this beautiful and historic region.

This area presents an inspiring diversity in property types and locations, from grand country homes to traditional stone farmhouses, period town houses to sought-after new homes developments and superb country conversions. Hence, we attract buyers at all life stages and from all over the country, who plan to either settle here permanently or invest in second homes or investment properties.

Our exceptional sales team has worked together for more than 10 years and our staff all live in Northumberland, which means they have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to pass on to our buyers and sellers in both selling and letting.

Despite the readjustment in the market which has been felt everywhere, our own performance in the last six months has been extremely healthy and we have once again achieved leading prices in the area, particularly in the second home market and investment opportunities. Our in-depth knowledge of the market and high standards of marketing have come into their own, and we offer excellent advice and constructive feedback at every stage of the process. Hence, we look forward to a prosperous spring and summer for all of us.

31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1SX | Tel: 01665 600 170

the collection | 49

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

For further information about buying and selling properties in Alnwick and the surrounding areas of North Northumberland, please contact Gillian Greaves, tel 01665 600 170, email gillian.greaves@sandersonyoung.co.uk

the collection - alnwick office

the collection - alnwick office

Well Close is a significant period country house occupying a generous relatively level site of some 1.862 acres approximately, within the heart of this picturesque Coquetdale Valley village. Well Close is an imposing stone built rural property, offering generous and versatile accommodation arranged over two floors, with the added benefit of an adjacent holiday cottage. Having been in the same family ownership since the 1960’s the property, whilst retaining many period features, does offer the opportunity to create a stunning rural family home. The accommodation briefly comprises: a light and spacious reception hall with part panelled walls and a splendid balustrade staircase, a most impressive drawing room with a walk-in bay window providing outstanding views across the private and mature grounds, a formal dining room ideal for entertaining, a pleasant kitchen with a range of fitted cabinets and an Aga, adjacent utility, cloakroom/wc, and study which could alternatively be used as a family room or snug. On the first floor: reception landing, 6 bedrooms, bathroom/wc, and a versatile box room which would ideally suit conversion to a pleasant family bathroom, subject to planning consents. There

The Coach House Shortridge Hall, Warkworth is a self contained holiday cottage with living room, kitchen, and two connecting bedrooms and bathroom/wc. Externally, the property is approached via a private gravelled driveway offering considerable off street parking and space potentially available for the construction of garaging. The principal lawn is to the westerly elevation, flanked by mature trees providing a considerable degree of privacy, and extending to a wooded area. To the south elevation there is an attractive walled orchard garden with lawn and fruit trees. Rothbury is a bustling village and is the gateway to the Northumberland National Park and offers a good range of amenities including a range of village shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels, cafes, as well as professional services such as a chiropodist, doctor and veterinary surgery. The village is also serviced by primary and secondary schools, with there being a refurbished village swimming pool, recently constructed leisure facility, 18 hole golf course, tennis and bowls club. Many residents make the regular commute to further amenities within Alnwick - 11.6 miles to the north east or Morpeth – 15.2 miles to the south east, and Newcastle – 31.2 miles to the south.

Price Guide: £795,000

50 | the collection

A fine Edwardian detached, Architect designed, Coach House positioned within superb, mature landscaped grounds extending in excess of half an acre, with views to the Northumbrian coastline, Warkworth Castle and surrounding open countryside. The Coach House is one of four individually designed dwellings fully renovated in 2000, set within seven acres surrounding Shortridge Hall itself. This exclusive development very much reflects the Architect’s focus on sensitive conversion of period properties. Great attention to detail can be seen throughout the well-planned accommodation with the use of high specification materials and stylish neutral decorative scheme, which enhances the feeling of light and space.

Internally this property is beautifully presented and briefly comprises: an imposing reception hall with elegant granite flooring and oak panelled walls, cloakroom, study/5th bedroom, immaculately presented drawing room with vaulted ceiling, dining room, Mowlem & Co bespoke breakfasting kitchen, with modern integrated appliances, granite work surfaces and vaulted ceiling; boot room, laundry, guest bedroom suite and adjacent bathroom. A polished oak balustrade staircase leads to an imposing window seated area with views to the sea. At first floor level there is a reception landing, stylish master bedroom with en suite bathroom, two further

double bedrooms and large family bathroom/wc. Externally the property is approached via imposing electrically operated gates with entry system leading through to a block paved drive large enough to accommodate many cars, which curves around to the detached double garage. There are two separate patio areas enjoying excellent views of Warkworth Castle, the Northumbrian coastline and surrounding open countryside. There are delightful mature landscaped grounds extending in excess of half an acre with many trees and a walled garden area.

Warkworth forms part of the spectacular Northumberland Heritage coastline, with miles of unspoilt sandy beaches. The village offers a range of excellent local shops, a post office, public houses, restaurants and hotels with a popular links Golf Course – there are lovely walks along the Mill Walk and River Coquet to the unique, historic Hermitage and Warkworth Castle. The harbour town of Amble, with its well established Marina, offers a wider range of amenities and leisure facilities.

Warkworth is on a regular bus route between Alnwick and Newcastle and there are regular direct services to London, Edinburgh and Newcastle via the main East Coast railway station at nearby Alnmouth. The East Coast main line railway station is approx. 1.5 miles, A1 motorway and Alnwick town approx. 6 miles.

Price Guide: £695,000

alnwick office 01665 600170

alnwick office 01665 600170

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Well Close Rothbury

the collection - alnwick office

Keepers Cottage, a traditional stone cottage under a slate roof, stands within a tranquil woodland setting of approximately 0.6 acre. Positioned on a quiet country lane, the cottage has woodland and open countryside surrounding it, with access to main road links to Wooler and Alnwick. The charming cottage, of which the original part is believed to date from 1815, has been extended in more recent years to provide a well proportioned family home. Many original and traditional features have been retained including superb gothic arched windows and doors, a stone inglenook fireplace with wood burner, exposed beams, sash windows and wood floorboards and an oil fired Aga in the kitchen. The accommodation comprises: entrance hall with Travertine flooring, living room overlooking the front garden, conservatory with stone flagged floor and lovely views over the garden and woodland, a generous and light dining/garden room, kitchen/breakfast room with a range of wood fronted cabinets, utility room, walk-in larder, shower room/wc, three double bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc. Externally, the cottage has a gravel driveway providing parking for a number of cars, with an additional parking bay off the lane for two cars. The superb grounds are a mixture of natural habitat with mature trees and shrubs and a natural spring, and more formalised raised vegetable beds, with timber sheds. Gravel pathways run throughout the garden, with an attractive paved terrace leading from the dining/garden room.

the collection - alnwick office

Keepers Cottage East Lilburn, Alnwick

Price Guide: £449,950

Park Wing Callaly Castle, Whittingham

This handsome stone built detached family home occupies a superb, mature garden site extending to approximately half an acre, in the coastal hamlet of Waren Mill overlooking Budle Bay. The charming ‘Potton’ four bedroom property offers versatile accommodation, full of character from its feature wooden beams, stone inglenook fireplace and traditional style wooden doors.

The property has excellent woodland and rural views, oil central heating, double glazing with accommodation comprising; entrance lobby, hallway, cloakroom/wc, living room with cast iron wood burning stove, study area, formal dining room, snug/family room, conservatory, fitted kitchen/breakfast room with integrated appliances, utility room, and shower room/wc. To the first floor, there is separate staircase access to the fourth bedroom and annexe living area from the kitchen and in the main part of the house, an impressive master bedroom with beamed ceiling and newly fitted (2008) ensuite shower room/wc, two further bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc.

Externally, Chester Dene House is approached via an attractive stone pillared entrance to a large gravel driveway. The superb garden is predominantly lawned with mature planting of trees and shrubs, and woodland beyond the garden boundary providing both shelter and privacy. A small burn runs along

the side boundary of the garden, running into the larger burn in the hamlet.

Features of the garden include an excellent stone terrace to the rear of the house leading from the conservatory and overlooking a pond, fabulous Scandinavian style timber barbecue house with chimney and integral seating, feature timber pergola seating area overlooking the garden and large timber storage shed. The small hamlet of Waren Mill forms part of Northumberland’s heritage coastline and is situated in the stunning Budle Bay, part of Lindisfarne Nature Reserve. The coastline is famous for its miles of sandy beaches, harbour villages and imposing Castles including Bamburgh Castle, approximately 2 miles south and Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island, approximately 12 miles north. Local village amenities include village shops, post offices, restaurants/hotels, all available at the nearby villages of Bamburgh, Belford and Seahouses. The A1 allows easy access both north to Berwick upon Tweed and Edinburgh and south to the market town of Alnwick and Newcastle upon Tyne, with excellent rail links north and south from Berwick upon Tweed.

An early viewing is recommended as we anticipate strong interest.

Price Guide: £375,000

Price Guide: £495,000

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Chester Dene House Waren Mill, Northumberland

1 Park Wing occupies a commanding southerly corner position within the most imposing Callaly Castle, a Grade I Listed former Stately Home, which stands within 35 acres of landscaped gardens and grounds. 1 Park Wing has been sympathetically refurbished by the present owners in recent years to provide well-presented living accommodation arranged over two floors within this period property.

The property retains a number of original features such as 12-pane Georgian sash windows, decorative plaster cornicing and fireplaces. The accommodation briefly comprises: ground floor – spacious and welcoming entrance hallway, three good bedrooms, and newly refurbished bathroom/wc designed to be in keeping with the period character of this building. On the first floor – stunning drawing room with a large open fire with a decorative surround, vaulted ceiling and stunning views to two elevations via the five Georgian 12pane sash windows with working internal shutters; spectacular galleried mezzanine floor which could be put to a variety of uses including a study; newly refurbished shower room/wc; stylish refurbished kitchen designed to reflect the period style of this stunning home. Externally – private garage, parking, access to some 35 acres of landscaped gardens, woodland, ornamental lakes, an original walled orchard and a vegetable garden with plots available for residents’ use. Callaly Castle is situated approximately 2 miles to the west of the rural village of Whittingham with the bustling market town of Alnwick some 10 miles to the east, Newcastle upon Tyne approximately 40 miles to the south, and Edinburgh approximately 80 miles to the north.

alnwick office 01665 600170

alnwick office 01665 600170

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the collection - alnwick office

Newton Barns, Newton-by-the-Sea

An imposing, newly renovated and extended, stone semi detached house in a prime residential area of Alnwick, overlooking the Dukes School playing field and benefiting from gardens, a car port and detached garage. This impressive four bedroom family home has retained many of its period features including sash windows, traditional staircase and coving to the ceiling, and a marble fireplace. The property benefits from gas central heating, a newly fitted kitchen, bathroom and two ensuites.

The generous accommodation comprises: lobby, entrance hallway, cloakroom/wc, impressive living room, superb kitchen/breakfast room. From the dining area, will be a conservatory with French doors leading out into the garden, providing additional reception space (currently under construction as of 5th April 2009).To the first floor, a large master bedroom with ensuite shower room/wc, second newly constructed guest bedroom with ensuite shower/wc, two further bedrooms and a well appointed family bathroom/wc. Externally, the property has lawned gardens to the front and rear, a drive through car port leading to the rear garden and a detached single garage. Alnwick offers a good range of amenities including shops, numerous restaurants/hotels, public houses, theatre/cinema, leisure centre with swimming pool and schooling for all ages. Access to the remainder of the region is available via the A1 trunk road leading north to Berwick and Scotland and south to Morpeth and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. There are further commuting possibilities via the main East Coast railway line at Alnmouth with direct regular services to Edinburgh, London and Newcastle-upon-Tyne stations.

A spacious, four bedroom 1930’s detached bungalow, occupying this most attractive site, with stunning rural and sea views. Although maintained over the years, this property provides an excellent opportunity for some further modernisation to suit purchasers’ requirements including redesigning of the kitchen, refitting of the bathroom and possibly consideration of additional accommodation within the roof void if required (subject to obtaining all required consents). This property is ideally suited to an active retired couple seeking to relocate to the North Northumbrian Coast, or equally the second home or holiday let investor. Accommodation briefly comprises: entrance porch, generous reception hallway with original wood panelled walls, living room with views towards the Cheviot Hills in the distance, dining room with attractive wood parquet flooring, kitchen including pantry and boiler room, utility, shower room/wc, four bedrooms, bathroom and separate wc. Externally: there is a lawned garden to the front, driveway parking, single garage and workshop, and rear lawned garden with stunning views towards the coast. Amenities within Alnwick are only 11 miles away, and North Northumberland’s beautiful Heritage coastline with its miles of unspoilt dunes and beaches is only 1.7 miles away at Newton-bythe-Sea, and 4 miles away to Beadnell. We would strongly recommend early internal viewing in order to fully appreciate the extent, quality and potential offered by the accommodation and location of this property.

Price Guide: £335,000

Price Guide: £349,000

West Longstone House Church Hill, Chatton

Swansfield Park Road

West Longstone House is a handsome stone built house, part of the former Vicarage to Holy Cross Church and redesigned by the acclaimed architect John Dobson in the mid 19th Century. This excellent family home occupies an impressive garden and woodland site of approximately 0.75 acre. The semi detached house offers well proportioned family accommodation with four reception rooms and five/six bedrooms set over three floors, with superb rural views from the house and garden to the open countryside, the River Till and Chillingham in the distance. The house has retained many of its period features including twelve pane sash windows with shutters, moulded coving to the high ceilings, open fireplaces and the original stone cellar. The accommodation comprises: Lower ground floor – stone cellar/store.

Ground floor - reception hallway, cloakroom/wc, living room, dining/family room, large kitchen/breakfast room with French doors to the terrace, laundry, versatile games room/snug, and conservatory. First floor – three good sized bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc. Second floor – two double bedrooms, a box room/study, and a bathroom/wc. Externally, West Longstone House is approached from the rear, via a stone pillared driveway leading to a parking and gravelled courtyard area. The formal garden has been designed to incorporate attractive lawned terraces, with stone steps leading down to the larger lawned garden with fruit trees, pond and vegetable bed. To the western boundary is a mature woodland garden giving both privacy and shelter.

A splendid four bedroom detached family home, well positioned in a much sought after residential area of Alnwick, with mature gardens, overlooking the Duke’s School playing field and a detached garage. The property offers excellent family accommodation with two reception rooms, a superb kitchen/breakfast room, four bedrooms and an attic space. Traditional features include original open fireplaces, wood flooring and lovely balustrade staircase. The accommodation comprises: entrance porch, generous reception hallway, a traditional style living room with wood panelling and wood flooring, formal dining room with wood flooring, an excellent family kitchen/breakfast room fitted with a range of cream fronted cabinets and with French doors leading to the garden, utility room with oak flooring, cloakroom/wc, and laundry. To the first floor there is a good sized master bedroom overlooking the garden and with an ensuite shower room/wc with a curved corner shower cubicle, two further double bedrooms, both with built in wardrobes, a study/single bedroom with access to the versatile attic space, and a family bathroom/wc. Externally, the house is surrounded by mature gardens with a lawned garden, well stocked borders, shrubs and trees. A pathway leads to the timber summerhouse, greenhouse and in turn to the driveway and detached garage. An internal viewing is recommended to appreciate the space and versatility this family home offers, along with its excellent location in Alnwick.

Price Guide: £595,000

Price Guide: £399,000

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Alnwick

alnwick office 01665 600170

alnwick office 01665 600170

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

East Winds

Alnwick

the collection - alnwick office

Swansfield Park Road

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The Viking

This well presented three bedroom property is

This impressive two bedroom apartment is situated on the ground floor of this exciting new development, with stunning views from the large stone terrace to the sea and the Farne Islands. The newly built apartment is well designed and proportioned to provide modern, stylish accommodation. 5 The Viking will be of interest due to its perfect position to investors who may wish to do holiday or residential lettings, or those seeking a charming weekend retreat, or owner occupiers alike.

The property is finished to a high standard and specification throughout – benefiting from security entry system, electric heating, a 10 year NHBC guarantee, a single garage and secure parking within the courtyard. The accommodation comprises; communal entrance hall, private hallway, excellent open plan living area with doors leading to the terrace, well appointed fitted kitchen, off the living room, with high gloss cabinets and integrated appliances, utility room, shower room, master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom/wc, and a second bedroom. Externally, the apartment is approached via electric gates to a large courtyard where there is parking and a single garage with an electric door. The large stone terrace, running the entire length of the apartment, has excellent views towards the sea, Farne Islands and bustling working harbour.

Seahouses forms the gateway to the Farne Islands Nature Reserve and is ideally positioned on Northumberland’s heritage coastline. Access to the remainder of the region is available via the A1 trunk road, with links to Berwick upon Tweed to the north and Alnwick and Newcastle upon Tyne to the south.

Seahouses

located within a village green setting in the coastal village of Longhoughton. Built by Bowey Homes in 2004 as part of the Tarn Breeze development, the property is a well designed and presented family home overlooking the pleasant village green.

Benefiting from gas

central heating, double glazing, smoke alarms, security alarm and lighting, and a 10 Year NHBC guarantee (from 2004) the accommodation comprises: entrance hall, living room, dining room adjoining a luxury fitted kitchen with integrated

appliances,

utility

area

and

cloakroom/wc. To the first floor there are three double bedrooms, the master having an ensuite shower room/wc, and a family bathroom/wc. To the front of the property is a lawned garden enclosed by attractive iron railings with block paved driveway to the side leading to the parking courtyard area and single garage. The rear garden is lawned with a brick curved wall surround and timber gate garage area.

Price Guide: £250,000

Church Street

Sea View Longhoughton

Craster

A well presented and much improved two storey, three bedroom semi detached village house.

Having undergone significant improvements in recent years including the refitting of the excellent and spacious dining kitchen, provision of double glazing and gas fired central heating, 1 Sea View now provides well appointed and attractive family living accommodation.

Accommodation briefly comprises: entrance hallway, living room, dining kitchen, rear lobby, cloakroom/wc, utility cupboard. First floor: three bedrooms and bathroom/wc. Externally there is a usable private front landscaped garden, side access, space for construction of a conservatory (subject to obtaining all required consents), rear garden, single garage, and a three car driveway with cul de sac access. Longhoughton offers a range of village amenities including local shop, post office, public house, Doctor’s Surgery and village First School. A wider range of amenities are available at the nearby market town of Alnwick where there are numerous shops, restaurants/hotels, a theatre/cinema, leisure centre with swimming pool and schooling for all ages. Longhoughton is centrally located for the Northumbrian coastline with many Golf Courses within the coastal villages including Embleton, Seahouses and Bamburgh. Access to the remainder of the region is available via the A1 trunk road with links to Morpeth and Newcastleupon-Tyne and Berwick and the Borders.

Alnmouth main line rail station is a short drive away.

This is a charming semi detached fisherman’s cottage situated in the heart of an attractive Northumbrian fishing village. It is ideally suited to those seeking a weekend coastal home or holiday let investment, this delightful stone built cottage with extensions is full of character and benefits from a private rear garden and summerhouse. The accommodation briefly comprises; entrance hall, spacious living room with bay window and brick built open fire, ground floor double bedroom with extensive fitted wardrobes and storage cupboards, shower room/wc and fitted kitchen overlooking the rear garde with an attractive range of cabinets. To the first floor there are two bedrooms, the master with fitted wardrobes, and a bathroom/wc.

Externally the property is approached via a gravelled private shared road, and to the side there is a surfaced access leading to the private rear garden where there is a timber garden room and store shed and lawned garden area. The property benefits from oil fired central heating, partial double glazing and it has a modern fitted kitchen. Purchasers may wish to carry out further modernisation to suit their requirements. The village of Craster has amenities including village pub and is an ideal location for exploring the beautiful north Northumbrian Heritage coastline.

Furthermore centralised amenities are available within the bustling market town of Alnwick which is approximately 8 miles to the south west.

Price Guide: £179,950

Price Guide: £235,000

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alnwick office 01665 600170

alnwick office 01665 600170

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: £210,000

the collection - alnwick office

Eastfield Longhoughton

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The Steadings Christon Bank

This superb two bedroom stone conversion, ideal as a holiday home, is situated in a small courtyard of similar properties on the stunning Northumbrian coastline, close to Budle Sands Nature Reserve and approximately two miles from Bamburgh. The cottage has been designed to incorporate many traditional features including arched byre windows, exposed stone walls, vaulted beamed ceilings, heritage windows to the roof and cast iron wood burner. The property benefits from oil central heating, a security alarm system, attractive stone terrace and allocated parking. The accommodation comprises: impressive living room with beamed ceiling and stone chimney breast, well appointed kitchen/breakfast room with integrated appliances, two bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc. To the front of the cottage there is a good sized stone terrace and lawned area, with rural views towards the Cheviot hills in the distance. Allocated parking.

An immaculately presented detached bungalow, in a cul de sac of individually designed properties in Christon Bank, only a few miles inland from the coastal villages of Embleton and Newton-by-theSea. The bungalow, ideal as a retirement or holiday home, has three reception rooms, two double bedrooms, landscaped gardens and benefits from oil central heating and double glazing. The well proportioned accommodation comprises: entrance lobby, hallway, living room with multi fuel burner, dining room, garden room, fitted kitchen with a utility room, two double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, and a family bathroom/wc. Externally the bungalow has attractive, well established gardens to three sides, a large driveway and a single garage. Christon Bank has a village shop/post office, ‘The Blink Bonny’ pub serving food, and visits from the mobile butchers van and mobile library; a wider range of amenities are available at the market town of Alnwick to the south. The village has excellent access to Northumberland’s heritage coastline.

Price Guide: £305,000

Price Guide: £239,950

Barmoor Lane End Cottages Lowick, Berwick Upon Tweed

Allerburn Lea Alnwick

A beautifully presented, refurbished and extended mid terraced cottage. The current owners have completed a stunning refurbishment of this period cottage in 2009, to now produce well presented three bedroom living accommodation over two floors. The property benefits from a private garden, garage, and oil fired central heating. The accommodation briefly comprises: entrance hall, living room, open plan dining room leading into a contemporary fitted kitchen, utility, ground floor cloakroom/wc.

First floor: three good bedrooms, family bathroom/wc. External: gardens to front and rear, detached single garage. Lowick is a good holiday location for a weekend retreat or holiday let investment, and situated to explore the stunning surrounding north Northumberland countryside, the Scottish Borders further to the north, Cheviot Hills to the west, and Holy Island and Bamburgh to the east.

A stylish four bedroom detached family home, well positioned to the head of a quiet cul de sac in Allerburn Lea. The property has been redesigned internally (2007), to provide a contemporary style kitchen/breakfast room, small study area, and the conversion of the garage to a family/dining room. The property benefits from gas central heating, double glazing, a driveway and rear garden. The accommodation comprises: lobby, hallway, cloakroom/wc, living room with French doors to the garden, study, family/dining room, modern kitchen/breakfast room, and to the first floor, a master bedroom with ensuite shower room/wc, three further bedrooms and a bathroom/wc.

Externally, there is a block paved driveway. To the rear, there is a lawned garden with a timber decked terrace leading from the living room. An internal viewing is essential to appreciate the versatility of the accommodation.

Price Guide: £144,950

Price Guide: £249,950

The Butts Warkworth

Steelmourne Garden Terrace, Shilbottle

This charming two bedroom cottage is tucked away in a quiet courtyard square, just off The Butts in Warkworth, within a few yards of the River Coquet. The cottage is ideal as a main home within minutes walking to the village centre and has been successfully let as a holiday home through ‘Country Holidays’ in recent years, and would be ideal for those buyers seeking a ready commercial let or a second coastal home. The cottage benefits from gas central heating and has original features including sash windows, feature staircase and a stone inglenook style fireplace.

The immaculate accommodation comprises; entrance hall, living room, well appointed fitted kitchen and dining area, two bedrooms and a superb shower room/wc. Externally, the cottage has an attractive landscaped town garden in the square and a pleasant courtyard area, to the rear, with storage outhouses and access to the side pathway. On street parking is available. No upward chain.

This superb four bedroom detached dormer bungalow sits in a third of an acre of mature gardens, enjoying excellent views over the adjoining fields to the coastline in the distance. The property is well positioned towards the edge of Shilbottle village, within minutes of local amenities. The generous accommodation comprises; entrance hall, living room, conservatory with rural views, dining room, study area, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, ground floor master bedroom and ensuite, guest double bedroom, and family bathroom/wc. To the first floor there are two further bedrooms and large attic storage space. Externally, Steelmourne has a long driveway and parking area plus hardstand suitable for a caravan/boat/camper van, and a double garage. The attractive gardens are beautifully landscaped with mature planted trees and shrubs, a sheltered seating area, water feature, vegetable beds and a stone patio terrace to the rear with covered in barbecue/dining area. No upward chain.

Price Guide: £199,950

Price Guide: £319,950

Preliminary Announcement

Aydon View Alnwick This superb ‘Kirkdale’ four bedroom family home has a prime position within the exclusive development of Aydon View, with lovely views over the adjoining fields and countryside and elevated views to the coast. The well proportioned property benefits from gas central heating, double glazing, a security alarm system, and the remainder of a 10 year NHBC guarantee. The accommodation comprises: entrance hallway, study, generous living room, dining room, conservatory, impressive family kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and cloakroom/wc. To the first floor, the master bedroom has a dressing room area and ensuite shower/wc, with three further double bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc. To the front of the property there is a lawned garden, with a block paved driveway providing parking for two cars leading to a double link garage. The attractive rear garden is predominantly lawned with a paved patio leading from the conservatory, and lovely views over the open field. An early viewing is recommended.

We are delighted to offer for sale this exciting new development, which will be completed and available from the summer of 2009. We are offering three self contained barn conversion properties of which there will be two 3 bedroom conversions and one 2 bedroom property. These characterful and individual homes will have quality individual fixtures and fittings and will be set within generous, private grounds which will have landscaped gardens and parking areas .Located in a wonderful position on the periphery of Beadnell Village, surrounded by open fields with views towards the sandy dunes of Beadnell Bay and The Cheviots to the other side. The village of Beadnell and this area on the heritage coastline continues to show investment income growth and attract long term buyers, second home owners or just a stunning home on the coast .

If you would like to know more please contact Gillian Greaves on 01665 600170 or email gillian.greaves@sandersonyoung.co.uk

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Beadnell Green Beadnell

Prices from: £249,000 - £325,000

the collection - alnwick office

The Hemmel Budle Sands, nr Bamburgh

Price Guide: £330,000

Beadnell Bay

alnwick office 01665 600170

alnwick office 01665 600170

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the collection - ponteland office

DINE IN STYLE AT OUR FAMILY RUN INDIAN RESTAURANT IN THE HEART OF PONTELAND

Ponteland Office The Ponteland office continues to offer an unrivalled level of service which, in a challenging market, promises to see us helping more clients to move this coming year, a year which has begun extremely well.

Our Ponteland office sold 13 houses in the first eight weeks of 2009 compared to eight houses in the last three months of 2008, which indicates quite a turnaround in the market.

We sell homes in one of the most desirable, highly valued and varied parts of the region, covering a much sought-after area between the Tyne Valley and Hexham in the south west, to Morpeth in the north and many desirable spots in between.

This area offers some of the most sought-after villages, best schools, breathtaking countryside and vibrant towns the North East has to offer.

With a huge array of homes on offer, we are able to find beautiful stone cottages with stunning rural views, substantial family homes within prime residential areas and properties with that something a little bit special that have been part of the landscape for decades.

PRIVATE FUNCTION ROOM AVAILABLE FOR DINNER PARTIES

For further information about buying and selling your property in Ponteland, south Northumberland and the Tyne Valley, please contact Elaine Newbigin, tel 01661 823 951, email elaine.newbigin@sandersonyoung.co.uk

11a Main Street, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne 01661 860 292 | www.pontelandtandoori.com

The Daraz Fine Indian Cuisine - 4 Holly Avenue West, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne 0191 281 8431 | www.daraz.co.uk

The Rialto Traditional Italian Dishes - 1 Main Street, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne 01661 820 600 | www.rialtos.co.uk

Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland NE20 9NH | Tel: 01661 823 951

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Ponteland Tandoori Restaurant

Yes, the market has seen some pressure and we have drawn on all our extensive experience and marketing capabilities, but we are seeing results and a very encouraging start to 2009.

Houses are selling in all price brackets and throughout our area. The Tyne Valley remains sound, particularly in villages such as Wylam and Corbridge, while Ponteland and Darras Hall continue to see good demand for the wide range of houses we are able to offer.

the collection - ponteland office

the collection - ponteland office

This magnificent modern detached family home is located within the western corner of the exclusive Darras Hall development. Darras Hall is widely regarded as one of the premier addresses in the north east of England and is well positioned for commuting to Newcastle International Airport which is within a mile and a half, Newcastle city centre, and the A1 trunk road. Darras Hall boasts local amenities which can be found on Broadway which includes local shops and restaurants, there is excellent schooling for all ages within Darras Hall and Ponteland village which offers further amenities close on hand. These include a wider range of shops, public houses, restaurants, supermarket and banks as well as a wide range of leisure facilities and sporting clubs. This detached family home has been finished to a high specification and incorporates all modern requirements for family living and offers luxurious accommodation spread throughout two floors. The ground floor accommodation is all heated by under floor heating whilst gas central heating runs on the first floor through radiators.

The house is set within its own grounds with security entrance gates. To the front elevation there is a block paved driveway providing ample off street parking as well as access to the double integral garage. The gardens to the front are laid to

Rothley Hall Rothley, Morpeth lawn with hedge and wall surround whilst to the rear there is a lovely garden which has been landscaped by the present owner. The garden has a lawned area, a paved patio leading from the conservatory and lounge, a paved path leading up to the raised rear decking area, where there is a hot tub, greenhouse, raised beds, shed and water feature. An internal inspection will be essential for any prospective purchasers to fully appreciate not only the grounds it is set within but also the spacious luxurious and versatile accommodation this property has to offer. The accommodation briefly comprises a porch, hallway, study/third reception room, good sized family room/playroom with double doors opening out to the lounge. From here double patio doors connect to the patio and overlook the garden. This principal reception room has further double doors connecting to the dining room which in turn opens out to a stunning kitchen with integral appliances and modern units. There is also a utility room, cloakroom/wc and conservatory. On the first floor is the spacious master bedroom with two walk in wardrobes and an en suite wet room, four further double bedrooms, two with ensuites, and the family bathroom.

range of prospective purchasers and benefits from under floor heating, additional ceiling heating and double glazing. The accommodation comprises an entrance hallway leading to a most impressive open plan living space with European oak flooring throughout and comprising a lounge, dining room, and contemporary kitchen with maple units and integral Gaggenau appliances. The windows and French doors enjoy beautiful views out to the garden. Also on the ground floor there is a utility room and cloakroom/W.C. The first floor landing leads to the inner landing which connects to the communal fitness suite, games room, and via a spiral staircase, the indoor heated swimming pool. On the other side of the landing there is a stunning master bedroom with en suite dressing room with fitted furniture, en suite bathroom, and three windows with access to the south facing balcony. On the second floor there are three further bedrooms, one currently used as an office, and a family shower room. There is a further inner landing which leads out to the roof terrace, shared with neighbouring properties.

Very rarely do such substantial homes come to the market and we would highly recommend an internal inspection.

Price Guide: ÂŁ495,000

Price Guide: ÂŁ880,000

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1 Rothley Hall is a substantial three storey wing of this impressive rural period property occupying the corner front elevation of the building, and enjoying stunning views. Rothley is a premier property located in the heart of mid Northumberland and is set in approximately 43 acres which are shared by all nine properties within Rothley Hall and which include a tennis court, paddock, wooded area and lake. The residents of Rothley Hall benefit from the best of both worlds, having a delightful quiet and tranquil rural setting, yet located within 40 minutes drive of Newcastle city centre, 25 minutes to Newcastle International Airport, and with the ancient market towns of Morpeth and Rothbury within 10 miles. Access to Rothley Hall is through a stone entrance onto a sweeping driveway allowing access to all properties and in turn to three parking areas where there is a double garage for each property. From here there are paths and steps leading to the individual units of which number 1 has its own garden, which is mainly laid to lawn, enjoying a southerly aspect and stunning country views.

The remaining grounds and all communal areas are maintained for the enjoyment of the residents, by a full time groundsman. This substantial home will suit a wide

ponteland office 01661 823951

ponteland office 01661 823951

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Western Way Darras Hall

the collection - ponteland office

This charming four bedroom semi detached property is positioned in an attractive location on the outskirts of Morpeth, which is one of the most exclusive and sought after market towns in the North East of England. The property is accessed down a quiet lane entering the driveway to Grange House. The property offers generous living accommodation, gas fired central heating and has seen improvements and refurbishment in recent years. The large entertaining space of the kitchen/breakfast room gives the property a warm and delightful feel. You are welcomed into the property by an open and attractive reception hall with a stunning and bright kitchen/breakfast room.

The lounge enjoys views over the stunning and secure west facing garden and has a Victorian style fireplace, and there is a separate dining room, ideal for entertaining, with a polished wood floor. There is also the benefit of a cloakroom/wc.

To the first floor there are four generous double bedrooms, bedroom four having the benefit of an en suite shower room/wc. There is also an additional family bathroom/wc with a fully tiled shower cubicle. Externally the house has a drive at the front with parking for two cars and an additional single garage with ample storage space. The garden is a lovely feature of the house, with the garden predominantly west facing.

the collection - ponteland office

Grange House Old Farm Lane, Morpeth

Price Guide: £575,000

West Lodge Belsay

St Helens Court Corbridge FULLY FURNISHED SHOW APARTMENT AND TOWN HOUSE NEWLY CREATED AND READY FOR YOUR PERSONAL VIEWING

The apartments offer three different layouts to choose from, each on a single level with two bedrooms, an en suite shower room and main bathroom. Each apartment has the benefit of gas central heating, an allocated parking space within the courtyard and residents will enjoy exclusive use of the garden areas.

The spacious and unique townhouse is built over three floors, is gas centrally heated and offers three bedrooms and two reception rooms overlooking the private rear garden. Corbridge, with its exclusive

boutiques and shops, excellent schools and stunning surrounding landscapes, perches above the River Tyne, 18 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne with its thriving, modern community set against a distinctive, historic backdrop. Its situation within Corbridge is favoured with good access into the village centre, as well as good road access into Hexham and via the A69 to Newcastle and Newcastle International Airport. The village also benefits from a local train station and excellent bus service.

Last remaining 3 bedroom/2 bathroom Town House Price: £349,950 Choice of four 2 bedroom/2 bathroom Apartments located on either the first or second floor Prices from £197,950

For further information contact: Elaine Newbigin or James Middleton on 01661 823951 or email elaine.newbigin@sandersonyoung.co.uk or james.middleton@sandersonyoung.co.uk

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ponteland office 01661 823951

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St Helen’s Court is a private development built by Anvil Homes and designed to blend seamlessly into the historic streetscapes of Corbridge. The four available apartments and one townhouse are built in natural stone and set around a private landscaped courtyard with a feature arched entrance.

Set back from the Whalton Road, leading out of the beautiful Northumbrian village of Belsay, is this small and exclusive development of three fabulous stone built detached family homes. Built

by Anvil Homes, the show house, West Lodge, enjoys beautiful views over the surrounding countryside and farmland and is fully complete and ready for occupation. Finished to a good specification, with double glazing, oil fired central heating, and an alarm system the accommodation comprises a lovely wide welcoming entrance reception hall, with a cloakroom/wc beneath the stairs. The kitchen/family breakfasting room stretches the depth of the house, with wood units, granite worktops, cooking range, built-in refrigerator/freezer and dishwasher. The main lounge has a beautiful feature stone fireplace and there is an option of having the lounge open as one large lounge/diner or as two separate reception rooms. To the first floor the landing continues to be a wide welcoming feature and it leads on to three double bedrooms; the master having an en-suite shower room/wc and the remaining two double rooms sharing a family bathroom/wc with feature bath and double shower unit. There is also a study/nursery to the first floor. To the second floor there are two further double bedrooms set within the roof pitch, a shower room/wc and a useful laundry/utility cupboard, set back from the landing. Externally there are lawned gardens and stone flagged paths, a single plus garage and courtyard parking.

Prices from £499,000

ponteland office 01661 823951

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the collection - ponteland office

Originally a Grade II Listed farm steading, Red House Barns is a development of three beautiful stone family homes with lovely rural views. Located on the edge of the picturesque village of Belsay and developed by B J Walton Homes, these three individual properties have been finished to a high standard incorporating luxury modern living. Each of the properties is unique with its own particular character and charm and has been skilfully constructed to complement the space available.

This exclusive development is accessed via electronically controlled double gates opening onto a spacious block paved driveway which leads to the double garages and the individual properties. Wall and fence surround the units and each property has its own lawned gardens and double garage with electronically controlled up and over doors. The properties offer unique layouts and each is finished in a different style. The high specification finishes including oak doors and oak flooring, quality kitchens, Villeroy & Boch bath furniture, wood burning stoves, and exposed beams all contribute to the individuality and character of each property.

Externally there is bollard lighting and mood lighting.

Number 1 has been finished to a high standard with Travertine tiles, oak flooring and carpeting, a beautiful cream kitchen with black granite work surfaces and fully integrated appliances whilst Units 2 and 3 allow the prospective purchaser to have the final say in the finished product. These properties marry the old and new very well and will have to be viewed to be appreciated, both for the location as well as their high specification

An excellent, four bedroom stone barn conversion, well positioned in a small development of stone built barns, cottages and a farmhouse towards the edge of this rural hamlet.

The conversion has been sympathetically designed, retaining many of its traditional features including exposed stonework and beams to the roof, whilst still meeting the demands of modern day living.

The property has oil central heating, double glazed timber windows, a driveway for two cars, a single attached garage and an attractive rear garden with rural views.

The well proportioned accommodation comprises: ground floor- entrance hall, study/4th bedroom, living room with cast iron multi fuel burner, impressive kitchen/dining room with range cooker, integrated appliances and a door leading to the garden, cloakroom/wc and utility room. First floor – master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom/wc, guest double bedroom with an ensuite shower room/wc, third bedroom and an additional shower room/wc.

Externally, The Stables has a driveway leading to the single garage, and to the rear a lawned garden with fence boundary. No upward chain.

Part exchange considered.

Prices from £495,000

Price Guide: £440,000

Garden House

Welton Town Farm Cottage

Kirkheaton

Welton

This traditional style stone built detached family home is located in the heart of the hamlet of Kirkheaton with stunning views overlooking the village green and out over countryside. This detached residence will have to be viewed to be appreciated. It was built by the present owners with gravelled driveway to the front elevation allowing for ample parking, whilst to the rear there are lawned gardens with walled surround. Kirkheaton is only a short distance from Ponteland where there are a good range of amenities and excellent schooling. Kirkheaton is also surrounded by some of Northumberland’s most picturesque countryside.

It is within easy commuting distance to Newcastle upon Tyne as well as Newcastle International Airport and throughout the region to the Tyne Valley and north to North Northumberland. Internally the impressive modern accommodation is spread over two floors with oil central heating and double glazing installed and comprises: a spacious reception hallway, a lounge with feature fireplace and double doors to the very impressive fitted dining kitchen with modern appliances, recess and French doors to the rear garden. There is also a utility room with stable door to the rear garden, study/snug and cloakroom/wc making up the ground floor. On the first floor the master suite comprises a spacious double bedroom and contemporary en-suite shower room, three further bedrooms as well as a luxury family bathroom. This property occupies an excellent situation with delightful views and impressive accommodation which will have to be viewed to be appreciated.

An idyllic stone built detached cottage in a superb

Option of renting up to 10 acres of grazing land.

strongly recommended.

Price Guide: £475,000

Price Guide: £299,000

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country setting, close by to Matfen and with easy accessibility to Corbridge, Wylam, Ponteland and the A69 into Newcastle. This is a delightful property, extensively refurbished and improved over the last 10 years by the current owner. It has an entrance hall, shower room/wc, a lovely dining room with a period fireplace with open fire and stone hearth, an archway through to the kitchen, overlooking the surrounding countryside and farmland, and with an Aga and a range of fitted cupboards and storage areas. There is also a utility and laundry room. The drawing room is a super room and has a multi fuel burning stove, recessed shelving and double glazed patio doors leading out onto the south facing terrace and gardens. The main bedroom is a light and bright room with two windows to the south overlooking the gardens, and has an en-suite bathroom/wc, as well as large fitted wardrobes and store cupboards. There is a second bedroom in the roof space. The property has beautiful gardens and stone wall boundaries and enjoys lovely views of the countryside and farmland.

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

The Stables Mickley, Stocksfield

the collection - ponteland office

Red House Barns Belsay

There is parking for

three cars and a separate detached single plus garage. The property has oil central heating and double glazing in wood frames.

This is a very

picturesque property in a superb setting. Viewing is

ponteland office 01661 823951

ponteland office 01661 823951

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the collection - ponteland office

An excellent opportunity to acquire this well proportioned detached bungalow occupying a site of just under ¼ of an acre at 0.23 acres approx (0.09 hectares). The property offers considerable potential for renovation and modernisation and although having been maintained over the years it is somewhat dated in presentation. We would strongly recommend early internal viewing in order to fully appreciate the considerable potential offered by this property.

Accommodation briefly comprises: entrance lobby, a spacious and welcoming reception hallway, a well proportioned living room with a picture window and feature fireplace, dining room with views across the mature gardens to the rear, fitted kitchen, bathroom/wc with shower with modern suite, three bedrooms – one with an ensuite shower room, double garage, driveway parking and mature gardens.

Price Guide: £695,000

Price Guide: £360,000

Edge Hill Darras Hall

Ingham Terrace Wylam

This delightful, detached, spacious family home will have to be viewed to be appreciated. Set within its own grounds that extend to 0.358 acres. It is located towards the edge of the highly sought after Darras Hall estate where good commuting possibilities are to Newcastle city centre and Newcastle International Airport. The versatile accommodation comprises: on the ground floor, a formal hallway and dining hallway, drawing room with aspects to three elevations, a lovely open plan family area which comprises; breakfasting kitchen, family room, study, utility room and playroom, as well as a cloakroom/wc. On the first floor there are four double bedrooms, the master with an en-suite, and a delightful family bathroom. The gardens afford a good deal of privacy and are mainly laid to lawn to both front and rear elevations. There is a driveway to the front and an integral double garage with an electric controlled up and over door.

A thoughtfully modernised, two storey, end terraced house, situated in this most prominent and sought after location within the picturesque village of Wylam. The house has been carefully restored to retain much of its period charm, including period fireplaces and stripped and waxed internal doors and these have been carefully combined with several modern features. It is considered that there is some further scope for extension via a loft conversion, subject to obtaining all required consents.

The accommodation briefly comprises; entrance hall, spacious lounge with open fire, modern fitted dining kitchen with French windows opening to the rear garden, utility and cloakroom/wc.

On the first floor there are two double bedrooms, a further bedroom and a re-fitted bathroom/wc with shower. Externally there is an attractive fenced and gated village garden to the front and a private fenced lawned garden to the rear, including a timber garden shed.

Price Guide: £650,000

Price Guide: £329,950

Briar Cottage Throphill, Morpeth

Rothley Hall Rothley

This detached stone cottage dates back to 1890 and has been substantially extended in more recent years to make this a good family home. It is in a delightful location with stunning rural views and located within 5 miles of Morpeth.

The property has oil central heating and double glazing and the accommodation, spread throughout two floors, comprises; entrance hallway, spacious lounge with feature log burner and Canadian maple flooring, cloakroom, separate dining room with dual aspect and a farmhouse kitchen providing the heart of the house. On the first floor there is a master bedroom with stunning views and an en-suite; and two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Externally there is a gravelled driveway and integral double garage with electric up and over door. There are lawned split level gardens to the side elevation with patio areas and to the rear elevation there is a vegetable garden with raised beds.

This is a well appointed country residence forming one of nine self contained homes within this stunning period country hall amidst private grounds of some 42 acres and stunning Northumbrian countryside. This self contained property provides well presented three bedroomed accommodation arranged over three floors and has a private garden, a private terrace with westerly views and internal private access to the indoor heated swimming pool and leisure suite. The accommodation briefly comprises: an entrance hallway, cloakroom/wc, open plan living/dining area and fitted kitchen. To the first floor there is a landing area, master bedroom with fitted wardrobes and ensuite shower room/wc and to the second floor there are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc. In all the internal accommodation extends to some 1,487 sq ft approx, gross internal area. The property benefits from electric under floor and ceiling heating, security alarm system, ISDN line, sky television sockets and double glazing

Price Guide: £495,000

Price Guide: £325,000

West Farm Lane Matfen

Woolsington Gardens Woolsington

This deceptively spacious detached family home will have to be viewed to be appreciated. The versatile accommodation is spread throughout two floors and with oil central heating.

The property has been extended by the present owners and is located in a much sought after village. It has good commuting possibilities and access to Corbridge and Hexham. Local amenities include village pub, village store with deli and café, the award winning Matfen Hall Country House Hotel with two golf courses, spa and health club.

Additionally there are pubs with restaurants within the villages either side of Matfen these being Stamfordham and Great Whittingham. Further benefits include a free private school bus service to Stamfordham First School and Ponteland Middle and also Ponteland High School. This family home has four reception rooms, five bedrooms, two bathrooms and gardens to the front and rear.

A very pleasant two storey semi detached house, originally constructed in the 1930’s. The well presented and tastefully decorated property was purchased by the current owners in 2007 and has had a great number of improvements and refurbishment works carried out. The house has double glazing and gas central heating and briefly comprises a shallow entrance vestibule, reception hall, dining room with a walnut floor, sitting room with an attractive fireplace, and a kitchen and breakfast room with an oak floor and painted wood cabinets. To the first floor are two double bedrooms, one with an extensive arrangement of wardrobes, a single bedroom, and a family bathroom/wc. The house has a drive at the front with parking for two cars and an integral single garage. The gardens are a lovely feature of the house, the rear predominantly west facing, with timber deck and terrace, two sitting areas and a lawn.

Price Guide: £475,000

Price Guide: £315,000

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ponteland office 01661 823951

ponteland office 01661 823951

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Errington Road Darras Hall

This deceptively spacious detached family home has accommodation over several floors and offers versatility for a wide range of prospective purchasers. Internally there is gas central heating, double glazing and a security alarm and the accommodation briefly comprises; a reception hallway, breakfasting kitchen, utility room, an inner hallway, formal dining room, a delightful Amdega conservatory, and a spacious lounge with Inglenook fireplace. On the first floor is the master bedroom with a large walk in wardrobe and a luxurious ensuite; and a further double bedroom. On the second floor there is a sixth bedroom which is currently used as a study. On the lower ground floor there are three further spacious double bedrooms and a luxurious family bathroom. Externally the site is approximately one third of an acre with lawns and mature gardens to the front, sides and rear. There is also an integral double garage and paved driveway for off street parking.

the collection - ponteland office

Western Way Darras Hall

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the collection - gosforth office

SY | HAY & KILNER

trustintrusts Kirstin Cook, Partner and head of the Wealth Management Department at leading North East solicitors Hay & Kilner, looks at the circumstances when Trusts can be used effectively

Gosforth Office

Hay & Kilner's wealth management team, l-r, Claire Springle, Alice Clewes, John Luke, Kirstin Cook, Katie Thackray and Sarah O'Hare

ow is a good time to take stock of your position and plan for the future. With unrest in the financial markets we need to look at ways of protecting our assets for future generations and minimising the amount we have to pay in taxes. Trusts may seem complicated and confusing, but they can be a very useful tool in many different circumstances.

N

What is a trust?

A trust is a mechanism whereby a group of people (the trustees) look after assets for the benefit of another group of people (the beneficiaries). The person who gives the assets to the trust is called the settlor.

A trust (or “settlement� as it may also be known) may be created during your lifetime or through a Will. A trust may also be created by the operation of law. For example, where a person dies intestate (that is without leaving a Will) and the people who are entitled to the estate are under 18.

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It is important to have the right trust for your particular needs. The tax implications of a trust also need to be considered.

We serve the traditional prime residential areas of Gosforth and Jesmond in addition to several up-and-coming areas you may be less familiar with and some superb new homes developments which present some very attractive locations in which to settle.

Sensible valuing, quality marketing and promotion and enthusiastic selling yield consistent results for us here at the Gosforth office, combined with honest, knowledgeable advice and an exceptional level of customer care.

We continue to require family homes for waiting buyers. In Gosforth and the surrounding suburbs, properties with gardens are very desirable, while large, older homes still attract a variety of enthusiastic potential purchasers.

Please note also that our Gosforth office continues to sell properties outside its logical catchment area and we are on hand to advise buyers about a wide variety of homes in locations they may not have thought of before.

For further information about buying and selling properties in Gosforth and the surrounding areas, please contact Julie Summerbell at the Gosforth office, tel 0191 213 0033, email julie.summerbell@sandersonyoung.co.uk

Whether you are creating a trust during your lifetime or through your Will you should seek specialist advice.

Kirstin Cook is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). She can be contacted at Hay & Kilner Solicitors, tel 0191 232 8345, email kirstin.cook@hay-kilner.co.uk also see www.hay-kilner.co.uk n

55 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4AA | Tel: 0191 213 0033

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Why create a trust?

There are a number of reasons why people create a trust. Chief among them is a desire to protect and preserve the family wealth. Parents are often concerned that if their children become entitled to large sums of money at an early age it will be frittered away. A trust can be created whereby the money is looked after for the children until they are mature enough to manage their own finances.

Where there is a second marriage and there are children from a first marriage, a parent may wish to protect their assets ultimately for the benefit of the children whilst still providing for the new spouse. A trust can be used to achieve this.

Parents may be concerned that if they give money outright to a son or daughter and the child subsequently divorces then that money may pass to the former son or daughter-in-law. Again, creating a trust can protect the money.

Trusts may also be used for tax planning purposes and as a means of protecting the elderly, the disabled and those who for one reason or another are unable to manage their financial affairs. In addition, trusts may be created for charitable purposes.

What type of trust?

The type of trust will depend on why it is being formed. There are three main types.

Under a Bare Trust the beneficiary has the right to the capital and income from the trust but, for whatever reason, the trust fund is being looked after by the trustees. This would be used, for example, where the beneficiary is an infant or is otherwise incapable of managing their financial affairs. In particular, these may be used where grandparents wish to make gifts to grandchildren under the age of 18.

An Interest in Possession Trust (or Life Interest Trust) is one where a specific beneficiary (called the life tenant) is entitled to the income from the trust for their lifetime and on death the capital remaining in the trust passes to different beneficiaries. This type of trust may be used where there is a second marriage.

With a Discretionary Trust, there are a number of people who can potentially benefit from the trust. Who receives what from the trust is entirely within the discretion of the trustees.

The settlor may choose to be one of the trustees and can therefore be involved in decision making. The settlor can also prepare a letter of wishes to indicate how he or she would like the trustees to exercise their discretion. Discretionary trusts are often used for tax planning purposes.

There are also two specific types of discretionary trust that can only be created through a Will by parents for the benefit of their children if they are under the age of 25.

Despite the uncertain market, Sanderson Young’s Gosforth office has maintained a healthy level of sales activity which has seen us sell 30 houses in the first eight weeks of 2009. This represents an increase in activity which is very encouraging and bodes well for spring and summer.

the collection - gosforth office www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

The Old Stables is a handsome, stone detached, family home set in over half an acre of gardens, and positioned close to the picturesque River Derwent.

The property has a semi rural location, towards the edge of Shotley Bridge village, and has an open aspect to the neighbouring fields and countryside. The impressive and stylish home, originally the stable block to the imposing Grove House, has been converted and extended over recent years by the present owners, to create a stunning family home, with a double detached garage, walled rear garden ideal for entertaining, and a large garden with mature hedging and trees, giving excellent privacy and shelter. The property is finished to an extremely high standard throughout with design features of note being: a superb Miele fitted kitchen featured in the ‘25 Beautiful Kitchens’ Magazine June 2009 issue with a black four oven AGA, granite worktops and quality integrated appliances, Villeroy & Boch sanitary ware to the stylish ensuite shower room and family bathroom, Cat 5 Sound and Media system to all of the rooms, and high specification floor coverings including travertine and oak. The well proportioned accommodation comprises: reception hallway with oak staircase, cloakroom/wc, 34 ft open plan living and dining room with central

The Larches is a superb, architect designed detached house, well positioned in the heart of Gosforth. Blue Box North East has been established as a developer of quality homes for over ten years and understands the importance of the ever changing facets of modern life. Blue Box specialise in building in sensitive locations where design and quality are the major consideration. This stylish home, recently completed, has been constructed to a modern, energy efficient standard - offering well appointed accommodation over three floors, with the benefit of an integral garage, large driveway and a landscaped rear garden. The generous accommodation comprises, to the ground floor a light and spacious entrance hall, cloakroom/wc with ceramic flooring, a versatile family room/study with three picture windows giving excellent natural light, impressive open plan kitchen/living area located to the rear of the house and overlooking the garden. The well appointed kitchen has an extensive range of walnut fronted wall and base cabinets with granite worktops, and incorporating a Belfast sink, a large gas range style cooker, an integrated fridge freezer and

stone open fireplace, bespoke family kitchen/breakfast room with AGA and integrated appliances, generous family room/gym, master suite with dressing room and luxury ensuite shower room, three further bedrooms and a luxury family bathroom with a Villeroy & Boch double ended bath, twin basins and a contemporary drench shower. Externally, The Old Stables is approached via an attractive stone pillared entrance with a timber five bar gate, to a large driveway and stone built detached, double garage. The extensive lawned garden has mature trees and hedging, and overlooks the adjoining fields and countryside. The landscaped rear garden is predominantly lawned, with a stone wall boundary and a lovely paved terrace, ideal for outside entertaining and barbecues. Shotley Bridge is approximately 16 miles from Newcastle city centre and has easy access via Rowlands Gill, to the Team Valley, Metro Centre and Western Bypass for commuting within the region and to Newcastle International Airport. The village offers local amenities including St Cuthberts Church, a local junior school, a Cricket club, local shops, a delicatessen, restaurants, and pubs.

Price Guide: Offers over £695,000

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dishwasher, and recessed downlights. There are two windows overlooking the rear garden and French doors leading to the garden. There is also a good sized utility room with base units. To the first floor there is a generous first floor living room enjoying good natural light from the four double glazed windows to the front elevation, and a superb master bedroom suite with dressing room area and a well appointed en-suite shower room/wc. On the second floor are two further double bedrooms and an excellent family bathroom/wc with a white suite and fitted corner shower. Externally, to the front of the property there is a double width, gravel driveway providing off street parking for two/three cars and leading to a single integral garage with electric door. To the rear of the house there is an enclosed garden, enjoying a westerly aspect and predominantly lawned with a raised planted border to one side, small patio area and mature planted trees and shrubs. An internal viewing is essential to appreciate the quality of accommodation and excellent central location.

Price Guide: £595,000

gosforth office 0191 2130033

gosforth office 0191 2130033

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The Larches Westfield Grove, Gosforth

the collection - gosforth office

EW D N UIL B

The Old Stables Shotley Grove Road, Shotley Bridge

the collection - gosforth office

the collection - gosforth office

A stunning period semi detached villa which is situated within this attractive tree lined street, one of the coast’s most sought after addresses. The property has undergone considerable improvements in recent years which have been thoughtfully designed to be in keeping with the period charm and character of this delightful and well proportioned family home. There is highly versatile living accommodation arranged over three floors and briefly comprising; impressive, generous reception hallway with good natural light and a handsome staircase, attractive dining room with a period fireplace and two recessed storage cupboards, comfortable lounge with a period fireplace and a glazed door opening out to the formal pond and patio garden area, attractive dining kitchen of wonderful proportions and with an excellent range of attractive fitted cabinets and an Aga, and a glazed door leading through to the well proportioned conservatory which in turn benefits from a door leading to the rear garden. On the first floor

Holly Avenue Jesmond there is an excellent master bedroom with walk in bay window and an en-suite, two further double bedrooms on this floor and a family bathroom/wc. On the second floor there is a separate wc and bedrooms four and five, one of which is currently being utilised as a study.

Externally there is an attractive garden to the front elevation and a driveway with off street parking. Integral to the house there is a useful storage facility ideally suited for storage of bikes and household items.

To the rear there is a delightful landscaped garden with decorative pond, family sized lawn, mature planting beds, shrubs and trees as well as a patio sitting area with green oak framed gazebo, asymmetric cedar greenhouse and storage sheds. We would strongly recommend an early internal viewing in order to fully appreciate not only the quality and extent of the accommodation but the excellent location which offers access to Tynemouth long sands, local facilities and good communication links to Newcastle city centre.

Price Guide: ÂŁ595,000

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A superb, four bedroom mid terraced house, well positioned on this much sought after residential road and with excellent access to the many shops and amenities Jesmond offers. The property has accommodation set over three floors, with an attractive, south facing lawned garden to the front and a decked courtyard to the rear. The property has retained many of its original features including sash windows, decorative ceiling coving and traditional fireplaces, whilst still having an excellent, contemporary family kitchen/breakfast room. The well proportioned accommodation comprises: entrance hall with wood flooring, shower room/w.c., living room with wood flooring, a sash bay window overlooking the attractive front garden, and an arch through to the formal dining room, which also benefits from wood flooring and is currently used by the present owners as a family room. The impressive family kitchen/breakfast room, which benefits from under floor heating, is well appointed with an extensive range of white high gloss units, black granite worktops and integrated

appliances. There is ample space for an informal dining table and chairs and there are double glazed French doors leading to the rear courtyard.

The superb master bedroom is currently used by the present owners as a second reception room and has two sash windows to the front elevation, wood flooring, a gas living flame fire with original marble surround and recessed shelving to the alcove. There are two further bedrooms to the first floor, and a family bathroom/wc with a contemporary suite and heated tiled floor. To the second floor is a good size, light and spacious L shaped attic bedroom with three velux windows and excellent storage into the eaves. To the front of the property there is a lawned, south facing garden with fence boundary giving both shelter and privacy. To the rear there is an L shaped enclosed courtyard with a roller door giving access to the rear lane, and a raised decked terrace for outside dining and barbecues. No upward chain.

Price Guide: ÂŁ450,000

gosforth office 0191 2130033

gosforth office 0191 2130033

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Beverley Gardens Cullercoats

the collection - gosforth office

Mulgrave House Front Street, Whitburn

Gosforth A generous, five bedroom, semi detached

Mulgrave House is a handsome, four bedroom double fronted house, circa 1870, well positioned in Whitburn Village. The generous family home has gardens to the front and rear, a detached double garage, and potential to utilise part of the existing accommodation as a granny/teenager annexe. The property has retained many of its traditional features the distinctive red pantile roof, traditional fireplaces and wood floorboards. The versatile accommodation comprises: Ground floor – entrance vestibule, reception hallway, an excellent sized living room, formal dining room with oak panelling, study with built-in storage cabinets, family room with double glazed French doors leading to the rear courtyard, good size kitchen/breakfast room fitted with a range of units and with French doors leading to the rear garden and patio area, annexed kitchen/utility room, shower room/wc and further reception room/ground floor bedroom with a door leading to the decked terrace. First floor – 18ft master bedroom with dressing room (former 5th bedroom), guest double bedroom with ensuite shower/wc, two further bedrooms and a large family bathroom.

Externally, Mulgrave House has a paved, landscaped garden to the front, with a large courtyard style garden to the rear, offering a raised decked terraced leading from the house, block paved patio area, lawn and fruit trees.

There are double timber gates from the rear lane for access to the courtyard, and a large double detached garage with inspection pit. No upward chain.

family home, well positioned in this sought after residential area of Gosforth.

The

property, in need of some updating, offers well proportioned accommodation over two floors, with lovely west facing gardens and a good

sized

integral

garage.

The

accommodation comprises: entrance hall, cloakroom/wc,

living

room

with

doors

leading to the sun room, dining room, excellent sized 17ft kitchen/breakfast room with French doors onto the garden, side lobby with wc, part boarded loft with a pull down ladder, five good sized bedrooms, a bathroom with separate wc, and a shower room. Externally, the property has a driveway to the front leading to the garage. The attractive rear garden has a westerly aspect, and is predominantly lawned with mature planted borders, vegetable beds, a shed and a greenhouse. No upward chain. An early viewing is recommended.

Price Guide: £550,000

An impressive five bedroom town house, recently

available.

Located on a fabulous garden plot of just over 0.38 acres, is this substantial detached house.

The property has a lovely garden with excellent car parking at the front and a double garage. The principal gardens are at the rear and include a fabulous terrace, water feature and pond, hedge and close bordered fence boundaries, a second terrace with gazebo and open lawned areas with fruit trees. The house itself has been well extended by the owners over the last 20 years and includes an entrance porch through to a reception hall with cloakroom/wc. The sitting room leads through to the dining room and both rooms have lovely windows overlooking the gardens. The kitchen/breakfasting room is fitted with a range of wood cabinets and built-in appliances and leads onto the stunning garden room and conservatory with superb views over the gardens. To the first floor there is an open landing and study area, and a master bedroom extensively equipped with wardrobes and an en-suite shower room/wc.

There are two further double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, and a study with an open tread staircase leading to a fourth bedroom. The family bathroom is well appointed with a three piece suite. The house has gas central heating, double glazing in wood or UPVC frames and an alarm system. This is a lovely property with good accessibility to the Kingston Park shopping centre, the local Metro station and superb sports facilities including the Falcons and University Rugby Club. A delightful property for which we strongly recommend viewing.

Price Guide: £499,000

Price Guide: £470,000

property has retained many of its period features including decorative coving to ceiling and ceiling roses, traditional fireplaces, and attractive sash windows. The well proportioned, generous accommodation comprises, on the upper ground floor, an entrance lobby, reception hallway with a traditional staircase, impressive living room with views over the garden to the moor, splendid open plan kitchen/dining room, well fitted with a range of cherry wood cabinets, and a utility room with a range of base units. To the first floor there is a family bathroom with a Jacuzzi style bath, shower room with a double length shower, impressive master bedroom with views over the garden to the moor, and a second guest double bedroom.

On the second floor there are three further bedrooms, one of which has access to an attractive decked roof terrace area, and a bathroom/w.c.

with

a

Jacuzzi

style

bath.

Externally, there is a good sized garage to the rear with an electric roller door and a workshop area underneath, and to the front a lawned garden with wrought iron railings. On street parking is

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gosforth office 0191 2130033

gosforth office 0191 2130033

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Main Road Kenton Bank Foot

accommodation set over three floors. The

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: £475,000

Belle Grove Terrace Spital Tongues refurbished to an excellent standard, with

the collection - gosforth office

Osbaldeston Gardens

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the collection - gosforth office

Quarry View

A stylish and unique semi detached house, well positioned in a much sought after area of Jesmond, and well suited for a variety of buyers seeking a house ideal for entertaining, with landscaped gardens, a courtyard area and long driveway for off street parking. The imposing, double fronted property has a contemporary feel, with design features including a superb spiral staircase in the living room, a light and airy open plan kitchen/garden room with three sets of French doors opening to the garden and a neutral décor running throughout. The well proportioned accommodation is set over three floors, comprising: a contemporary and impressive open plan living space, opening onto a modern fitted kitchen with high gloss cabinets and integrated appliances, and stylish garden room, utility room, master bedroom with ensuite shower room, two further bedrooms and a family bathroom/wc with a double ended bath and a separate shower cubicle. Externally, there are gardens to the front and side with a lawned area with mature trees and a hedge boundary giving both privacy and shelter, a courtyard area, and a long gravel driveway, with garage door, providing off street parking for up to three cars.

An internal viewing is essential to appreciate the superb accommodation this unique home offers.

A superb architect designed, stone barn conversion incorporating the original Gin Gan barn, set within an approximate three quarter acre garden site. This exclusive courtyard development of four unique properties is set within a greenbelt area. The design has been sympathetic to many of the original features including the original beams of the Gin Gan and exposed stone walls, whilst complimenting the old with the new: welsh slate, oak flooring, oak bespoke staircase and doors.

The property benefits from double glazing and gas central heating and the generous accommodation comprises: entrance hall with oak flooring, impressive open plan living space with open roof space and beams, well appointed fitted kitchen with a range of oak fronted cabinets, integrated appliances and LED lighting to the floor, three ground floor double bedrooms, and a well appointed family bathroom/wc with underfloor heating, a corner shower cubicle and a free standing cast iron bath with ball and claw feet. To the first floor, there is a master bedroom with built in cupboards and a generous en suite bathroom/wc with a freestanding double ended bath and under floor heating. Externally, Quarry View has large gardens enjoying open aspect rural views, a long gravel driveway providing parking for up to seven cars, and a stone built double detached garage. An internal viewing is essential to appreciate the quality of accommodation and space this home offers.

South Wardley Farm, Wardley

Price Guide: Offers over £399,950

Price Guide: £445,000

Moorside South

Granville Drive Forest Hall

A handsome, four-bedroom, semi-detached house, well positioned on the much sought after Moorside South, with a superb, open aspect from the garden to the Town Moor.

The excellent family home offers generous, well proportioned accommodation over two floors with a mixture of gas and electric heating, benefiting from lovely mature gardens, a driveway and single attached garage. The accommodation comprises: spacious entrance hallway, impressive living room positioned to the rear of the property with seated bay window overlooking the garden to the Town Moor, and with French doors leading out to the stone terrace and garden, There is also a good sized dining room, a versatile third reception room currently used as a breakfast room, and with traditional built in storage cupboards, and a small kitchen with pantry. To the first floor are four bedrooms, two walk-in linen cupboards and a bathroom with separate wc. Externally, the property has a driveway providing off-street parking leading to a single attached garage. The lovely rear garden, overlooking the Town Moor, has a stone terrace leading from the living room, with central stone steps leading down to the main lawned area, with mature planted beds, shrubs and trees.

Garden store/outhouse and wc.

This deceptively spacious detached family home

Price Guide: £420,000

Price Guide: £375,000

is located in a popular part of Forest Hall. It has good access to all that Forest Hall offers and also has good commuting possibilities throughout the region into Newcastle upon Tyne. It has gas central heating and accommodation over two floors and will have to be viewed to be appreciated. Internally the accommodation briefly comprises of an entrance hallway with a spiral staircase leading off to the master bedroom where there is an en suite bathroom, dressing room and walk in wardrobe. From the main hallway there is also door access to the dining room with bay window to the front elevation and access to the inner hallway. The inner hallway leads to a sitting room, study, and a stunning split level dining kitchen which in turn opens through to a sun room. From the kitchen there is also access to the garage and utility room. Also from the inner hallway there is a second bedroom which has an en suite and walk in wardrobe, a third bedroom and a family bathroom. Stairs from the inner hallway lead off to the games room or

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Fenham

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the collection - gosforth office

Lily House Lily Crescent, Jesmond

fourth bedroom.. Externally there are two driveways providing ample off street parking and to the rear there is a good sized lawned garden affording a good deal of privacy with paved patio areas, pagoda and deck area. There is also a hardstanding to the side elevation.

gosforth office 0191 2130033

gosforth office 0191 2130033

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the collection - gosforth office

Beech Close Melton Park, Gosforth

Jesmond

A generous, three bedroom detached bungalow, occupying a corner plot in a quiet cul de sac in Melton Park with good sized gardens to three sides. The three bedroom detached bungalow, in need of some internal updating, benefits from gas central heating and partial double glazing, with accommodation comprising: entrance hall, a light and spacious living room with double glazed picture bay window overlooking the garden, dining room overlooking the rear garden, spacious kitchen/breakfast room with a range of wood fronted units and a door leading to the paved patio area and garden, master bedroom with fitted wardrobes and an ensuite bathroom/wc, two further bedrooms both with a built in storage cupboard, and a family bathroom/wc. Externally, the property has attractive lawned gardens, a mature planted shrub garden to the side, a paved patio to the rear and a driveway providing off street parking and leading to a double garage. No upward chain.

A charming, three bedroom Grade II listed end terraced property, believed to date from 1825, positioned in the heart of this most desirable cosmopolitan suburb and within a designated conservation area of distinctive and individual homes. Newcastle city centre lies within half a mile, with an excellent range of local shops, restaurants and amenities in the close by Clayton Road and Osborne Road, and an excellent choice of both private and state schools in close proximity.

The splendid family home offers well proportioned, versatile accommodation over three floors, benefiting from residents parking and a lovely, landscaped garden.

The accommodation comprises: entrance hall, cloakroom/wc, attractive living room with French doors leading to the dining room which is a versatile second reception room, well appointed kitchen with a range of fitted units and integrated appliances, utility area, study/bedroom four currently used as a home office by the present owners, two double bedrooms to the first floor, one with an extensive range of built in wardrobes, a stylish contemporary family bathroom/wc, and to the second floor a large attic bedroom. To the front of the property is an attractive southerly aspect, landscaped garden that is both sheltered and private with well established borders, patio terrace, seating area and water feature pond. To the rear of the property is residents’ parking.

Price Guide: Offers over £370,000

Price Guide: £360,000

Northumberland Avenue Gosforth This excellent three bedroom, three reception room, semi detached house occupies a generous corner site, with a mature, private garden, off street parking and a single attached garage.

The generous family home is conveniently placed for Gosforth High Street and excellent road and transport links into the City Centre and surrounding parts of the region. The property benefits from gas central heating, with original features including sash windows, an attractive leaded glass window and cast iron fireplace to the bathroom. The well proportioned accommodation comprises: lobby, entrance hallway, living room, dining room, study/family room, fitted kitchen, master bedroom with shower and basin, two further bedrooms and a good sized family bathroom/wc. Externally, there is a block paved driveway giving off street parking for three cars, leading to the single attached garage.

The rear garden has a mature hedge boundary, with a paved terrace leading from the living room and kitchen and raised lawn with planted borders.

Price Guide: £299,995

Albury Road High West Jesmond

An outstanding two bedroom penthouse in the much sought after address of, Grove Park, The Grove, Gosforth, built in 2005 by Crosby Homes. This outstanding apartment has a generous entrance hall with two storage cupboards and a cloakroom/wc.

This then leads through to a stunning lounge/dining room benefiting from wood flooring and floor to ceiling windows/patio doors on two walls. This living area is light, spacious and offers outstanding panoramic views. The patio doors give access to the roof terrace; a 25ft terrace offers your own private outside living space. There is a good size stylish kitchen fitted with quality units, wood flooring and integrated appliances. The master bedroom is light and airy and has the benefit of built in wardrobes and en suite bathroom. The second bedroom also has the advantage of an en suite shower room for convenience. Secure underground parking is available for this luxury apartment.

This superb, five bedroom end terraced house is well positioned for the Metro station and local amenities, with an excellent decked courtyard and off street parking. The well proportioned, stylish accommodation is set over three floors and benefits from gas central heating, a cast iron multi fuel stove, original fireplaces and impressive open plan conservatory opening onto the rear yard. The accommodation comprises: ground floor lobby, entrance hallway, living room, dining room, conservatory with folding doors to the decked yard, and modern fitted kitchen. First floor – two generous double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a bathroom with a separate wc. Second floor – two bedrooms and a shower room/wc. Externally, there is a small town garden to the front and an L-shaped rear yard, with the option of off street parking, and an attractive decked seating area. An internal viewing is essential to appreciate the quality of accommodation on offer.

Price Guide: £372,000

Price Guide: £299,950

Cottage Farm Little Benton

Montagu Avenue Gosforth

A superb, four bedroom and four reception room, detached family home, well positioned at the head of a small cul de sac of similar properties. The property is in a good sized plot, with lovely landscaped gardens to the side and rear, a block paved drive and single garage. Benefiting from gas central heating, security alarm system and double glazing, the accommodation comprises: lobby, entrance hallway, cloakroom/wc, study, living room, dining room, impressive conservatory across the rear of the house, and fitted kitchen.

To the first floor, there are four bedrooms, the master with an ensuite shower room/wc, and a family bathroom/wc.

Externally, there are spacious gardens to the side and rear, predominantly lawned with a raised timber decked area, pergola and mature planting of trees and shrubs. There is a block paved driveway for two cars leading to the single attached garage. An early viewing is recommended to appreciate the space and gardens this family home offers.

This four bedroomed, corner semi detached property is situated on Montagu Avenue which is well regarded as one of the most respected residential areas of Newcastle and the property in question is offered for sale with vacant possession and no onward chain. The accommodation, benefiting from UPVC double glazing, gas central heating via a combination boiler and an alarm system, is set out on two floors and has planning permission granted for a double extension, creating a further bedroom with en-suite and third reception room. The accommodation briefly comprises; four bedrooms, one with en-suite facilities, three reception rooms, breakfasting kitchen, family bathroom and separate wc. To the front of the property is a block paved driveway providing off road parking for several cars, whilst to the rear of the property there is a lawned garden with a fence boundary. This is a lovely home which should prove popular amongst young families and professionals at this very competitive price.

Price Guide: £369,950

Price Guide: £289,000

gosforth office 0191 2130033

gosforth office 0191 2130033

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Grove Park Oval Gosforth

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Brandling Place South

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the collection - gosforth office

Burlington Court Jesmond

An excellent, four bedroom mid terraced house, well positioned in Gosforth for the High Street with its many local amenities including shops, restaurants and bars.

This property retains many of its period features as well as modern benefits including gas central heating and a security alarm system. The accommodation briefly comprises: an entrance lobby/vestibule, reception hallway, living room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, outside utility/storage and to the first floor four bedrooms, and a family bathroom with separate wc.

Externally to the rear of the property is a porch giving access to the rear yard. There are two outhouses, one of which is used as utility space with plumbing, light and power. The yard has double timber doors and block paving. An internal viewing is recommended to appreciate the space this family home offers. No upward chain.

A well proportioned two bedroom lower ground floor flat, conveniently positioned for Jesmond’s numerous shops, café/bars and restaurants. The flat benefits from under floor heating, a private driveway and single garage with accommodation comprising; communal entrance with parquet style flooring, entrance hallway with parquet style flooring, excellent sized living dining room also with parquet style flooring and two windows overlooking the communal gardens, fitted kitchen with a range of units, two bedrooms, one with a built in wardrobe, and a bathroom/wc. Externally, to the front of the property there is a private driveway providing off street parking leading to a single garage. The flat also benefits from communal grounds which surround Burlington Court. No upward chain.

Price Guide: £275,000

Price Guide: £175,000

The Turnbull Newcastle

Beatty Avenue High West Jesmond A well presented three bedroom semi detached house, with a block paved driveway, single garage and attractive rear garden. The property benefits from no upward chain, gas central heating, double glazing and a security alarm system.

The well proportioned accommodation comprises: entrance hallway, living room positioned to the rear of the property and with French doors leading to the paved terrace and garden, dining room to the front of the property with open fireplace, well appointed kitchen with a range of wood fronted units and integrated appliances and with a door leading to the garden. To the first floor are three bedrooms, one of which is currently used as a study, and a modern family bathroom. Externally, there is a driveway to the front leading to the single garage. The rear garden has a paved terrace with steps leading down to a further lawned garden, with mature planted borders and fence boundary.

Situated in one of Newcastle’s most imposing Victorian residential conversions, is this superb two bedroom second floor apartment, enjoying views towards the Castle and the Tyne Bridge. The apartment benefits from an impressive internal finish providing a Victorian style alongside modern specification and contemporary design. Features of note include the Poggenpohl kitchen and Smeg appliances, Duravits Darling sanitary ware and Hans Grohe taps and shower equipment. There is also a video entry phone system, secondary glazing, electric heating to radiators and a 24 hour concierge service. The accommodation comprises: hallway, open plan living space with a large arch feature window and incorporating the fitted kitchen, master bedroom with a large feature window and an en-suite shower/wc, second bedroom via sliding doors from the living area, and a bathroom/wc. There is secure on site parking and one allocated bay for the apartment.

Price Guide: £265,000

Price Guide: £169,950

The Turnbull Newcastle

Development Land Wallace Street, Spital Tongues

This two bedroomed apartment enjoys perfect open plan living space based on the New York loft style with a superb contemporary finish perfectly complemented and enhanced by many of the original Victorian features of this Grade II listed building, including exposed steel work and columns, wooden beam work and lovely ceramic brickwork. Modern benefits include a security entry phone system, halogen spotlighting, beautifully presented Poggenphol kitchen with Smeg appliances and a lovely bathroom with Grohe fittings. The accommodation briefly comprises entry at ground floor level into an impressive atrium with central stairwell and lift leading to the first floor. This then leads to an open plan communal hallway and then to the private reception hallway. On access to the apartment there is an L-shaped hallway, well fitted bathroom, a very spacious open plan lounge/diner/kitchen area, the lounge area having an arched window overlooking the parking courtyard, a master bedroom with en suite facilities and a second bedroom.

A rare development opportunity in a prime residential area of Spital Tongues, a building plot with lapsed planning for a three storey, three bedroom, detached house with an integral garage. To the front of the land is a disused garden site, occupied on a lease with a peppercorn ground rent, and passing rent of £10 per annum which has great potential as a landscaped garden for the house. Planning approval was given in June 1997, for a property with accommodation comprising: ground floor - entrance hall, cloakroom/wc. First floor – good sized lounge, kitchen, and a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.

Second floor – two further double bedrooms and a bathroom/wc (plans are available to view in our Gosforth branch).

Price Guide: £150,000

Ferndene Court Gosforth

Ettrick Lodge The Grove, Gosforth

This is a particularly well presented two/three bedroomed duplex style apartment within the highly sought after and desirable location off The Grove. Benefiting from double glazing and gas radiator central heating the flexible accommodation briefly comprises: an entrance hallway with study to the ground floor which may be utilised as a third bedroom, and a staircase leading to the L-shaped first floor landing. The living room is a light, attractive room overlooking the communal gardens and the kitchen incorporates built in cooking appliances. There is a night hallway with access to two bedrooms both with wardrobe facilities and there is a shower room/wc with four piece suite.

Externally there is a delightful garden area to the front of the property which is set out and maintained for the benefit of this and the neighbouring property. There are also well tended communal gardens and grounds in which there is the single garage along with visitor parking.

This two bedroomed second floor retirement apartment is situated within the regarded Ettrick Lodge development situated on The Grove, one of Gosforth’s most prestigious and sought after roads. Ettrick Lodge is within half a mile of Gosforth High Street as well as South Gosforth Metro station. The tastefully decorated apartment has double glazing, electric storage heating, security entry phone system and a refitted shower room/wc. The accommodation briefly comprises: communal entrance with lift and stair access to each floor, private reception hallway, attractive lounge, fitted kitchen, two bedrooms, the master with fitted wardrobes with mirror fronted sliding doors and there is a recently refitted shower room/wc. Externally there are attractive, well maintained communal gardens and grounds and both visitor and resident parking. The property is offered for sale with vacant possession and no onward chain. Viewings are highly recommended in order to appreciate the standard of accommodation this lovely apartment has to offer.

Price Guide: £210,000

Price Guide: £129,950

gosforth office 0191 2130033

gosforth office 0191 2130033

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: £249,950

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Mayfield Road Gosforth

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the collection - residential lettings

sachins restaurant the finest Punjabi cuisine

Residential Lettings newcastle’s finest

While economic factors are making some prospective buyers more cautious, Sanderson Young’s Residential Lettings Division is going from strength to strength, with increased demand for family homes in sought-after suburbs and rural areas in addition to healthy activity in traditional city centre strongholds.

punjabi restaurant

We have moved to the High Street, Gosforth to reflect our truly regional focus and the fact that we have properties for rent as far apart as Durham, the Tyne Valley and Northumberland. In addition, we retain a strong presence on Newcastle Quayside, where the former SY office is now a coffee shop with display boards for city centre rental properties.

it’s long been common knowledge to the food police in the region that for authentic, creative and truly delicious punjabi food, sachIns restaurant at the top of forth banks is king. serving its diners the finest in punjabi Indian food for the last 25 years, the restaurant now boasts a chic, contemporary style to complement its delicious cuisine.

Gross investment yields for Newcastle remain sound, while penthouses and apartments in the city remain in demand, particularly among tenants seeking to pool resources and share larger, prestige properties and those seeking luxury properties. In addition, the growth in professionals looking to live and invest in our region is encouraging economic news and companies continue to seek family homes and city centre apartments to rent for their visiting execs.

“The monkfish was in a class of its own. Skewer-cooked, the chef had spiced it just enough to give flavour sizzle without overwhelming the juicy chunks of meaty fish. So, after a review as good as this, I expect you'll want to follow my example and book ahead. Take it from one who knows. It's the only way to be sure to get a table”.

There is much diversity on the market now, from city crash pads to large luxury properties for which we have recently achieved rents of up to £9,000 per month. Companies are also looking for quality two-bedroom apartments with good views, while family homes in sought-after rural locations and suburbs will achieve very healthy returns.

Geoff Laws – Newcastle Journal

We also offer a wide range of ancillary services, ranging from property management to bespoke mortgages and finance packages, all under the Sanderson Young umbrella.

For more information on residential lettings, please contact Gail McLean at Sanderson Young’s Residential Lettings Division, 55 High Street, Gosforth, tel 0191 255 0808, email gail.mclean@sandersonyoung.co.uk

Bev Stephenson – Metro Central.

sachins restaurant, forth banks, newcastle upon tyne ne1 3sg | telephone 0191 261 9035 / 232 4660 | www.sachins.co.uk

55 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4AA | Tel: 0191 255 0808

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“Sachins offers a wide variety of dishes for vegetarians from Malai Kofta (deep fried grated marrow served with fresh cream, tomato and onion sauce) to our dish of Bhein Aloo, with lotus roots and potatoes. This was excellent, the lotus taking on the masala-style sauce and winning. What you get here is great value dining with plenty of flavour and mildly subtle spicing. Anyway after 25 years, if it aint broke, don’t fix it.”

the collection - residential lettings

Penthouse, The Turnbull City Centre

Sanderson Young are delighted to offer this beautiful home which has been designed and constructed to a bespoke standard by the developer and the owners which contrasts a period and traditional exterior with a fabulous modern innovative and refreshing interior.

Externally the property is very attractive and has views from three elevations over the tremendous countryside and farmland, which is particularly impressive in the growing seasons.

The accommodation includes an entrance vestibule leading through to the dining reception hall with cloakroom/wc, from which access is gained to the family kitchen and breakfasting room, with views to the front and rear of the property. The kitchen is well equipped with first class fixtures and fittings including a granite worktop, this room then leads to the utility and laundry room. There is also a dining room, and drawing room with views from both these rooms onto the gardens. The master bedroom has luxury en suite facilities and there is also a further five bedrooms with en suite facilities from another one of the bedrooms and a family bathroom One of the bedrooms is currently being used as a cinema room. Externally there is a double garage with electric doors. The gardens are delightful with open lawned areas, shrubs and planted flowers. The enclosed garden to the rear is principally south facing.

The nearby village of Whalton is highly impressive with wonderful local pubs and good access routes to Morpeth and Newcastle. Early viewing is highly recommended.

We are delighted to bring to the lettings market this exclusive Penthouse apartment situated in the iconic Turnbull Building, which is one of the North East’s most prestigious residential developments. Situated on the northern banks of the River Tyne, in an elevated position, allowing its residents to take full advantage of the bustling city centre, as well as easy access to Newcastle Quayside. The property is accessed via a private electronic gated entrance which leads to the secure car parking. On entering the reception entrance to the Turnbull there is access to the mail boxes and lifts. The penthouse is situated on the 5th floor. The hallway leading into the apartment leads to the 1st floor of the accommodation where there are two double bedrooms with en suite facilities from both the bedrooms. The master bedroom in particular is very spacious indeed with room for a pleasant seating area. There are storage cupboards to this floor and a cloaks section.

Leading up to the 2nd floor of the accommodation there is a separate wc to the upper landing and the lounge/dining/kitchen is all open plan with high specification fixtures and fittings and a bespoke kitchen. There are also exposed beams to this room with two separate sit out decked balconies with fantastic views over the quayside and bridges. Viewing is highly recommended and the property is offered on a furnished basis.

Price Guide: £2500 pcm

Price Guide: £1800 pcm

Grey Street City Centre We have pleasure in offering this unique opportunity to rent an outstanding duplex apartment situated on the award winning Grey Street within the heart of Newcastle city centre. Offering an ideal location with views from the apartment directly down Grey Street and across to the Theatre Royal. The buildings are steeped in history and very pleasing to the eye with the architectural build and design quite outstanding. Being located so close to the shops, leisure facilities and café culture lifestyle is a must for anyone looking to be centrally based. The property is accessed via a security entrance door and there is a lift to all floors. On entering the property there is a spacious hallway leading to the open plan living/dining/kitchen area which is very modern and contemporary throughout. There is also a cloakroom/wc to this floor. Leading on up to the upper floor there are two double bedrooms with en suite facilities to the master bedroom.

There is also a separate family bathroom and plenty of storage space. Early viewing is highly recommended. The property is available on a furnished basis. There is also the added benefit of a car parking space.

We are delighted to bring to the lettings market this wonderful luxurious detached family home occupying a fabulous garden plot of a quarter of an acre. This property is well located in Edge Hill which is a popular area of the estate having good accessibility into Ponteland village centre as well as The Broadway with its local shopping facilities and good quality restaurants. The A1 north and south and airport is also conveniently accessed.

The property is a first class quality home in a great location, newly built to a high standard and available for immediate occupation. The property comprises of access via the private gated entrance leading onto the graveled driveway. On entering the property the hallway is welcoming with a double height void and galleried landing above. The hallway leads onto a cloakroom/wc and passageway. The main lounge has access onto the timber deck and terrace at the rear of the property. There is also a separate dining room, family room and a study which could be used as a fifth bedroom. The kitchen/breakfasting room has its own family area with patio doors leading out onto the decked area to the garden. There is also a laundry and utility room. To the first floor there are four bedrooms with en suite facilities from the master bedroom and further en suite facilities from bedroom three. A separate family bathroom has a Jacuzzi bath and separate double shower. Externally there are lovely gardens to the rear and a raised timber deck terrace. There is also a garage.

Price Guide: £2500 pcm

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

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Edge Hill Darras Hall

the collection - residential lettings

South Low House Whalton Park, Whalton

Price Guide: £1500 pcm

residential lettings 0191 2550808

residential lettings 0191 2550808

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Available to let is this very exclusive newly constructed private Mews development situated on the corner of Moor Road North and The Grove in Gosforth. The development is accessed via a private electronic gated entrance and on entering the courtyard you can see the quality and uniqueness of this build. The welcoming courtyard has a lovely summer seated area to both the inner and outer courtyard. The Mews houses are fitted out with high specification fixtures and fittings with bespoke kitchens and bathrooms along with en suite facilities. They are perfectly positioned for quality schooling and all the local amenities on Gosforth High Street, which is within a short walking distance. There are three Mews houses available now for rent comprising of a 4 bedroom 3 bedroom and a 2 bedroom house. The largest Mews house has accommodation over three floors and all properties have en suite facilities as well as separate family bathrooms and spacious living accommodation. Mews 1 has a private sit out courtyard and Mews 2 has a lovely quirky triangular outside space which is ideal for external planting. All properties come with a single garage and an extra car parking space outside the drive to the garage. Early viewing is highly recommended to appreciate the accommodation on offer.

Rare to the lettings market is this stunning luxury apartment situated within the iconic Baltic Chambers building, which sits beautifully on the quayside overlooking the famous bridges and River Tyne. The building has been a famous landmark for many years and admired by many.

The location is perfect for quayside/city living offering a café culture lifestyle with many first class restaurants and bars on offer. With easy access to all routes leading out from central Newcastle, including the central station and the A1 north & south. The accommodation comprises of access from the main secure entry system at ground level and on entering the communal corridor the apartment is accessed either via the lift or the staircase. The apartment is situated on the 4th floor and on entering there is an entrance hallway leading off to the very spacious lounge and open plan kitchen and dining area. There is under floor heating to the contemporary kitchen area. The living room is of a circular shape which has many windows giving a panoramic view out over to the River Tyne and the bridges. This south facing room is very light and airy. There are two external sit out balconies leading from the living room and kitchen area. There are two double bedrooms and the master bedroom has floor to ceiling wardrobes offering plenty of storage space. The bathroom has a freestanding bath with a shower over. The property is offered either furnished or unfurnished and benefits from underground allocated parking.

Price Guide: £1100 pcm

Fencer Hill Square Gosforth

Dene Court Jesmond Park East

We are delighted to bring to the lettings market this 3 bedroom apartment located in one of Gosforth’s most exciting and exclusive residential developments of recent times.

Developer Cussins has long been creating beautiful living spaces, and this flagship development is a much sought after gem in a prime location. The development of Fencer Hill Square is set within the grounds of McCracken Park, home to Northern Rugby Club. As well as being ideally located within walking distance of Gosforth High Street with many local amenities such as local shops, leisure facilities, spas and first class schools.

The gardens are landscaped and the mature trees and white renders break up the buildings’ outlines, minimising the development’s impact on its surroundings and are provided for the enjoyment of apartment residents. Another feature of the development is the Gym/Sauna room for the sole use of the residents.

The apartment briefly comprises: Entrance hallway, open plan living area, fitted kitchen, three bedrooms, two en-suite, family bathroom/wc and benefits from double glazing. There is one allocated parking bay. This apartment is offered furnished with immediate effect.

We are delighted to offer for let this newly refurbished ground floor apartment which is situated in a very desirable area in Jesmond Park East. Offering good access into Newcastle city centre and the coast via the coast road as well as close proximity to Jesmond Dene Park which has lovely walks and summer events as well as a Sunday market showcasing paintings produced by local artists. This lovely apartment has been updated quite considerably with modern fixtures and fittings. Briefly comprising: communal entrance hallway with secure entry system through the entrance doors. In the welcoming corridor is access to a lift for all floors and this apartment is situated on the ground floor level. On entering the apartment there is a hallway leading to the spacious living room and there is access to the newly fitted breakfasting kitchen. There are two double bedrooms and a separate newly fitted bathroom with shower cubicle.

This two bedroom apartment is not to be missed at this extremely competitive price.

This apartment also benefits from a private garage. There is also on street parking outside Dene Court Development. Early viewing is strongly recommended and the property is available on an unfurnished basis.

Price Guide: £1100 pcm

Price Guide: £595 pcm

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residential lettings 0191 2550808

residential lettings 0191 2550808

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: £950 - £1500 pcm

the collection - residential lettings

Baltic Chambers Newcastle Quayside

Eastcliffe Mews Moor Road North, Gosforth

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the collection - residential lettings

Holly House Whalton Park

• 6 Bedrooms

• 3 Bedrooms

• Garage

the collection - residential lettings

Honeysuckle House Gosforth

• Allocated parking

• Landscaped gardens

• Garage

• Kitchen with breakfast room • Garden

• Dining room

• Open plan living area

• En suite bathroom

• Unfurnished

Price Guide: £3000 pcm

Price Guide: £950 pcm

Dene Terrace Gosforth

The Oval Gosforth

• 5 Bedrooms

• 2 Bedrooms • Balcony

• Furnished

• Furnished

• Garden

• Parking • Open plan living area

• Open plan living area

• Open plan kitchen/dining area

• En suite shower room

• On street parking

Price Guide: £850 pcm

The Garden House Heddon on the Wall

Hanover Mill Newcastle Quayside

• 4 Bedrooms

• 2 Bedrooms

• Furnished or Unfurnished

• Allocated parking

• Garden

• Balcony

• Dining room

• Furnished

• Parking

• River views

• Kitchen

• Lift

Price Guide: £1800 pcm

Price Guide: £750 pcm

Middle Drive Darras Hall

Manor Chare Newcastle Quayside

• 3 Bedrooms

• 1 Bedroom apartments

• Garage

• 2 Bedroom apartments

• Garden

• Allocated Parking

• Furnished or Unfurnished

• Furnished

• Study

• Open plan living area

• Utility room

• Communal area

Price Guide: £1700 pcm

Price Guide: £575 - £800 pcm

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residential lettings 0191 2550808

residential lettings 0191 2550808

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: £2000 pcm

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the collection - residential lettings

City Road

• 1 Bedroom apartments

• 1 Bedroom apartments

• 1 Bedroom apartments

• 2 Bedroom apartments

• Furnished

• 2 Bedroom apartments

• Pleasant views

• Pleasant views

• Concierge

• Communal areas

• Allocated parking

• Gym

• Concierge

• Balcony

• Parking

• Open plan living area

• Open plan living areas

• Communal areas

• Parking

• Communal areas

• Open plan living area

• Lift

• 2 Bedroom apartments

• Furnished

Price Guide: £600 - £850pcm

Price Guide: £550 - £750 pcm

Price Guide: £550 - £750 pcm

Stamp Exchange Newcastle

Featherstone Grove Gosforth

St Anns Quay Newcastle Quayside

the collection - residential lettings

Gateshead Quayside

Knightsbridge Court Gosforth

T LE

City Centre

T LE

Lime Square

Curzon Place Gateshead Quayside

T LE

Baltic Quays

T LE

Centralofts

T LE

T LE Brandling Place South Jesmond

successfully

letting homes continuing to do what we do best We now have clients looking for similar properties to rent. If you are thinking of letting your property please contact us today on 0191 255 0808

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

• 2 Bedrooms

• 2 Bedrooms

• 2 Bedrooms

• Bathroom

• Balcony

• Bathroom

• Kitchen

• Lift

• Communal areas

• Furnished

• Kitchen

• Kitchen

• Open plan living area

• Unfurnished

• Bathroom

• On street parking

• Parking

• Parking

• Good local amenities

• Open plan living area

• Open plan living area

• Transport links nearby

• En suite shower room

• Furnished

Price Guide: £625 pcm

Price Guide: £595 pcm

Price Guide: £550 pcm

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residential lettings 0191 2550808

The Turnbull Building Newcastle

Baltic Quay Gateshead Quayside

residential lettings 0191 2550808

Windmill Court Spittal Tongues

Oakfield Terrace Gosforth

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Jesmond

T LE

Middleton Court

Gateshead

T LE

Cameronian Square

Gosforth

T LE

T LE

Deleval Terrace

SY | LETTINGS

LETTINGS | SY

LET’S GET MOVING

ON THE MOVE

As the rental market continues to boom, James Rae looks at the hottest places to rent and let, and new developments at Sanderson Young’s Residential Lettings Division

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ast year, Sanderson Young’s Residential Lettings Division enjoyed the most successful 12 months in its history.

Increased demand for larger family homes to rent led to a mini-boom in the lettings market, while quality city centre apartments, in the North East at least, continued to perform well. So, landlords and tenants are now left with the question – how long will the trend continue?

“There has been some downward adjustment in the rents achievable in the lower end of the market, but the opposite end of the market remains incredibly buoyant,” observes SY lettings manager Gail McLean.

“There is still a very strong demand for high-end rental properties and we have achieved rents in the last few months of £6,000, £8,000 and £9,000 per month.”

A good proportion of tenants at the very top of the market are blessed with a recession-proof talent, namely the ability to score goals, but the number of instructions from professionals looking for rental properties in the premium and executive market remain on the up.

“I have directors from two financial institutions, the vice-president of a Far East engineering company and the head of a Government organisation all looking for substantial family homes to rent right now,” says Gail. “Despite difficult economic times, these people are still prepared to pay premium prices for premium property.”

The broad spread of professionals looking to live and invest in our region has to be encouraging economic news, and Gail’s department is also receiving plenty of interest from film crews and advertisers “THERE IS STILL A VERY hoping to use Newcastle for locations.

STRONG DEMAND FOR “I won’t say we rival Hollywood just yet, but you only have to look at any commercial HIGH-END RENTAL break to see Grey Street in ads for PROPERTIES …” everything from bread to supermarkets,” adds Gail, who is now a well-practised film location finder.

“And while companies have cut back on relocation budgets, this is balanced by professionals who are prepared to make up the difference from their salaries.

Similarly, we are seeing a lot of interest from people wanting to share two and three-bedroom city apartments, so rental thresholds are holding up well.

“For example, people without children generally have a budget of around £1,200 per month, with any shortfall made up by sharing, while those with children are still happy to pay up to £2,000 per month for the right property.

“There is a lot of choice in some sectors of the rental market. That said, a unique property in a desirable location will always command the best price.”

Tenants should expect to pay around £550pcm for a one-bedroom city centre studio apartment, around £700pcm for two-bedroom city centre apartments and around £1,800pcm for city centre penthouses. Family homes in the suburbs and out of town will command sums from £850pcm up to £10,000pcm for a palace fit for a king… of the football field of course.

For more information about letting and renting with Sanderson Young, contact Gail McLean, tel 0191 255 0808 or see www.sandersonyoung.co.uk n

The growth in business at Sanderson Young’s Residential Lettings Department has forced a move from the Quayside to larger premises at 55 Gosforth High Street.

“This means that now, more than ever, we are truly a regional office,” says Gail. “We have properties for rent as far apart as Durham, the Tyne Valley and Northumberland, as well as Newcastle City Centre, so Gosforth’s central location is a more appropriate base for us.”

The company’s innovative new regional sales office and coffee bar at 95 Gosforth High Street will leave the 55 High Street premises reserved for rentals only within the coming months.

In addition, the busy lettings division will retain a strong presence on Newcastle Quayside, where the former SY office is also going to become a coffee shop with display boards for city centre rental properties.

“Even though we have moved,” Gail adds, “we’ve seen no decline in interest or instructions for our city centre properties and the new Quayside lettings/coffee shop ensures we will retain interest in the city centre.”

HOT PROPERTIES FOR RENT Hot letting locations for spring and summer...

Eastcliffe Mews, Gosforth: A new development with three mews-style townhouses of five, three and two bedrooms just released for rent. These delightful properties are in a secluded location close to Gosforth schools and just a short walk from the High Street’s shops.

Quayside, Newcastle: The hottest buildings on the perennially popular Quayside are still the iconic Turnbull Building and the historic Manor Chare. Meanwhile, further east, Lime Square is in the heart of the Ouseburn’s art galleries, music, pub and theatre district. Last, but not least, there is a superb apartment in Baltic Chambers, above SY’s former Quayside office.

Runnymede Road (and others), Darras Hall: It’s perhaps a little known fact that Newcastle’s number one postcode offers several prestige family homes for rent.

As you would expect, these A-List properties appeal to the most discerning customers who require the utmost discretion. Hence, the very best homes here will not be generally advertised and you need to speak to SY lettings manager Gail McLean herself to find out about them.

North Northumberland: Market towns such as Alnwick, Rothbury and Wooler are set in the heart of the region’s most breathtaking scenery, including the Simonside and Cheviot Hills and the rugged beaches of the wild Northumberland coast. There is a wide choice here of affordable urban and rural properties to let, ranging from cosy cottages and contemporary barn conversions to period family farmhouses and grand mansions, old and new.

Tel: 0191 255 0808 | Fax: 0191 223 3538 Email: gail.mclean@sandersonyoung.co.uk

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Lettings Manager

55 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4AA

Gail Mclean

REGIONAL LETTINGS OFFICE

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the collection - new homes

SY | ARCHITECTURE

A NEW ICON

New Homes Despite the current economic climate, Sanderson Young’s new build properties released in 2008 have exceeded all expectations, proving that well designed new properties in sought-after locations remain an attractive investment.

The breathtaking design and prime location of Gateshead Quay’s Baltic Place development create a new landmark for the Tyne

For example, Harburn Mews in Chapel Park, Newcastle has been a tremendous success, as indicated by one busy ten-day period over Christmas when three properties were reserved.

Likewise, there are only a handful of homes still available at Elmfield Square in Gosforth, while only one apartment remains at Cussins Homes flagship development, Fencer Hill Square.

We are delighted to have been chosen to market several prestigious new developments throughout the region, including the fabulous Red House Barns conversion in rural Belsay, the highly sought-after Nile Street apartments in Sunderland’s historic Sunniside district and Field Homes’ superb barn conversions at Pigdon, near Morpeth.

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“THIS IS A STUNNING ENVIRONMENT …”

the river side of each tower are clad in floor-to-ceiling curtain walling with solar control glazing to maximise comfort and light and make the most of the views.

The southern half of each building is wrapped in light rain screen cladding tiles with horizontal strip windows, while the interior spaces are designed with flexibility in mind with readily sub-divided open spaces.

Baltic Place is close to the action on both sides of the Tyne, lying at the heart of the regenerated Gateshead Quays on the south and within easy reach of the vibrant, prosperous centre of Newcastle on the north.

It is a fitting addition to the stimulating environment of Gateshead Quays, where an atmosphere of vitality and dynamism fills the air.

Its prime position is next door to BALTIC, the internationally acclaimed centre for contemporary art and home to restaurants, a bookshop and bar. Baltic Place’s other close neighbour is The Sage Gateshead – again, a truly world-class cultural venue where classical, rock, folk and jazz co-exist in harmony and the breathtaking spaces form a social hub for the local population.

For further information, see www.balticplace.com and contact Tony Hordon at DTZ, tel 0191 223 5710 n

There is much interest in these and the other landmark new developments detailed in the following pages, which is why property developers appreciate the work of our highly motivated sales team and expert media department’s brochure design, branding, advertising and editorial press coverage in marketing their properties.

Sanderson Young continues to support a number of exciting projects, including those mentioned above and many more throughout the region. We also provide a comprehensive property consultancy to developers and builders large and small, appraising the feasibility of developments, acquiring sites and acting on behalf of owners in the sale of development sites.

For advice on your potential development site and for advice on new developments coming to market, please contact new homes manager Janet Hopkinson at the rare! office, tel 0191 223 3500, email janet.hopkinson@sandersonyoung.co.uk

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1NY | Tel: 0191 223 3500

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www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

he world-renowned new cultural centre which has put Gateshead Quays firmly at the heart of Tyneside’s breathtaking regeneration has a new star.

Baltic Place, a magnificent new office development at the heart of the Tyne’s buzzing south bank, is a dramatic addition to the new architectural excellence of the area, offering breathtaking, high-spec working spaces designed to meet the most exacting demands of local, national and international business.

A pair of striking buildings linked by a shared foyer create this new landmark, which occupies an unrivalled position at the heart of the Quays area, site of two icons of the Tyne’s renaissance - BALTIC and The Sage Gateshead.

The development is nestled within a bowl-shaped recess, its buildings designed with curved flanks oriented to optimise the panoramic views of the waterside and the iconic Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

It offers 131,000 sq ft of flexible, energy-efficient office space with abundant natural light, roof terraces, full-height glazing, undercroft car parking and breathtaking design features.

The working environment delivers efficiency, flexibility and the highest possible environmental rating, plus new landscaping to the south and east and public open space to the west.

This is a stunning environment, the reception foyer which links the two buildings bathed in natural light from the south-facing windows and its floor finished with natural honed stone tiles to meld seamlessly and beautifully with the white opaque glass-panelled walls.

Timber, stainless steel and contemporary materials used in clean and simple lines create the strength and simplicity of design inherent in these buildings, which on

SY | NEW HOMES

NEW HOMES | SY

CURRENT NEW HOMES

LAST CHANCE TO BUY

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LEFT:

LEFT:

Hartburn Mews

Fencer Hill Square

CURRENT NEW HOMES LEFT:

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Elmfield Square

Hawthorn Grange

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BELOW:

Red House Barns

West Lodge

St Helens Court

LEFT: Pigdon Grange

LEFT: 33 Nile Street

Spring has brought with it a new feeling of optimism with some truly superb new home developments, as Neil Gordon discovers

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Red House Barns, Belsay, near Ponteland, BJ Walton Homes Belsay comes complete with a village shop, primary school and imposing stately home in the shape of Belsay Hall - a classical mansion house complete with a ruined castle and breathtaking gardens.

Just across the road from Belsay Hall is a barn conversion from BJ Walton Homes that transforms redundant farm buildings into three fabulous family homes.

Plot 1 has four bedrooms with views of the countryside to the west of the village.

The glass walled gable of the dining kitchen makes the most of this unique aspect, while there is also a huge sitting room (16ft x24ft), a cloakroom, utility room, inner hallway and three bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor. Bedroom two also has an imaginative mezzanine to make full use of the double height ceiling.

Plot 2 has a more traditional layout including four bedrooms over two floors. There is a cloakroom, breakfast kitchen with utility room, lounge, dining/second sitting room and a snug/study. Upstairs, two of the bedrooms are en suite while the spacious master bedroom also has a walk-in dressing room.

Plot 3 has contemporary styling with three ground-floor bedrooms and a large dining kitchen. The principal reception room, large enough to accommodate both lounge and dining areas, is on the first floor to make the most of the views.

Guide Price: £495,000, £565,000, and £595,000 Contact Sanderson Young’s Ponteland office, tel 01661 823 951, the rare! office tel 0191 223 3500 or the Gosforth office, tel 091 213 0033 West Lodge, Whalton Road, Belsay, Anvil Homes One of three fabulous stone homes available now in an exclusive development, West Lodge offers the charm of a period home with the best in modern design.

The three-storey, five-bedroom property is show home for the trio of properties sharing this superb site and features a lounge/dining room which can be divided into two spaces or left open plan with a beautiful farmhouse-style stone fireplace and windows overlooking the garden.

The spacious kitchen has windows overlooking the south-facing gardens, high spec appliances including AEG dishwasher and fridge/freezer, and the units feature wicker basket drawers. Upstairs, there is a master bedroom with en suite, two further bedrooms and a family bathroom, plus a versatile study/nursery. The second floor also houses two further bedrooms and a shower room.

There is a single plus garage large enough for a car plus bikes, lawn mower etc and the property comes complete with carpets and curtains.

Guide Prices: From £499,000 Contact Sanderson Young’s Ponteland Office, tel 01661 823 951 St Helens Court, St Helens Street, Corbridge, Anvil Homes Corbridge is an ancient village with its first stone buildings built by the Romans.

Saxons, Tudors, Victorians and Edwardians all contributed to the village’s unique collection of handsome buildings and St Helens Court has a Queen Anne feel with its Dutch-style dormer windows and 16-pane windows. At the time of writing, just one townhouse and four apartments remain for sale.

Guide Price: Townhouse £349,950, apartments from £178,950 Contact Sanderson Young’s Ponteland office, tel 01661 823 951 Pigdon Grange, Pigdon, near Morpeth, Field Homes This small development of three conversions has been sympathetically carried out by specialists, so Sanderson Young is delighted to be appointed selling agent, having forged an excellent relationship with Field Homes while working on its highly successful scheme at Hawthorn Grange.

These homes are finished in natural stone and have lovely rural views, despite being just three miles east of Morpeth and close to the A1.

The Granary (£285,000) has three bedrooms including master en-suite, spacious living room and modern fitted kitchen. The Hayloft (£315,000) has a generous living area, large breakfast kitchen and four bedrooms including master en-suite, plus a double garage. Finally, The Stables (£330,000) is a four-bedroom double-fronted property with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, a breakfast kitchen and sitting room with views over open fields.

Thanks to the excellent location and design, interest in Pigdon Grange is intense.

Guide Prices: £285,000, £315,000, £330,000 Contact Sanderson Young’s Ponteland office, tel 01661 823 951

33 Nile Street, Sunniside, Sunderland This is a prestigious new development of 16 apartments and two commercial units with 12 one-bedroom apartments on the first, second and third floors and four two-bedroom apartments on the fourth and fifth floors. The two commercial units are on the ground floor.

An exceptional entrance hallway with porcelain tiled floor and walls by Porcelanoso leads to the lift with access to all floors. Each apartment boasts a bathroom with Porcelanosa tiling and walk-in wet-room with state-of-the-art digital shower by Aqualisa. Kitchens are by Crown Imperial with fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, oven and ceramic hob.

Guide Price: POA, Contact Janet Hopkinson at the rare! office, tel 0191 223 3500

LAST CHANCE TO BUY Despite a less-than-favourable economic climate, Sanderson Young’s new build properties released in 2008 have exceeded all expectations. For example, three properties at Harburn Mews were reserved over a ten-day period before Christmas, two apartments at Elmfield Square were reserved in seven days and only one apartment remains to be sold at Fencer Hill Square.

There will be enormous interest in the last properties now released for sale at Hartburn Mews, Elmfield Square, Fencer Hill Square and Hawthorn Grange.

Hartburn Mews, Chapel Park, Newcastle The last homes available at this development from Cussins Homes are: one ground-floor apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms (guide price £122,950); one four-bedroom detached house with breakfast kitchen, conservatory and garage (guide price £239,950); and two further three-bedroom/two-bathroom terraced homes with feature breakfast kitchen and south-facing rear gardens (guide price £159,950).

Contact Julie Summerbell at the Gosforth office, tel 0191 213 0033 Fencer Hill Square, Gosforth Just one apartment remains for sale at Cussins Homes’ flagship Gosforth development. It has an impressive 1,021sq ft of accommodation including a 23ft x 13ft 7ins sitting room, three bedrooms including master with en suite and a designated parking space.

Contact Janet Hopkinson at Sanderson Young’s rare! office, tel 0191 223 3500 Elmfield Square, Gosforth Only one three-bedroom duplex and two two-bedroom apartments remain for sale at Dunelm Homes’ stylish Gosforth development. The properties in the prestigious Heathfields block are priced from just £249,995 with stamp duty paid.

Also, Elmfield Square now has on offer four five-bedroom semi-detached properties, with a view home available priced at £749,950, and one detached five-bedroom property. These are all on the northern boundary of the site and occupy a first-class location.

Contact the on-site marketing suite, tel 0191 285 8805 or our Gosforth Office, tel 0191 213 0033 Hawthorn Grange, Brunton Lane, Gosforth Hawthorn Grange is a small exclusive development from Field Homes on a rural site at the northern edge of Newcastle. The centrepiece of the 14 new properties is a restored and modernised farmhouse, while the old barns and byres around the former farmyard are being converted into modern four and five-bedroom family homes. Four reservations in seven days have left only three properties available at Phase I. Three properties are available, prices starting at £299,000.

Contact Julie Summerbell at the Gosforth office, tel 0191 213 0033

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elmfield square

SY | NEW HOMES

Gosforth

ALNWICK OFFICE North Northumberland is a vast landscape stretching from the remote Simonside Hills to the unspoiled beaches of the coast. This beautiful corner of England is studded with romantic ruined castles, pretty villages and bustling small towns. Naturally, such a special area deserves a special office to manage the sympathetic barn conversions and discreet new build properties, so North Northumberland’s new residential developments are handled by Sanderson Young’s Alnwick office.

Mart Field, Station Road, Rothbury, Horizon Homes Horizon Homes have been building quality homes in Northumberland since 1991, and pride themselves on constructing quality homes which represent excellent value for money.

This fabulous development is on the site of Rothbury’s old cattle market, overlooking the river and just a few minutes’ easy walk from the village centre.

Mart Field offers a range of accommodation with three styles of home – five twobedroom first-floor apartments (£125,000); five three-bedroom maisonettes with garden and garage (£215,000) and nine three-storey three-bedroom townhouses (£250,000). They offer the best in residential design and superb value for money.

Guide Price: from £125,000 - £250,000 Contact Sanderson Young’s Alnwick Office, tel 01665 600 170

LAST CHANCE TO BUY Stable Cottage, Overthwarts Farm, Edlingham near Alnwick Stable Cottage is the last of the four properties created at the farmstead of Overthwarts and offers single storey accommodation with a hallway with beamed ceiling, oak floored living room with multi-fuel burner and an impressive family kitchen/breakfast room with AGA, integrated appliances and granite and beech worktops and units.

There are four bedrooms, including master en suite, plus shower room and family bathroom. The landscaped gardens have a small paddock with a stable extending over approximately 0.29 acres.

There are superb views and excellent local facilities including schools, shops and leisure amenities at nearby Alnwick and Rothbury.

Guide Price: £395,000 Contact Gillian Greaves, Alnwick Office, tel 01665 600 170 Plot 1 Sturton Grange Mill, near Warkworth, Northumberland The original mill building at Sturton Grange dates from the early 1800s and has now been turned into a superb modern home featuring a handcrafted helical staircase in polished hardwood and the latest in future-proof wiring.

It has four bedrooms, three of them en suite, a dressing room, family bathroom, cloakroom, living room, study and designer dining-kitchen. The kitchen by Mowlem & Co is finished in American walnut and Crema Suave composite stone work surfaces with a range of integrated Siemens appliances including hob, wok burner and coffee machine. The gardens have views of the woodland surrounding the property.

This is the last of four properties at this prestigious development close to the Northumbrian Coast and the historic village of Warkworth with easy access to Tyneside via the A1 and East Coast Main Line.

Guide Price: £845,000 Contact Gillian Greaves, Alnwick Office, tel 01665 600 170

Luxury living doesn’t get any better than this

Column Mews, off Wagon Way, Alnwick Column Mews comprises ten two-bedroom apartments positioned in an attractive mews-style setting close to the heart of historic Alnwick. The eight apartments still available for sale have parking and one of the properties is a show apartment.

Each of the properties has a high standard of finish and offers the perfect home for anyone looking to live in a thriving, picturesque market town surrounded by countryside yet with excellent transport links. Alnwick frequently tops best places to live polls and the town’s amenities include shops, theatre, schools and a pool/leisure centre, plus a Grade I listed castle with award winning parks and gardens.

Guide Price: from £154,950 - £159,950 (with incentives offered) Contact Gillian Greaves, Alnwick Office, tel 01665 600 170

Welcome to Elmfield Square, the cream of luxury homes.

There’s nothing more enjoyable than soaking up the rewards of success... well, almost nothing. You can’t beat living the dream every day, in a 5 bedroom luxury home, in exclusive Elmfield Square, Gosforth.

Gosforth is, in every respect, the place to live, a community rich with top schools, sports teams, restaurants, boutiques, fitness clubs and spas. On the doorstep of Newcastle upon Tyne and everything this incredible city has to offer, yet also

LAST CHANCE TO BUY

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with a laid-back pace all of its own that puts you immediately at ease.

RIGHT:

RIGHT:

Luxury 5 bedroom homes from

Stable Cottage

Sturton Grange Mill

£749,995

WINNER OF TWO 21ST CENTURY LIVING AWARDS

ALNWICK OFFICE RIGHT: Mart Field 100 | the collection

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LEFT: Column Mews

Elmfield Square, Gosforth NE3 4BL For further information please call:

0191 285 8805 Friday - Sunday inclusive 10.00am - 5.00pm * Selected plots. Terms & conditions apply. Subject to status.

Or Sanderson Young Estate Agents:

0191 213 0033 Seven days a week 9.00am - 6.00pm

www.dunelmhomes.co.uk

ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF 3 prestigious PROPERTIES FROM FIELD HOMES SY | SMITH MARSTON

THERIGHTTOLIGHT If you’re about to start a build, or your neighbour is, you would be well advised to ensure there is no block to the light, advises Adrian Marston ight to light is an area in which many surveyors, architects and developers have only a very basic knowledge, which means it can be overlooked.

However, if you are a residential or business building owner, you will normally have a legal right to light if you have had uninterrupted light through windows for more than 20 years.

If there is a new development which would affect any such windows and leave rooms inadequately lit, you could be entitled to compensation or even obtain an injunction to stop the proposed building work.

The other related, but certainly not mutually exclusive, aspect of light assessment is the right of a local authority planning department to ask for daylight and sunlight tests as part of an application for planning permission.

If you are proposing a development, you should make sure that light issues are considered at an early design stage, and if you are a neighbour aware of a proposed development which you think might affect light to your property, including garden areas, you should ensure that the planning department insists upon the submission of such light assessments from the applicant.

We were recently involved in a case where one applicant had commissioned

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professional architectural drawings that had enabled planning permission to be gained for a side extension to their house.

While they had paid professional fees for this advice, and had gained planning permission, no assessment of the legal right to light had been undertaken.

We were instructed by a neighbour who had strong concerns over the loss of light to her property and, when the impact of the development was investigated and measured accurately, we were able to demonstrate that this neighbour’s legal right to light had been infringed.

This effectively meant that the neighbour had a right to injunct the works, or seek compensation for the loss of light – not what the neighbours planning the extension had envisaged when they embarked upon their scheme to extend their home, especially when they had sought professional advice in relation to the design work.

At Smith Marston, we have the expert knowledge and specialist computer software to undertake all types of light assessments and to advise upon all such matters. Please call Philip or Adrian to discuss any light-related concerns.

Smith Marston LLP, Chartered Building Surveyors, providing building surveying and architectural services from offices in Hexham and Newcastle, tel 01434 607 802 n

MAIN OFFICE Peterel Field Business Village Dipton Mill Road Hexham Northumberland NE46 2JT Tel: 01434 607802 Fax: 01434 607272

• HOMEBUYER AND BUILDING SURVEYS • DESIGN DRAWINGS FOR PLANNING PERMISSION & BUILDING REGULATIONS • NEW BUILD AND EXTENSIONS • LOFT CONVERSIONS AND REFURBISHMENT • PARTY WALL ISSUES • DEFECT DIAGNOSIS • BOUNDARY DISPUTES

NEWCASTLE OFFICE Rotterdam House 116 Quayside Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DY Tel: 0191 260 3123

Pigdon Grange, Morpeth Pigdon Grange is a development of three delightful stone family homes with lovely rural views. Located in the heart of the picturesque hamlet of Pigdon and developed by Field Homes, these three individual properties have been finished to a high standard incorporating luxury modern living. Each of the properties is unique with its own particular character and charm and has been skillfully constructed to complement the space available.

Pigdon Grange has excellent accessibility to Morpeth, Ponteland, Newcastle Upon Tyne and the Tyne Valley.

Local amenities in Morpeth, which lies 3 miles to the East, offer excellent facilities including banks, public houses and restaurants as well as excellent schooling for all ages and a wide range of sporting facilities.

The properties are accessed through a lovely courtyard entrance and offer unique layouts and will interest a wide range of prospective purchasers – from those looking for a family residence right through to a potential second home or downsizing.

These properties will have to be viewed to be appreciated, both for the location and their specification.

The Granary £285,000 The Stables £330,000 The Hayloft £315,000 For further information please call Philip Smith or Adrian Marston email: info@smithmarston.co.uk www.smithmarston.co.uk

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All enquiries: Elaine Newbigin - Ponteland Office on 01661 823951 or elaine.newbigin sandersonyoung.co.uk

SY | NEW HOMES

AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

A GREAT CATCH With breathtaking sea views and a luxurious blend of period character and contemporary design, the newly revamped Irvin Building presents North Shields with a stunning new landmark

aking each day to the sounds of the sea, panoramic waterside views and the luxury of beautiful surroundings steeped in history may sound like the ingredients for the perfect holiday – but imagine if you could have all this at home.

The North Shields’ Fish Quay’s iconic Irvin Building has a roof garden, while your own apartment within this magnificent Grade II listed bonded warehouse offers a luxurious blend of period character and contemporary design.

The Quay itself is also a stunning and much sought-after location. Its current renaissance of apartments, restaurants and new businesses gives it a new buzz which making it a great place to live and work and a superb location for the new one, two and three-bedroom apartments which have now been created inside the Irvin Building.

The building had been left empty for years, but has now been given a new lease of life as home to 26 luxury apartments designed with open-plan, contemporary living in mind.

As befitting an iconic landmark with a stunning facade, the finishes within the

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new living spaces are high spec and feature contemporary high gloss kitchens with integral appliances and a choice of finishes including solid granite worktops and exquisite flooring.

The building’s period windows have also been preserved in keeping with the building’s character, style and heritage.

Luxurious tiled bathrooms also create a statement and all the two and three-bedroom apartments feature en suites. All the apartments also have designated parking with automated gates and there is a lift to all floors.

There are commanding views to the mouth of the Tyne and beyond from the private rooftop garden, which features furniture sculpted from the reclaimed timbers of the original building.

The Irvin is the cornerstone of the Fish Quay’s regeneration plans, which include the £2million restoration of Clifford’s Fort and extensive landscaping of existing buildings.

Each home is also covered by a ten-year Premier guarantee and a two-year customer care warranty.

Stewart Allen, Managing Director of Gentoo Ventures, said: “The opportunity to breathe life back into such a historically prominent building was something we relished. The Irvin Building is of huge local interest and we hope that this restoration will act as a major stimulant in the overall regeneration of the Fish Quay.”

The building was converted with £4.8 million investment from Gentoo Ventures, including £2 million gap funding from English Partnerships which is now part of the Homes and Communities Agency.

PHASE 1

AVAILABLE

SOLD SOLD

RESERVED RESERVED RESERVED

STUNNING SHOW HOUSE AVAILABLE TO VIEW FROM THE END OF APRIL ‘09

This development has already generated lots of interest, for any further information on the apartments or commercial business space below please visit www.gentoohomes.com or Karen Robinson on 0191 525 5000 n

5

youtoo

could lie back in a plush new apartment while looking out to sea. sh w aparto now oment pen

why not take the plunge?

There’s never been a better time to dip your toe in. And quite frankly, there’s no better place than North Shields to do it. The view from this magnificent Grade II listed building is breathtaking. Awe-inspiring! It originally opened in 1913 by Irvin and Sons as a maritime business.

Since then, this majestic building has been given a new lease of life as 26 swish apartments - each one designed with modern living in mind; while being sympathetic to its heritage of course. We’ve preserved the building’s style and character and reinstated its period design features. Well…we believe in doing things the right way. Come along and see it for yourself. Give us a call on 0191 525 5000* to book a viewing or visit gentoohomes.com for further information. Youtoo can enjoy this magnificent view.

...living for a new generation *This number is chargeable. Mobile costs may vary. Please note on a weekend calls may be diverted through to a mobile phone in which case calls will cost considerably more.

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Hawthorn Grange provides an outstanding and very special development, situated in a sought after location on the outskirts of Gosforth & Newcastle upon Tyne. It is set back from Brunton Lane and offers 14 luxury houses, 8 of which have been offered in Phase 1, situated in a rural backwater and enjoying superb accessibility to the city centre via the Western Bypass and being part of the regeneration of the Great North Park. Indeed, Hawthorn Grange has been described as “the gem of the Great North Park” since it retains country views to the north and east and has access to its own grazing paddock.

At the end of April ’09 we shall be bringing to the market our second stunning Show House. Such was the appeal and standard that our first show home enjoyed, that this was sold and completed during March this year. We guarantee that visitors will be just as impressed with this second show house.

The houses are constructed in traditional stone, with specialist brickwork, cedar boarding and rendering, contrasting in contemporary fashion under a slate roof and have been redeveloped in a fabulous country mews style, centred around a landscaped square with open parking, visitors parking and private driveways leading to individual garden plots.

Internal layouts can be designed to an owner’s specific specification but the Show House shows the quality of fixtures and fittings which come as standard on this development and cannot fail to impress.

Come along and see for yourself! Call and arrange your personal inspection.

PRICES FROM £299,000

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JULIE SUMMERBELL ON 0191 2130033 OR JULIE.SUMMERBELL SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK

theroar oftamora

SY | MOTORS

MOTORS | SY

s a kid, the toys I coveted were model Porsche 917s, Niki Lauda’s Ferrari and James Bond’s preferred Aston and Lotus. TVR never featured in my Top Trumps cards, but when my boat comes in and the wife isn’t looking, the sports car I’ll buy will definitely be a TVR. I’ve just spent the day with a TVR Tamora loaned to me by performance car dealer Tony Abrams, from Hexham Horseless Carriages.

Let’s start at the surface. TVR owners and guys who know about wind tunnels will tell you that this car looks the way it does because it is sculpted to cut through the air like an arrow while sticking to the road like glue. Its shape also keeps the brakes and engine at optimum temperature.

Utter bobbins... I say TVRs look the way they do because the designers stole the sketches in my maths exercise book, gave them to a bloke with a chisel and said, ‘make that’. Thankfully, eight-year-old boys have an instinctive knowledge of aerodynamics and know exactly where to put the machine gun.

Inside, the Tamora is fashioned to deliver atmosphere and feeling as much as function. This model, which because of shorter overhangs front and rear looks way smaller than the Tuscan with which it shares a chassis, is remarkably roomy, accepting my 6ft 2ins frame comfortably.

Bucket seats that grip the body, a gear lever mounted on top of the transmission tunnel that passes between driver and passenger and racing Momo steering wheel create a cockpit feel, as does the aluminium switchgear stolen from the Millennium Falcon.

Leather peeled from a T-Rex and sewn with knitting needles completes an interior commissioned specifically for Genghis Khan.

Turn the key to ‘start-up’ and needles blip along dials and things start to ping, buzz and rumble. Turn again and TVR’s legendary 3.6 litre straight-six motor says hello. It’s a noise to raise the hairs on the neck and increase anticipation levels to a new high.

I can’t resist gunning the throttle a few times to enjoy the barking, percussive engine note as it blows through the steel pipes behind me. I’m grinning from ear to ear. Small boys cheer and wave flags.

The first few moments behind the wheel of a TVR can be, for me at least, a little tense. I now have 330 bhp or so attached to the rear wheels of a car that weighs 1000kg in a very, erm, direct fashion.

The clutch is heavy and the engine will rev to 9000rpm in the blink of an eye. With no traction control I know that any injudicial stomping on the throttle will almost certainly lead to some form of embarrassment.

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to the marque borders on fanaticism. All talk about the Zen-like moments behind Respect is most certainly required and I’m heading deep into another area that has the wheel when they get things right, about how you can really become ‘part of garnered my love of these cars. You can’t, it seems to me, just get in and drive it the machine’. as one would a higher powered mass production super-ish car such as, say, an ‘Boys and their toys’ I hear you thinking, but you don’t get this at other track days Audi with an ‘RS’ badge or a BMW sporting ‘M’. It takes time. where all the talk is of model variations, statistics, lap times and residual values.

The undeniably brilliant Teutonic chariots and their cousins from other shores TVR owners don’t talk about selling, merely ‘upgrading’ or moving on to another, come complete with enough electronic wizardry to ensure that you, I, or even a or even a second, TVR – it seems once bitten forever smitten. And I am smitten. suicidal investment banker couldn’t really get them out of shape. Not without some Sadly, TVR’s founder Trevor Wilkinson died last year, but I’m delighted to confirm effort anyway. Not so the TVR. that the marque lives on. It was championed through the 80s and 90s by Peter I spent the first hour in the TVR simply familiarising myself again with the gear; Wheeler, whose team developed the current cars, and sold to Russian billionaire the heavy pedals – press the brake softly and it laughs, press it firmly and it feels Nikolai Smolenski in 2004. like somebody just threw an anchor overboard, the Although production ceased in the UK in 2007, throttle has two settings – brisk and hair-raising. presumably because the new owner thought he’d The steering is fabulously certain, and so you need I MAY BE GIVING THE IMPRESSION bought Tottenham Hotspur and knew nothing to be fabulously certain where you want the car THAT THESE CARS - I’VE DRIVEN ALL about cars, rumours abound that production may to go. begin again, but probably not in this country.

And yet, within another hour I’m thinking, ‘okay, got OF THE TAMORA’S STABLE-MATES – ARE Even if that doesn’t happen soon, there are some that’ and ‘ah, I see’. Confidence doesn’t come inDIFFICULT. THEY ARE NOT. YOU JUST NEED first-class ones available to buy now. stantly without HAL 2000 sitting on your shoulder TO GET TO KNOW THEM. Hexham Horseless Carriages were preparing an but it does most assuredly come. ’09-plate car for delivery while I was there – a few I took the Tamora up from Hexham to Alston and unregistered cars exist – and their showroom is on down the route to Barnard Castle. Fabulous never short of used models from across the range. roads ruined by the patchy weather and the inevitable detritus of winter. Even at Right now is the time to buy one as they represent amazing value for money. The legal speeds these winding, undulating roads – which are like a bus trip in a Jaguar Tamora in our pictures will see its way to the forecourt at £18,000-ish, which is an – delivered incredible excitement and engagement. amazing price for a car that will leave many modern sports cars with a much higher I’m sure the views were amazing, but all I saw was the next bend, the road surface price tag in its wake. and its camber and a grass verge that got a little too close.

There’s a nice Chimera at £12,995, a Sagaris at £34,995 and even a Tuscan at under I won’t bore you with the blistering acceleration figures, but will say that it is quite £40k. They tend to be low mileage (not many folk schlep up and down motorways quick. As the engine warmed the noise became smoother yet no less guttural, the in these thoroughbreds) and have been lovingly maintained by experts. stiff gearshift began to appear normal, and I became a TVR convert. Again.

In these cash-strapped times where we rightly demand the biggest bang for our I may be giving the impression that these cars - I’ve driven all of the Tamora’s buck, these are the cars I’d recommend to anyone looking for excitement and stable-mates – are difficult. They are not. You just need to get to know them. involvement and a long-term love affair over residuals and a one-night stand.

And I think that’s the heart of the TVR appeal. They require a bit of effort, a bit of Hexham Horseless Carriages, Eilansgate, Hexham, NE46 3EW, tel 01434 601 666, getting to know, but repay that investment in spades. www.tvr-hhc.co.uk n I’ve spent a couple of track days with TVR clubs and their passion and commitment

Mark Anderson is business development manager of Room501, publisher of BQ and FQ magazines and the North East Business Guide, www.room501.co.uk

Mark Anderson reacquaints himself with the joys of the TVR Tamora – the canny credit cruncher’s car of choice

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the collection | 107

SY | PROFILE

PROFILE | SY

THEMAN…

WITHTHEPLAN Most people’s dreams remain precisely that, but Parviz Alizadeh’s ambitious plan for a floating bubble bar and club on the Tyne is beginning to look more like a reality by the day, as Jane Pikett discovers

Twenty years ago, if anyone suggested that Gateshead Quayside would become home to a world-class music venue, globally renowned art gallery, landmark architecture, and be at the centre of an urban regeneration programme that would turn it and its closest neighbour into a world-famous cultural centre, well …we’d have laughed, wouldn’t we?

But it takes people with imagination, drive and guts to pursue what may first appear to be crazy ideas, and Parviz Alizadeh (known to all as Ali) has all of those qualities in spades, plus a tireless enthusiasm which infects everyone who comes into contact with him.

Hence, when he says he intends to build a glass, bubble-shaped floating bar and

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club on the Tyne, we should sit up and listen – crazy as even he admits the idea might sound.

“I think it’s so crazy it will work,” he laughs, under no illusion about the unusual nature of the plan. “It will be built at Swan Hunter with components designed and built here in the North East. After 31 years living here, I want to give something back, and this is it.”

Plans for the £4m structure look like a James Bond film set, comprising a bubbleshaped glass dome leading into a retractable, part glazed cylinder body partly submerged in the water and tunnel walkways leading to Ali’s iconic waterside restaurant, LaRiviera. The Bubble, as it is known, will offer educational and tourism services in the morning, and be an exclusive private member’s club from lunchtime and into the night.

Ali is currently gathering backers for the scheme, lured no doubt by his infectious enthusiasm and detailed plans.

“It’s the most challenging idea I’ve ever come up with, but that’s its charm,” he says. “Because I’ve had La Riviera for 10 years, I’ve been able to think and plan it.

It will have a futuristic and comfortable lounge and amazing, grand bars. People will see computer-generated exotic fish swimming beneath their feet. It will be exclusive for members and guests, but everyone will see it from the outside.

“This is an area where people believe in ambitious ideas. Gateshead Council is renowned for supporting amazing, ambitious plans. I hope mine will be well received, just as BALTIC, The Sage Gateshead, and the Angel were.

"I was looking over the Tyne when the idea came to me. It may seem unbelievable to some, but after drawing up plans with designers, architects and engineers, this is potentially one of the most exciting additions to the area in years.”

The Bubble, held in position by electronic telescopic legs, will be powered by three turbine propellers. There will also be an engine to allow the structure to traverse the river. It will feature a glass dome for 180 degree views above water, and the floor will be made of toughened glass.

It was partly inspired by ex-Newcastle United star Jermaine Jenas, who, after quitting St James’s Park in 2005, claimed the close proximity of supporters to the club made life on Tyneside like living in a goldfish bowl.

"I hope that other people can share my vision and help make the Bubble on the Tyne Britain's next great piece of architecture,” says Ali. “Our next stage of the development is to gain sponsors and we are pleased to see that the interest in it is already showing signs that it will become a reality.”

“The reaction has been outstanding, everyone loves it,” he says. “There has been interest in it as a vessel, as a hospitality venue and as an architectural and artistic design structure. I’ve been asked to supply more information to people in Romania, Australia, and Italy. I believe this will help the whole of the North East economy.”

Ali, who has spent £12,000 patenting designs and research for the idea, is also in talks with bubble-related drinks brands and, while he waits for a firm offer of capital he is working towards the planning process.

Reaction has so far been encouraging, while the Port of Tyne Authority has indicated the unusual build would be subject to strict safety and conservation guidelines.

"This is the perfect solution to carry on the innovation of the area while presenting a unique and memorable piece of architecture which is sure to draw people in from afar,” says Ali. “I hope the Bubble on the Tyne will become as loved by people in the North East as the Angel of the North, The Sage Gateshead, The Gateshead Millennium Bridge and BALTIC. "Without great ideas, we would not have so many of the amazing things we experience every day. I hope that other people can share my vision and help make the Bubble on the Tyne Britain's next great piece of architecture."

The idea is typical of Ali - a great enthusiast and rapid-fire talker who exudes passion about... well, everything (even, still, Newcastle United).

He’s funny, engaging, immensely charismatic and hugely entertaining. At LaRiviera, he and his partner Tracey and chef director Will Brownlees have built a reputation for fantastic food, fabulous service and a buzzing atmosphere, and it isn’t hard to imagine the Bubble being run with similar enthusiasm.

The Bubble plan is enormously ambitious, but that’s Ali. He is happy to take chances because… well, what’s the worst that could happen? “If it all went wrong, I could pick up my scissors [he used to be a hairdresser] and start again,” he says.

“Why worry?”

He has a knack for spotting opportunities and embracing them. He is also happily philosophical and very self sufficient; qualities that drove him to join the Iranian Navy after leaving school, against his parent’s wishes. It was a decision which was to bring him to Newcastle, and it is no surprise, considering his naval background, that the River Tyne should be a strong draw.

BE A PART OF THE BUBBLE The project has generated interest from several serious investors for the Bubble on the Tyne, which will cost in excess of £4 million.

In addition to speaking to potential large sponsors for the project, Ali is happy to talk to smaller investors who have a nose for an exciting project.

“Once this has been built here, there is nothing to stop us building more Bubbles all over the world,” says Ali. “We’re working now on a model for smaller investors – the sort of people who might have money to invest and know that in the current market their options are limited. This is a great opportunity for investors and sponsors to be involved in something really special.”

Potential investors should contact Ali direct on 07711 610 372

His second year of training with the Navy was to be at sea and he was sent with his colleagues to join a ship being re-fitted at Swan Hunter. However, the work was behind, and they ended up staying here the whole year, taking lectures in a Portakabin at the Swans yard, next to their berthed ship.

Ali was smitten by the region and settled here in 1981, forging a successful career in the hospitality industry, working his way up to senior level at several national and local hotels before taking another track – this time training as a hair stylist.

Within two years, the salon had doubled in size and Ali was teaching hairdressing and business studies at colleges in Sunderland and Northumberland. “I do everything with a passion,” he says. “I also opened a luxury sandwich shop, completed two degrees in Management and Business at Northumbria University and an MBA at Durham University. It has been a very busy life.”

Then, one day in 1999, he saw the old riverside police office that is now LaRiviera and was hit with an idea for a restaurant. “I only had £950 in the bank, the building was a wreck and there was nothing on this side of the river then. Everyone thought I was aiming too high” he says, “but see how well it has done. Now the same will be true, I hope, of the Bubble. To support my cause, the landlord has offered us first refusal on the sale of the LaRiviera building, while my main supporters for the project are Mancala IT services and Mermaid Architecture, in particular their young Iranian Designer Emad Sadr.”

For more information about the Bubble on the Tyne, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlLmDyc9gOM or www.bubbleonthetyne.co.uk or www.lariviera.co.uk

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SY | MONEY

MONEY | SY

points, so he upgraded two seats to Business Class, only paying the tax upgrade.

American Express points and miles can be swapped for Sirius points and Sirius is the loyalty programme for Jumeirah Beach Hotels. Combine these with Emirates Skywards points and suddenly the family was staying a few nights free.

Jane Ruffman from Norseman Travel in Gosforth (tel 0191 284 7271) was the brains of the piece, working out the loyalty cards, flight times etc to achieve an amazing five nights free bed and breakfast for six in an executive room at Jumeirah Beach. In all, this clever scheming resulted in an eight-day holiday with six nights’ accommodation and two overnight flights for just under £1,500. Bargain!

Credit crunch-busting weekends in NYC, home computers for less than the price of a decent dinner out and endless ways of making your money go further – Jane Pikett reveals the canny shopper’s tricks of the trade

Credit Crunching irst of all, this is not an exhaustive guide to making your money go further, because that would fill the whole magazine and still not detail every canny move you can make.

The fact is, once you start asking around and – dangerously distracting this – Googling terms like ‘money saving tips’ and ‘best loyalty schemes’ it seems the possibilities are endless, leading me to wonder what kind of financial fool I’ve been all this time.

And the great deals aren’t all to be found in the most obvious places. Bizarrely, one of the fastest growing websites last year was Walker’s Crisps, which attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors chasing discounts on days out.

If you collected enough bags of crisps, you could enjoy half price at Thorpe Park or a free day pass at the National Trust, though first you needed to register on the Walker’s home page - assuming you could handle the shame.

A quick zip round the internet reveals plenty more bargain sites, though you can devote so much time to juggling loyalty schemes and exploring online bargains that you may leave yourself very little time to earn any money, so be warned!

Meanwhile, www.voucherseeker.co.uk brought more bargains, including travel, jewellery, phones and city breaks.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the number of online searches for retail discount vouchers jumped 143 per cent in the final quarter of last year, but a word of warning - these sites want your email details, which means your inbox being bombarded with messages you don’t necessarily want, so click carefully!

Voucher code websites These are among the fastest-growing sites on the web, offering access to discount vouchers which can be printed and taken to stores or used online.

A few minutes on the excellent www.myvouchercodes.co.uk yields 35 per cent off New York hotels at Expedia, a tasty 10 per cent off Hotel du Chocolat purchases, free delivery on online orders at House of Fraser, £100 in vouchers at Boden and the opportunity to win a Club 18-30 holiday (for which I don’t qualify, thankfully).

Likewise, at www.savacode.com and www.everydaysale.co.uk I found vouchers and offers for supermarkets, gadgets, cosmetics, gardens, homes and more, ditto at www.codes.co.uk and www.voucherstar.co.uk.

Travel www.myvouchercodes.co.uk is also a great source of rail and other travel discounts, but you can be cannier than that even. A friend of mine recently secured a week’s luxury holiday to Dubai for May half term for a fraction of the usual price.

First, he found that KLM fly Newcastle to Amsterdam just after school finishes, followed by a good connection to Dubai overnight. At £700 per room per night at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, flying overnight there and back automatically saved £2,800.

KLM’s economy Newcastle-Dubai return seats have also come down to £279, which is less than this friend paid to go to Corfu last year, plus he had KLM loyalty

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Best dressed Swishing is the latest craze in what you might call ‘glam recycling’, when you take your designer clothes and accessories to events full of like-minded people keen to swap or sell.

You are expected to have, shall we say, a certain standard of goods at these events, and you will pay an entrance fee and/or a fee for your rail.

Independent stylist Belinda Alexander, who with her business partner Gail Little is one of the MetroCentre’s style consultants, hosted a fantastic swishing event in Richmond recently.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to refresh your wardrobe and have fun in the process,” says Loyalty schemes Belinda. “Obviously, people will expect a certain “IT’S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY Most of us miss out on bonuses because we fail to standard, and you’re not gong to swap an old Gap redeem points on our credit cards, frequent-flyer T-shirt for a Chloe bag, but people know that. If the TO REFRESH YOUR WARDROBE AND points and loyalty cards. Google the term ‘best item you’re thinking of swishing is dated as HAVE FUN IN THE PROCESS,” loyalty schemes’, however, and suddenly you opposed to vintage, people won’t want it. If it’s a find sites like www.ciao.co.uk which not only stylish, good quality piece, then you will be able to explains how these things work, but also posts real swap it for something just as good.” customer reviews.

Belinda is holding another swishing event on May Meanwhile, the excellent www.moneysavingexpert.com shows you how to boost 19 and 20 at Whitwell Hall, near York, where she will also be showing and selling your points stash with the likes of Tesco Clubcard, Nectar, Boots Advantage and new designer labels, including stunning original silks from India. Contact her for Air Miles. details, tel 07747 111 702.

This reveals that Boots Advantage is by far the high street’s most generous Charity shops are also booming, with Oxfam alone reporting a five per cent hike scheme, but Boots prices may not always make the card worth the decision to in sales in 2008 (to £21 million). The Jesmond Oxfam is a haven of designer labels, shop there. The advice is to always use your card where you shop, but don’t make while Oxfam’s online shop is full of designer finds by Dolce & Gabbana, Jasper the decision to shop there solely because of the card.

Conran, Betty Barclay, Jaeger, Armani and more. www.moneysavingexpert.com is also full of tips on cheap flights, cash ISAs, For vintage fashion, go to gorgeous Attica in High Bridge, Newcastle (www. mortgages, best balance transfers, a host of other personal finance information, atticavintage.co.uk) and check out North East online ethical fashion magazine gas and electricity deals, cheap train tickets, even advice on parking ticket appeals. www.daisygreenmagazine.co.uk for news on sourcing great finds and news on In addition, www.thisismoney.co.uk is also home to lots more useful hints and swishing events. After all, you may be a credit cruncher, but you can still be a email alerts. stylish one …

‘I need just one local IT company to support my network’ Unrivalled local service from our team of IT experts One number to call for all of your IT requirements Clear Service Level Agreement so you know what to expect Unique support service designed to fix problems before they affect your business Impartial advice that is right for your business and budget Offices in Gosforth, Team Valley and Stockton

Call 0845 15 50 180 or visit www.tsg.com

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GARDENS | SY

oyce Hunt was on her way to Newcastle to strip off - in the name of art, you understand - when she received the phone call that would change her life.

“My husband and I had signed up to take part in Spencer Tunick’s art installation Naked City when I got a call to say Chipchase Castle Nursery was ours,” she says.

“I rang my friend Alison to say we were officially business partners and then went to Newcastle to take my clothes off and freeze on the Quayside with hundreds of people! It was great, I was euphoric.”

Joyce and Alison Jones, from Humshaugh, first met at their local toddler group and chatted about their hopes for the future over coffee, little knowing that a few years later they would be nurturing the nursery garden in the grounds of Chipchase Castle.

For Alison, a landscape architect with a Masters in Environmental Management, the progression from landscape design to nursery garden was a natural one.

“My heart has always been in the countryside, in nature and landscape,” she says.

“I love watching a garden take shape and seeing plants flourish and thrive. There’s real satisfaction in creating your own beautiful space.

J

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”We have a particularly good range of hardy geraniums, including some unusual plants discovered in Northumberland. A friend is a geranium fanatic and he’s always coming in with new colours. Our Rothbury Red is especially gorgeous, with rich brown-red leaves and white flowers.”

Another unusual feature at the nursery is the medieval quarter garden, created in memory of Will Turner, the famous Northumberland herbalist and doctor born 500 years ago.

A stone sun dial makes a lovely centrepiece in the medieval quarter which, as the name suggests, is divided into four sections by a pretty pattern of weathered red bricks.

A circle of flowering strawberry plants wanders alongside deep red gladioli, close to rich purple geraniums and orangey red Aquilegia Formosa, commonly known as ladies’ bonnets.

“Anyone can create their own quarter garden,” Alison says. “You don’t have to have much space and it can be beautiful. A flowery turf of spreading ground cover such as periwinkle or wild strawberry can look lovely and, if space allows, you might want to be even bolder with a chequer board of alternate turf and flowering squares.

“If you hanker after a unique seating area, you could build a brick exedra, a low wall incorporating a turf seat, which could be planted with camomile.”

Joyce and Alison won best newcomer at last year’s Gardening Scotland show in Edinburgh, a silver gilt medal at Gateshead and a silver at Harrogate. They were also voted among the top 25 favourite nurseries in the country in the Daily Telegraph and have featured in specialist magazines.

“In the current climate, I think most businesses have their challenges,” says Alison, “but as people tighten their belts, they are spending more time at home and in their gardens rather than on expensive holidays, so creating a haven on your own doorstep is becoming more important.

“We can help people make the most of their garden with realistic, practical advice about what will grow, thrive and be easily maintained.”

Coffee, tea and homemade cakes are available in the nursery’s Bothy shop, which

Chipchase Castle Nursery is rated among the top 25 in the UK, and it’s easy to see why. Emma Andrews discovers the delights of a charming walled garden in the heart of the Northumberland countryside

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW

SY | GARDENS

also sells seeds, gardening books, clay pots made at The Potting Shed in Hexham, glassware from Papershed in Morpeth and gardeners’ skin-care products from Lotions and Potions in Bellingham, alongside locally produced photographs and cards.

Two miles south of Wark, on the eastern banks of the River Tyne and five miles north of Hadrian’s Wall, Chipchase Castle Nursery is in an ideal location for a day out. In the grounds of the impressive Chipchase Castle, built in 1621 and one of the finest examples of Jacobean architecture in the country, it’s a gem you’ll want to visit again and again.

Chipchase Castle and its gardens are open to the public during spring and summer.

Opening times for the grounds are Easter to October, Thursdays to Sundays and Bank Holidays, 10am to 5pm. The castle is open from June 1 to 28, 2-5pm daily (admission charge).

Entry to the nursery is free from March 21 to August 31, 10am to 5pm, Thursday to Sunday and Bank Holidays. For more information, contact Joyce and Alison, tel 01434 230 083 or email info@chipchaseplants.co.uk n

“When Joyce said Chipchase Castle Nursery was for sale and asked if I’d be interested in working with her, I said yes immediately. I was looking for a new challenge and this was it.”

Joyce, who had worked at Hexham Herbs, now Chesters Walled Garden, previously, adds: “We’re both passionate about plants. Taking on the nursery wasn’t just a business decision, it was a lifestyle choice. We put our hearts and souls into it and we love it.”

The friends’ shared passion is infectious, and in the four years they have been at Chipchase they have built up an extensive knowledge of hardy local plants – knowledge they love to share with customers.

A single shrub for a shady spot, or a full re-design, they can help. They also have a borders-to-order service, helping people design their borders for free so long as they buy the plants from them.

They offer a diverse selection of hardy perennials, many of them rare or unusual, including hardy geraniums, eryngiums, erodiums and penstemons. “All the plants are nurtured in the Northumberland climate,” says Alison, “and the majority propagated by us at the nursery.

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COUNTRY | SY

Keeping a small flock of chickens in your back garden is seriously back in fashion. Rosie Waller meets an enthusiast and discovers a surprisingly great number of pleasures

GROOVY CHICKS

SY | COUNTRY

D

olly is on the kitchen table. Having assumed she’d be spending the morning stalking in bushes, our photographer Nicky has never had such an easy job – she’s even worried people will think Dolly’s stuffed.

Dolly is mostly Maran, which means she’s full and heavy with beautiful speckled grey plumage which glistens in the sunlight - though there is a bit of something else in there which has added lovely feathers to her legs.

She’s got it all; looks, charm, a lovely temperament and a giving nature. She laid a beautiful green egg this morning, which I later eat scrambled on a piece of wholemeal toast. It is bright yellow and easily 100 times tastier than anything in the supermarket, even the organic range.

It’s impossible not to stroke Dolly or touch the grain she’s had for her own breakfast now stored in her crop. I want to cuddle her, and while I suspect that might be a step too far, I’m assured you can cuddle chickens. Cats don’t lay eggs for you, nor do dogs. Dolly’s owner Vicky has both a cat and a dog (neither of whom are under the age of 17, just as a curious note), and clearly loves both of them, but she says: “Chickens are the most interesting pets I’ve ever kept.

“They’re a very relaxing pet because they take away all the stresses and strains of life. Some people go to Barbados, I go to the chicken shed. They’re just very sweet and therapeutic to be around.

“I always say the garden would be a lonely place without them. They’re like living, breathing, cherished garden ornaments who bring life and activity to a quiet spot.

On a hot summer’s day, you have the bees buzzing, and the hens are all sunbathing and slowly raising one wing after another and murmuring to each other, and then every now and then one of them will think, ‘oh my God, I’m going to lay an egg’.

They’re delightful.”

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“YOU DON’T ACTUALLY NEED A COCKEREL,” VICKY SAYS. “HENS ARE PERFECTLY HAPPY WITHOUT ONE AND WILL LAY EGGS JUST THE SAME. “

Chickens have a far fuller life than you may think. There’s a lot to get through each day, so we arrive at 8.30am, which is when they like to be up at this time of year.

Vicky prepares breakfast: mixed corn hand-stirred with a loving dollop of cod liver oil. They also get pellets which smell like a farmyard, mashed potato because they love it, and a saucer of grit which helps them to break down the corn and which strengthens their eggs’ shells.

After breakfast, there’s a bit of dashing around, then it’s through the hedge and off to the field for pecking. There’s new warmth in the sun this mid-March morning, which they clearly enjoy.

Presently, one of them is off back to the hen shed with a purposeful trot to lay an egg. It’s a morning routine they will all go through, completed with a little clucking.

This is followed by other important jobs. Let’s just say that each egg is individually fertilised, a daily ritual which keeps Mr Cockerel a proud and busy bird. This time, it’s all over with a loud squawk.

Vicky has a theory that the hens decide among themselves who will be that year’s ‘broody’, the poor girl who is all lacklustre with longing and sits on everyone’s eggs, desperate for a little family of chicks to mother.

Lots of clucky daily meetings go on, lots of pecking and rummaging for caterpillars and similar delights (they may eat your cabbage seedlings but they make good pest control), then there are dust baths and idling around to do, until at dusk it’s back to the chicken shed for supper, a locked door and safety from the fox.

Is it any wonder their star is rising? Think about it. You may love him, but what’s your dog’s daily routine?

Even a small town garden will host two or three birds; enough to keep most families in eggs with a few to spare for the neighbours.

Speaking of which, you can’t have a cockerel unless you live in the country, and then you need distance between you and next door so they aren’t driven demented by 5am crowing. But you can have hens.

“You don’t actually need a cockerel,” Vicky says. “Hens are perfectly happy without one and will lay eggs just the same. “ Dolly and her sister Peg came as six-week-old chicks who missed their mother and used to crawl on Vicky’s lap and put their heads under her chin. The cockerel came

as an egg, as did Angela, the little black bantam. There are seven or eight other birds who look very similar to Dolly, some more fluffy than others, and a brown, very fluffy Favorelle, but their eggs betray a greater blood diversity than their feather colour.

We are transfixed by the eggs, an assorted splendour of green, brown, cream, terracotta and speckles in all shapes and sizes, and which would all hatch out chicks if the broody sat on them for three weeks. This gives them an additional wonder, like jumping beans. Unsat on, they act just like unfertilised eggs - they won’t develop and taste no different.

Vicky’s hens lay pretty much all year round, though production slows down over the darker winter months.

I’m beginning to see why they call her Vicky Chicken. Actually, it’s just to differentiate her from five other Vickys in the Tyne Valley village of Slaley. “It’s when you realise that the things you used to laugh at, like poultry shows, you now take very seriously, and you wake up one day and realise you’re a chicken geek,” says Vicky, real surname Pepys.

She is a well-known fashion writer in the North East. She also assists at the wonderful household emporium RE in nearby Corbridge, co-owned by her husband Simon Young. She is also poultry secretary of the Slaley Show on August 8, which this year celebrates its 150th year.

“It used to be called the Slaley Butter and Egg Show in the 1900s. I’m hoping to have a display of birds there this year that were popular 150 years ago.”

She is a member of the Northumberland Poultry Society, and is also both poultry and press secretary of the annual Northumberland County Show in Corbridge, which is on May 25 and has The Kangaroo Kid as its star attraction, along with an attempt at a world record by a dog aiming to run through 1,000 human legs.

While the economy slows, it’s boom time for the poultry markets as more of us opt for a mini back garden flock, in fact the makers of Egloo, the city-slickers’ designer hen hut which comes in bright shades of plastic, say their sales have doubled in the last five years.

“Mind, you can’t go into it lightly,” says Vicky, who says keeping them is a smalltime equivalent to having a horse. “They can get very stressed if you don’t look

after them properly,” she says. They’re tying too. Vicky doesn’t get to go away at weekends, when time is put aside for mucking out and being there for them after a busy week at work. Then there’s the fox. “We’ve been raided twice in 16 years, which isn’t bad going,” says Vicky. “I sort of feel you have pay your dues in some respect. It’s a bit like the Mafia.”

Sometimes, if you’ve got a cockerel, they can spring surprises. “Our old brown hen once went missing, then suddenly appeared one day with 25 chicks in tow.”

Your lawn, for all the added nitrogen from their droppings, can also suffer. Vicky’s now produces corn from all the seed that’s scattered around, and an abundance of dandelions and daisies. You need to love chickens more than a perfect bowling green finish.

Vicky started out 16 years ago with a broody hen lent by a local farmer and six eggs, one of which got so tame when it hatched that she would sit on Simon’s shoulder and watch EastEnders. A lot of people prefer to get them at ‘point to lay’, which means about three months old and on the verge of producing eggs.

You can go to a specialist sale, like the ones they have at Hexham Mart, look in the classifieds, or go to a poultry show and talk to the breeders. It’s important to buy birds that really appeal to you, Vicky says, as they can live a long time. Dorothy, one of her old favourites, was nine when she mothered her last brood.

Never buy just one, as they like company, give them a balanced, varied diet, keep them safe and clean with lots of fresh air in their hut, cast your eye carefully over them every day to make sure they’re healthy, and they should be very happy.

They need a variety of surfaces, with bare soil for dust baths, short grass to pick at, rough ground to peck around and trees or bushes for shelter.

The result is more eggs than Vicky and Simon can reasonably be expected to eat. Unless you’re fully registered with Defra, you can’t sell eggs, but you can give them away.

“We barter ours with neighbours when there’s a glut,” Vicky says. “Now there’s the odd fruit cake or bunch of garden flowers comes our way. They bring us nothing but pleasure, our chickens. If you’re suited to it, they repay you 100 times.”

For more information on the Slaley Show on August 8, contact show secretary Vicky Hutchinson, tel 01434 673 782 n

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TRAVEL | SY

The Bijou, Harrogate

When you’re looking for a luxury bed and breakfast, it certainly helps if the host is an experienced hotelier who has worked in some of the world's leading hotels.

This is the case at The Bijou, near Harrogate, which is run by Stephen Watson (ex Hotel du Vin) and his wife Gill. The couple pride themselves on offering guests that much sought-after 'home from home' experience, while spoiling special occasion visitors with chocolates and champagne (don't forget to order these before you arrive…).

A Victorian villa in Harrogate's fashionable Duchy Estate, the B&B has been awarded five stars by the Visit Britain quality assessment scheme, and it certainly deserves them.

There are 10 en-suite rooms furnished in contemporary style, with exquisite little touches like gorgeous fudge on the hospitality tray and bespoke toiletries made from natural products in the bathrooms.

The Coach House provides more private accommodation at the rear of the main building and its two double en-suite rooms are ideal for families or groups.

As well as breakfast, The Bijou also offers afternoon tea between 3pm and 6pm in the lounge and there's also an Honesty Bar if you fancy a nip of something stronger.

The location is perfect for nipping into Harrogate with its Turkish Baths, many boutiques and restaurants, and is a prime location for outdoor types who want to venture into the Yorkshire Dales. Whichever you choose, you can look forward to a stylish welcome home here.

Prices: From £75 per night.

Contact: The Bijou, 17 Ripon Road, Harrogate, HG1 2jL, tel 01423 567 974, www.thebijou.co.uk

Home…away Short breaks and holidays in Britain are absolutely de rigeur this summer, so take our tour of some of Britain’s best B&Bs and boutique hotels to find some fabulous homes away from home

The Neo Hotel, Brighton

Number 43, Arnside, Cumbria

Land of the B&B and small seafront hotels, an establishment has to have a certain something to make its mark in Brighton - and the Neo Hotel certainly does that.

This contemporary, nine-bedroom boutique hotel is luxurious with a capital ‘L' think very expensive wallpapers in vintage patterns, black mosaic bathrooms and satin kimonos instead of bathrobes.

The Neo is perfectly tucked away in a side street off the main seafront, giving it an air of exclusivity. There are some gorgeous little bistros nearby and the famous shopping area of The Lanes isn't far away.

And if all the sea air and London-by-the-sea shopping tires you out, there's a resident therapist on hand to massage away your aches and pains. Then, suitably relaxed, before heading out in the evening, stop in the cocktail bar and sample one of barman Mark's concoctions to really get the party started.

Prices: From £95 per night Contact: 19 Oriental Place, Brighton, BN1 2LL, tel 01273 711 104, www.neohotel.com

The owners of Number 43 are proud of the local produce and design expertise that have helped to make it such a success.

From the lights and the key fobs (designed by Jo Vincent), to the wild boar sausage at breakfast (from Sillfield Farm), there's a wealth of Cumbrian and Lancastrian talent on show here.

This renovated townhouse set at the Southern edge of the Lake District has views across Kent Estuary towards the Lakeland fells and is an ideal mix of coastal cool and country retreat.

When you arrive in this stylish haven you are met with hot beverages and homemade cakes and the option of Bucks Fizz at breakfast. There are five bedrooms, all en-suite, with under-floor heating to take the chill out of you after a day in the fresh air. And they have touches, like Designer’s Guild curtains and Bose music systems, that the most chic weekend rambler will appreciate.

Prices: From £110 per room per night Contact: Number 43, The Promenade, Arnside, Cumbria LA5 0AA, tel 01524 762 761, www.no43.org.uk

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TRAVEL | SY

Gotten Manor, Isle of Wight

Llety Bodfor, Wales

The Isle of Wight is one of those magical childhood holiday destinations - beautiful, always sunny (isn't everywhere in childhood memories?), fun-packed and almost exotic. The memories are so perfect, you might be afraid to go back and face the potential for disappointment.

But any worries are quickly dispelled by a very grown-up break at Gotten Manor in Chale, close to Blackgang and St Catherine's Point in the south of the island.

The Old House is the part of this restored Saxon manor house reserved for bed and breakfast guests. There's a rustic simplicity to the property which brings its own sense of romance; the lime-washed walls, wooden floorboards and roll-top baths taking you back in time, while the fluffy bathrobes and plump pillows ensure you're totally comfortable.

Owner Caroline Gurney-Champion serves up a scrumptious organic breakfast every morning, with homemade preserves and local produce. She’s won awards for her environmentally-friendly business and the house's water supply comes from a nearby stream.

To relive your childhood memories of an always-idyllic Isle of Wight with a grown-up noughties spin on your trip, Gotten Manor fits the bill.

Prices: From £70 per night.

Contact: Gotten Lane, Chale, Isle of Wight, PO38 2HQ, tel 01983 551 368, www.gottenmanor.co.uk

This boutique hotel is perfectly placed in the seaside village of Aberdovey, with stunning views of the Dyfi estuary and Cardigan Bay. There are eight spacious rooms (four of which are suites and ideal for families), all decorated and furnished to the stylish standards you'd expect from talented interior designer Ann Hughes, who happens also to be your hostess.

Think Frette sheets, eye-catching chandeliers and funky, squashy leather sofas for an idea of these gorgeous interiors, while in the sitting room/ dining room/ bar, Ann's husband Gareth has left his record collection on display for you to peruse and play.

With double-ended baths in the rooms and nibbles and drinks in your private fridge, you'll be very inclined to chill out and do very little else during your stay.

Prices: £60 to £160 per night.

Contact: Llety Bodfor, Bodfor Terrace, Aberdyfi, Gwynedd, LL35 0EA, tel 01654 767 475, www.lletybodfor.co.uk

The Boat House, Isle of Bute, Scotland The Isle of Bute, off Scotland's west coast, has been a popular holiday destination with the Scots since Victorian times when Glaswegian day trippers would head out of the city for some R&R. To get there, you need to catch the ferry from Wemyss bay over to Rothesay, the island's capital. The Boat House, which sits on the seafront, is run by Sara and Paul Melvin, who promise to take you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life during your stay. And although the house is only five minutes’ walk from the town, this young couple achieve their aim.

The decor is smart and fresh, there are invigorating power showers in the bathrooms and Sara serves a hearty Scottish breakfast.

In addition, mobility-impaired guests enjoy a ground floor room with wet-room style en-suite bathroom (large enough for wheelchairs) and super kingsize bed, as well as other facilities.

Places of historical interest on the island include Rothesay Castle and Mount Stuart - home to the earls of Bute and venue for Stella McCartney’s wedding in 2003 - and Ascog Hall Fernery & Gardens. There are also numerous bays and secluded beaches, as well as numerous lochs and beautiful countryside to explore.

Prices: From £30 pppn Contact: The Boat House, 15 Battery Place, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9DP, tel 01700 502 696, www.theboathouse-bute.co.uk

Butler House, Kilkenny City, Ireland A mere one-hour drive from Dublin, you’ll find the delightful city of Kilkenny, Ireland’s medieval capital. Butler House is part of the Kilkenny Castle estate, originally home to the Earls of Ormond and which lies at the centre of this vibrant city. A Georgian residence which was originally restored in the 1970s and refurbished several times since, this is a grand house with chic, contemporary furnishings.

You can choose from one of the 13 individually styled rooms or suites and each day begins with a stroll through the beautiful walled garden en-route to the refurbished stables where the breakfast buffet – including full Irish, naturally – is served.

There’s a hotel babysitting service for parents who want to fully appreciate the famous hospitality in Kilkenny’s many pubs and restaurants, and there are also plenty of other attractions to be had.

A word of warning – if you visit in May, book ahead because half of Dublin comes to town for the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival. Likewise in August, when the city’s main draw is the Kilkenny Arts Festival.

Prices: From 80 euros per night for a single room mid-week, to 300 euros for a superior suite, May to October Special deals: Two nights B&B mid-week for 120 euros pp, two nights B&B weekend from 140 euros per person. Special deals during festival weekends (see website) Contact: Butler House, 16 Patrick Street, Kilkenny City, Ireland, tel +353 (0)56 772 2828, www.butler.ie

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Ednovean Farm, Penzance, Cornwall Escape down to Penzance and you'll find this boutique B&B situated in what was a 17th Century granite barn above the village of Perranuthnoe. There are three guest rooms, each with its own terrace and fantastic views over Mounts Bay, St Michael's Mount, Penzance and Mousehole.You can choose from the Blue, Pink or Apricot rooms – each beautifully decorated and featuring chandeliers, roll-top bath and hand-carved four-poster.

The gardens at Ednovean Farm are a highlight and each room has its own garden terrace overlooking the winding paths, immaculate lawns and beautiful courtyards.

You'll probably find it hard to pull yourself away from the luxury of your room and the beauty of its views, but if you do there's St Ives and the Tate nearby, or a host of lovely West Cornish beaches and delightful villages to explore.

Prices: From £85 per night (the Apricot Room), to £105 per night (the Blue Room) Contact: Ednovean Farm, Perranuthnoe, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 9LZ, tel 01736 711 883, www.endoveanfarm.co.uk

LUXURY HOLIDAYS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE TO HOME!

The Crab & Lobster, West Sussex You know, you could do worse than enjoy a leisurely pint of the local brew in this country pub and then decide not to go home.

The guest rooms of this 300-year-old inn are something else, as is the location.

Backing onto Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve, the deluxe rooms are equipped with telescopes and binoculars so you can bird-watch out of your own bedroom window, should the fancy take you.

And that's not the only local attraction, because Chichester is only four miles away, with its Norman cathedral and renowned arts scene, while nearby Goodwood is famous for racing, both horse and motor.

Beach lovers and water sports enthusiasts have West Wittering, just three miles away, to lure them and, with all this going on, it may be difficult to spend quite enough time in the delightful pub where you're staying. Having said that, make sure you do, especially at mealtimes, because there are some fabulous dishes on the menu – crab and lobster ravioli being one of the best - as it should be.

Prices: From £75 per night for a single room; from £120 per night for a double room Contact: The Crab & Lobster, Mill Lane, Sidlesham, West Sussex P020 7NB, tel 01243 641 233, www.crab-lobster.co.uk

Forget the poor exchange rates and the credit crunch. Minimise that carbon footprint. Keep everybody happy by taking a break in a luxury chintz free Coastal Retreats self catering cottage, on the stunning Northumberland Coast.

In prime locations along the coastline from Bamburgh to Craster, our portfolio ranges from boutique seafront apartments to contemporary barn conversions - oozing coastal chic and ideal for families, couples or large groups. All have the benefit of private leisure club membership, so swim, sauna, fitness and massage needs can all be amply accommodated. We can even arrange private catering should you not want to make use of our superbly equipped kitchens!

ROMANTIC BREAKS FAMILY HOLIDAYS CELEBRATIONS HOUSE PARTIES

t: 0191 2851272 info@coastalretreats.co.uk www.coastalretreats.co.uk

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OUT & ABOUT | SY

CRAB & LOBSTER

TRENCHERS RESTAURANT

Asenby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 3QL

New Quay Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire Y021 1DH

Nestled in the heart of the North Yorkshire countryside, the Crab & Lobster is guaranteed to offer you an experience unlike any other. Filled with interesting antiques and old memorabilia, the atmosphere gives an instant sense of character and charm. Although fascinating, it does not draw your attention away from the fabulous food that is freshly prepared and perfectly presented.

Our adjoining hotel, Crab Manor, offers a choice of 14 boutique style rooms, individually designed to reflect a famous hotel from around the world. Each with their own or shared hot tub and sauna facilities, you can relax and unwind whilst enjoying a picture perfect setting.

Trenchers Restaurant is without a doubt one of the finest seafood restaurants in the area. Renowned for its ‘posh fish and chips’, Trenchers offers a wide range of fresh fish dishes, from halibut steak to the more traditional cod or scampi. It’s not only the food that makes Trenchers so appealing - with their famous Tiffany lamps and limitless supply of fresh flowers, the restaurant has been designed to create a bright and friendly ambience and the staff never fail to be attentive to your every need.

Winner of ‘Loo of the Year Award 2008’.

Ideal for weddings - please contact us to discuss your requirements

Book online at www.crabandlobster.co.uk or telephone 01845 577286 for a brochure

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For further information visit www.trenchersrestaurant.co.uk or telephone 01947 603212

Collections Boutique

nd Make-Up Artists

HiddenGems

IF YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT FOOD …

We all need a treat now and again.

Jane Pikett finds some special places to shop, eat and stay awhile

nd Make-Up Artists

Collections Boutique, MetroCentre

Admit it, we’d all love to have our own make up artist on hand every morning in the style of American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and our heads have been turned lately by the talents of Nick Slesser and Dan Hall of nd Make Up Artists, who only launched last year and are already making the region’s women more beautiful.

The girls, who create exquisite looks for weddings, balls and proms in addition to pushing their creative boundaries for fashion shows and magazine shoots, share an enviable pedigree.

Nick studied fashion in London and worked for international designer Betty Jackson in addition to being awarded a prestigious RSA Design Award, while Dan studied fashion, photographic and theatrical make-up before becoming a retail make-up artist. She also trains other make-up artists.

Both girls use professional MAC Cosmetics in their work and, while the bridal, proms and balls side of the business is very much about making their clients look naturally beautiful, the girls’ fashion and magazine work - as you can see from the striking look pictured on this page - is all about putting their own highly innovative stamp on catwalk shows and photo shoots. nd Make-Up Artists, tel 07837 891 378 www.ndmakeupartists.co.uk

The new season at Collections, the MetroCentre’s new accessories boutique, features gorgeous statement bags from designer fashion houses plus – and exclusively – fabulous Radley ‘Select’ bags you can’t get anywhere else.

The new season’s gorgeous Select Poppy totes are exquisite, lifetime bags, beautifully designed and worked from the most sumptuous leather. We’d expect them to retail at £500-£600, yet they come in at a fantastic £200-£240.

They are wonderfully spacious yet surprisingly light, with beautiful coiled handles.

You can choose from two shapes – a soft barrel with fold-over top and gathered slouchy sides tied with woven leather cord, or a larger saddle-shape with multi-way handles.

Collections boutique is also home to stunning bags from designer names like DKNY, Diesel, Coccinelle, Guess, Francesco Biasia, and Claudio Ferrici, all of them loved by fashionistas the world over.

Jewellery from Antica Murrina, Truth charms and Pilgrim also features in an enviable collection you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else under one roof, and the atmosphere is so friendly and relaxed, no-one minds you trying it all on to your heart’s content. Heavenly!

Collections, Yellow Mall, MetroCentre, Gateshead

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Davidsons the Jewellers

HiddenGems

SY | OUT & ABOUT

The Kitchen Centre

Gourmet Spot Restaurant

Gourmet Spot Restaurant and Farnley Tower Hotel, Durham City

The Kitchen Centre

The Gourmet Spot, also known as the G-Spot, in Durham City’s Neville’s Cross, has made quite a name for itself in the city since it opened in 2007, making its mark with molecular gastronomy and bold, artistic cuisine created with local ingredients.

The restaurant has now taken on Ashley Paynton, 26, previously head chef at Fisherman’s Lodge in Jesmond, Newcastle and a former protégée of Roux Fine Dining to further explore his own brand of modern British cuisine.

The restaurant has attracted numerous accolades since it opened in 2007, winning industry awards and attracting praise from regional and national food critics for its adventurous dishes. Ashley, meanwhile, who won the Academy of Culinary Arts’ Award for Excellence 2007, is offering a wonderful tasting menu and a daily a la carte including such gems as locally landed halibut with blood oranges, mussels and vanilla fish cream, or crispy goat’s cheese ravioli with walnut purée, orange caramelised chicory and red amaranth cress.

Fortuitously for those of us who don’t much enjoy having to wend our way home after a night out, The G Spot is housed within Farnley Tower Hotel – a restored Victorian mansion with views over the city and comfy bedrooms just yards from your dinner table.

Gourmet Spot Restaurant, The Avenue, Durham, DH1 4DX, tel 0191 384 6655, www.gourmet-spot.co.uk

The Kitchen Centre’s six showrooms have recently been revamped, which is all the better for displaying their beautifully bespoke, luxurious kitchens and bedrooms.

A family-run business for more than 30 years, The Kitchen Centre’s craftsmen handle every bit of the process from initial design to final installation, and they come highly recommended.

Luxury brands include Sub Zero, Wolf, Miele, Britannia, Elica and Bosch and they offer an inspirational range of designs and finishes with fully integrated appliances.

The company’s showrooms in Newcastle, Gateshead, North Shields, Crawcrook, Guide Post and Hexham are a pleasure and an inspiration to visit and, from granite and glass to timber and composite work surfaces, all the kitchens are finished to the highest standard. Every single unit they fit is purpose-built in the company’s factory and, contemporary or traditional, the quality is superb.

In addition, and despite the name, The Kitchen Centre is also home to an impressive range of bedroom furniture which echoes the style and flexibility of its superb kitchen range.

The Kitchen Centre, www.the-kitchencentre.co.uk

Davidsons the Jewellers, Newcastle Because we are drawn like magpies to all things sparkling, we love Davidsons the Jewellers, home to an exquisite collection of classic and contemporary pieces and a workshop where gorgeous bespoke designs are created just for you.

Fittingly for a business founded back in 1898, Davidsons’ home is at the heart of Newcastle’s historic Grey Street, where the fourth generation of the family, Tony and Helen Davidson, preserve the business’s long reputation.

In addition to a goldsmith who designs bespoke pieces and restores and re-designs family heirlooms, the Davidsons’ team includes qualified gemologists who can advise on gems and source items especially for you.

Davidsons also stocks an exclusive range of prestigious designer pieces, including Lapponia jewellery from Helsinki and Baccarat crystal from Paris, plus an extensive range of giftware in silver, crystal, leather, enamel and porcelain.

Davidsons the Jewellers, Grey St, Newcastle, tel 0191 232 2551, and online at www.davidsonsthejewellers.co.uk

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Alnwick Rum An historic rum recipe has been revived from a family’s past to fire the spirit of Northumberland.

Alnwick Rum, a heady blend of Guyana and Jamaica rum, dates back to the First World War and was produced by the family-run Alnwick Brewery Company, founded in the 1860s and closed in 1986.

When Ian Linsley found the original recipe among his late father’s papers in 2001, he was inspired and, two years later, he re-registered the company and revived the drink. Now the Alnwick Rum Company, of which Ian is managing director, has registered Spirit of Northumberland as a trademark for all its drinks in the UK, which include Alnwick IPA, re-introduced in 2007 some 50 years after it was last brewed.

Alnwick Rum enthusiasts now include wine expert Oz Clarke and Alnwick IPA is sold in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Fenwick and the Co-op. The rum is described as a ‘unique and complex blend of pot-still and continuous-still rums from Jamaica and Guyana’, and it has a full, rich taste and a dark chocolate and mature fruit and raisin aroma. Delicious!

For stockist details and to buy online, see www.alnwickrum.com

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HiddenGems

SY | OUT & ABOUT

NEWCASTLE - EUROPE

CRUISE YOUR CAR TO EUROPE COMFORTABLE, ENJOYABLE, AFFORDABLE

GET A JOURNEY LIKE NO OTHER Save the long drive south to Dover and sail from Newcastle to Amsterdam, the gateway to Europe. Swap the service stations and motorways for a DFDS Seaways cruise ferry and travel the relaxing way – every day.

Once on board, see what’s on at the cinema, check out the shops, relax with a drink in the bar or embrace the fresh sea air out on deck. Enjoy a delicious meal, and then watch the live entertainment before a good night’s sleep in your own cabin. After breakfast, arrive refreshed, ready for your European adventure.

BOOK EARLY AND ONLINE, TRAVEL FOR LESS

CROSSIN RY G ER

S

F

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• Excellent income and capital growth potential • Fully managed by Sol Melia Group • All year round climate • High quality development • Adjacent to proposed Nikki Beach Club and two Ernie Els designed golf courses

£

CAR PLUS 2

No1 Sallyport and the Liquid Lounge, Berwick upon Tweed Singled out for many national awards, 1 Sallyport is a fab boutique B&B where thoroughly modern, funky interiors meld seamlessly with an historic setting to create a wonderfully glamorous haven.

Its equally glam proprietor, Lizzie Middlemiss, has also now just added The Liquid Lounge to the set up; spending a whacking £1 million to create a seriously sophisticated space where champagne cocktails are very much the thing and a grand piano and visiting bands ensure the place goes with a swing.

The Liquid Lounge combines champagne bar with brasserie to create a chic, cosmopolitan experience open seven days a week from breakfast till late for light bites, lunches and dinner, all overseen by food and beverage manager Jordon Connelly, formerly of Gleneagles Hotel.

1 Sallyport and The Liquid Lounge are housed in a gorgeous 17th Century listed townhouse nestled among the tiny lanes and cobbled alleyways of medieval Berwick.

This historic setting contrasts nicely with the contemporary interiors and funky design touches, where comfort and contemporary styling are very definitely not mutually exclusive.

Goose down duvets, fluffy towels, white bed linen and fresh flowers all make 1 Sallyport special and guests have access to the kitchen where they can make their own cafetiere coffee and help themselves to home-baked shortbread or fruitcake and drinks from an honesty bar.

The huge breakfast menu includes Craster kippers, fruit compote, home made vanilla waffles and oatmeal porridge served with cream and Drambuie, just as it should be.

1 Sallyport, off Bridge Street, Berwick upon Tweed, TD15 1EZ, tel 01289 308 827, www.sallyport.co.uk

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WHERE:

INVEST NOW! WWW.DFDS.CO.UKÊÊUÊ WWW W.DFDS.CO.UK .DFDS.CO.UK KÊÊUÊ ÊÊ Ê 0871 882 2 0885

For further details contact: Janet Hopkinson: janet.hopkinson@sandersonyoung.co.uk

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