Baytree Cottage is a stone-built farmhouse cottage on Alndyke Farm, a mile outside Alnwick in Northumberland. The farm has been run by the same family, the Davisons, for four generations. It's a working farm and guests regularly spot livestock and cereal fields right around the cottage. Sleeping six across three bedrooms, it suits families or small groups wanting a proper Northumberland base.

The setting is quiet countryside, but you're never far from anything. Footpaths lead straight from the cottage into Alnwick, including a riverside route along the Aln. Cycle paths run from the farm towards the coast and the region's castles. Keen train spotters get a bonus here too: the Aln Valley heritage steam railway runs through the farmland and you can watch the steam trains pass when they're running.

Inside, the ground floor has a large sitting room built around an inglenook fireplace with an inset wood-burning stove, furnished with vintage leather sofas. The kitchen/diner seats six for home-cooked meals. Upstairs there's a king-size bedroom, a double and a twin, plus a family bathroom with bath and shower. Outside, an enclosed lawned garden and private patio catch the morning sun and there's off-road parking for three cars.

Alnwick Castle and its famous gardens, home to Europe's largest cascading water feature, are just a mile away (5 minutes by car), best known as a Harry Potter filming location. Alnmouth's beach is 4 miles off (10 minutes). Bamburgh Castle sits 15 miles up the coast (30 minutes). Rothbury, gateway to the Northumberland National Park, is 10 miles away (20 minutes).

Baytree Cottage suits anyone wanting a cosy, well-equipped farmhouse base with the coast, castles and countryside all within easy reach. One well-behaved pet is welcome too. Check your dates for a great Northumberland break at Baytree.