Go everywhere, Do everything

We booked this property by default as it was the only one available that slept the right number of people and was available on the dates we needed. We really hit the jackpot though as it was gorgeous, cosy and had everything we needed for a perfect week long stay over new year.

We arrived on 27th December and the lodge was beautifully decorated for Christmas including a Christmas tree and fairy lights around the outside of the building.

The Lodge

Mount Hooley is a proper log cabin, not just wooden cladded. There is even a photo book showing the building process if you are interested. It really feels like it has been lovingly put together and everything feels new and comfortable.

The lodge is owned my the farm which is nearby. The farmer came down on our first night to make sure that we knew how everything worked and to give us their contact details. He also gave us some fabulous tips for places to eat and local walks.

The cabin sleeps 8 with two king sized rooms and two doubles. These can also be made up as twin rooms. The two larger rooms are located on one side of the living area with a bathroom between them and the two smaller rooms on the other side, again with a bathroom between the rooms.

One bathroom has a large walk in shower and the other a bath with an over bath shower.

The living area is a large room with the kitchen and dining table at one end and the living room at the other end next to a full wall of bifold doors overlooking the decking and with fabulous views over the valley. The living area has seating for 10 so plenty of space and the dining table seats 8. There is also seating at the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

There is a small utility room/ entrance hall with a sink, second fridge, freezer and washing machine. Perfect for keeping muddy boots contained in one area.

The lodge has underfloor heating throughout and was always warm and comfortable, there is also a log burner for added cosiness.

The kitchen is really well equipped. We cooked nearly every night we stayed and there was all the utensils and pots and pans that we needed. There is a gas hob, electric oven and microwave, also an air fryer and toaster.

Outside

There is a large decking area at the back of the property with views over the valley. In the summer there is a table and chairs for outdoor dining and loungers for enjoying the sunshine.

The decking also has the hot tub which has the same views across the valley and was perfect for warming up after wintery walks.

As a bonus the lodge also has Scandinavian barbecue cabin which the kids loved for cooking sausages and roasting marshmallows. There is also an outdoor fire-pit for fires when the weather is a bit nicer.

There is plenty of parking outside the lodge.

Location

The lodge is on a farm just outside the market town of Alston, the lodge was built and is run by the family who own the farm.

The farm is at the top of a hill and the road up to it is mostly road with one slightly steeper part and a track for the last part. You should be ok in most vehicles unless you have a particularly low car. We were told that if the weather got very bad the track is gritted and there is always the option of leaving the cars at the bottom of the hill and getting a lift in one of the farm vehicles if there is bad snow.

The lodge is a 5 minute drive from Alston and about a 20 minute walk (slightly longer on the way back because of the uphill part).

Nearby

Alston is the nearest town and while it is a small market town it does have a Spar, Coop and several pubs and cafes. There is also an excellent outdoor shop and gift shops and art galleries.

High Force waterfall is about a 30 minute drive away and the nearest large town is probably Penrith although it is less than an hour’s drive to Hexham, Keswick and Carlisle as well as lot of other places.

Provided

• Bath robes – gorgeous fluffy bathrobes in all bedrooms
• Towels – Everyone gets plenty of towels so you don’t need to bring your own for the hot tub.
• Wifi – the internet was very good and the one time it did go off, the farm sorted it quickly.
• Tea, coffee and sugar to get you started.

Packing List

• Extra fire wood for the log burner or fire pit – a basket of wood and kindling is provided to get you started. The petrol station, Spar and Hardware shop in Alston all sell wood if you need to top up.
• Charcoal for the barbecue hut.
• Torches – it’s an easy walk home from Alston but very dark so a torch is useful.
• Barbecue food for the Barbecue cabin