Belle View Cottage in the Durham Dales

Belle View cottage is set on the moors at Bollihope, 2 miles above Frosterley in Weardale, County Durham which is in the North Pennines National Landscape. The cottage is owned by Phil and Sue, who moved up from Nottingham in 2017 and are following their dream of living in the countryside.

The cottage sleeps up to 3 guests (one king and one single room) and is dog friendly (up to two well behaved dogs, over 9 months in age). The small cottage garden is secure, the ideal place to enjoy the sun with a morning coffee.  Guests are also welcome to sit in the owner's main garden and many visitors enjoy relaxing there, enjoying the view of the surrounding moorland and listening to the birds.  Plenty of walks from the door and amazing views of the surrounding countryside. Please bear in mind the final 100 metres to the cottage is accessed by a country track. Bookings are Friday-Friday.  Short breaks are available in winter.

 

The moors are also home to sheep, and its great fun to welcome the lambs in spring. Bollihope Burn runs below the house and offers lovely walks to the Forgotten Quarry, just one of many walks in the area. Phil is always happy to suggest a route to suit you, whether you want a short amble, some sightseeing or are tackling longer routes - for example up to Pawlaw Pike and the Elephant Trees which can be walked from the door. We are also near to long distance paths: The Weardale Way and the Northern Saints Trail. Many visitors enjoy the walk to Slitt Woods – a lovely trail up through woodland alongside a stream with many waterfalls, coming out to an area once used for lead mining with a wealth of history. You can then walk over the moors and take a track back to Westgate with amazing views of the dale.  

Belle View Cottage now has Dark Skies accreditation from Visit County Durham.  The cottage faces the moor, offers binoculars and information about the night sky, which all make it dark skies friendly.  At the end of October events in the North Pennines Stargazing Festival take place nearby.

 

There are plenty of places to visit in Weardale and the surrounding area from Killhope Lead Mining Museum to Beamish open air museum which tells the story of life in the north east from 1820 to the 1950s. We are only about an hour from Hadrian's Wall and the beautiful coast. The bustling city of Durham is home to the magnificent Cathedral which is a world Heritage site, the university Botanic Gardens and Oriental Museum. The little villages of the dale are worth exploring and the surrounding scenery is stunning while the village of Blanchland, with its creamy stone buildings and priory church is a stunning drive away over the moors. Over in Teesdale, High Force and Low Force waterfalls are perennial attractions for our visitors.