Bilton Farm Cottage No1 is a renovated stone cottage in the small village of Bilton, four miles from Alnwick in Northumberland. Sleeping two, it sits on a working farm and guests regularly spot chickens, sheep, pigs and cows from the property. The two-bedroom layout suits couples or a small family, with thick walls that keep noise out and heating from night storage heaters plus an electric fire stove.

Bilton is a rural village setting, quiet and unfussy, with mature trees framing the outlook. Alnmouth is 1.3 miles away, reachable on foot in around 25 minutes or by car in about 10. There you'll find shops, pubs, restaurants, a links golf course, fishing rivers and miles of sandy beach. The train station at Alnmouth is a five-minute walk, giving direct links to Newcastle, Edinburgh and Berwick for easy day trips without needing the car.

Inside there's a bunk room suited to a child, plus a family room with a double and a single bed. The ground floor shower room has a walk-in shower, basin and WC. A homely sitting/dining room has sofas, a dining table and an electric fire stove and the kitchen keeps quirky tiles alongside an oven, hob, microwave, fridge and washing machine. Stairs are steep and narrow with handrails on both sides, so a stair gate is worth considering for young children.

Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden, including the Poison Garden, are 4 miles away (around 15 minutes' drive). Warkworth Castle and its riverside walks are a short drive too. Seahouses, with boat trips out to the Farne Islands, is about 30 minutes away. Craster, known for its harbour and kipper smokehouse, is also within easy reach along the coast.

This is a huge, secure garden guests praise again and again for dogs and children to run about in, with lawn, garden furniture and a countryside backdrop. Two well-behaved dogs are welcome. Many guests are repeat visitors, some returning for over a decade. Book Bilton Farm Cottage No1 today for a Northumberland break by the coast and castles.