The Best Value Stay in Northumberland - The Bunkhouse at Calico Barn, Hemscott Hill Farm

I wasn't going to write about our latest adventure at Hemscott Hill Farm, only because our visit coincided with a Summer's day that looked anything but Summery. Torrential downpours, strong winds and angry dark skies welcomed us to Druridge Bay for our overnight stay at The Bunkhouse at Calico Barn - not exactly the beautiful Summer break we had been planning and it definitely didn't result in beautifully lit photographs.

But as this little space of mine is all about sharing our favourite discoveries in the North East it would be very wrong of me not to tell you about our latest, I think we may have found the best value stay in Northumberland and believe me, it's something you need to know about. Our stay only cost us £25.00 each for an overnight break - pinch me!

If you're not familiar with Hemscott Hill Farm then allow me to give you a little introduction. They are a wonderful family run working farm nestled in the beautiful Northumberland countryside a short stroll from the sandy beaches of Druridge Bay and the perfect place to head if you fancy a break with a difference. They have the most stunning bar inside a barn (I'm talking full on magical fairy lights and hay bales), offer alpaca walking, glamping in their cosy Shepherds Hut and an amazing events diary filled with live music, gin nights and murder mystery parties.

We had decided to visit for gin night and after debating about who should drive home afterwards reached the conclusion that maybe we should stay over, and that's when we discovered the amazing Calico Barn. Calico Barn at Hemscott Hill Farm is a lovingly restored barn that's been transformed into a bunkhouse ideal for walkers, cyclists, hen parties, family parties and erm ... a couple from Newcastle who really like gin!

Arriving at Calico Barn after a pretty miserable drive through Northumberland in the pouring rain we were thrilled to step through the doors and into such a welcoming environment. The Barn has a communal living room with comfy chairs and a wood burner (which you wouldn't think we'd need in June but believe me it was very welcome on our visit!) which leads through into a little dining area and then to the kitchen.

Calico Barn is a great no fuss place to stay and allows you to be completely self sufficient which is sometimes exactly what you need when enjoying a break. We had a code to allow us access to the Barn and if there was no one about when we arrived we had all the information we needed inside to let us know what room we were in and the pin for our door.

The Bunkhouse at Calico Barn sleeps a total of 18 people in bunk beds spread across five bedrooms made up of two twin rooms, two quads and a six bed dorm room. With only one other person booked in the night of our stay, Simon and I booked a twin room but were very kindly given a quad to give us a bit of extra space. Our room was simply furnished but really comfortable and cosy and, I have to admit, we were completely thrilled at the idea of sleeping in bunk beds.  I hadn't slept in one since I was a kid.

Settling down for the night we both decided we wanted to go for a climb and sleep in top bunks. I will admit I was a little nervous about what may happen if I needed the toilet in the middle of the night, having safely got myself up to a top bunk I was determined not to move again until morning. Each bunk comes with a little power point and shelf to put your phone (essential!) and the wifi is super fast - we enjoyed snuggling up in our separate beds catching up on social media ... I'm sure other married couples will agree with me that sometimes it's actually quite nice to have your own space for the night.

After a great night's sleep I was awake early and ready to begin my day. There are three shared bathrooms at Calico Barn each fully enclosed with a loo, shower and basins. If, like me, you are a little squeamish about sharing your personal space don't worry the bathrooms are super clean and there are instructions in all the rooms encouraging guests to clean up after themselves.

All rooms include a basic self serve breakfast of cereals, porridge and toast which you can prepare yourself in the shared kitchen. As I had surfaced quite a bit earlier than Simon I made myself breakfast and enjoyed some nice quiet time in the living room reading some of the tourist leaflets (it doesn't matter how long I live here, I will always lose my head over tourist leaflets!)

We enjoyed our stay at Calico Barn so much and both agreed it's not only a fantastic budget stay for a couple but it's also a really great place to host a party. I've started to think I may host my impending 40th birthday with some of my closest friends, I just think it would be such an incredible place to celebrate!

As always we loved our experience at Hemscott Hill Farm and I just can't wait to see what they've got up their sleeve next.

What you need to know:

• Prices at Calico Barn start from only £25.00 for a single bed in a shared dorm
• Twin Rooms cost £50.00 per room per night (single use £40.00), Quad Rooms are £100.00 per room per night and the Six Bed Dorm Room costs £150.00 per room per night
• All rooms include bedding and a simple self service breakfast (towels are not included)
• Calico Barn is available for party bookings but only if booked for exclusive use by prior arrangement
• There are various activities available at Hemscott Hill Farm including Alpaca Walking, The Gin Club and Old Tom's Bar as well as Live Music Nights and Supper Clubs - check the website for up to date information 

Find Calico Barn at:

Hemscott Hill Farm
Widdrington
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 5EQ

tractorsandtents.com/

01670 458 118