Keepers

We have had a wonderful holiday in Keepers, the sun room was so warm and comfy with beautiful views across the valley.

Seeing the birds and red squirrel come into the garden to feed was such a lovely sight. Thanks to Jo and Mark for being so welcoming and leaving eggs and very tasty scones. Sue and Paul

We decided to visit Cumbria with our dog to escape Bonfire night in the city.

Keepers Cottage certainly provided a calm, tranquil atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed the week in a cosy, warm, clean well equipped cottage. Thank you to Jo and Mark for the welcome pack and your hospitality.

Think I could say it’s the best place I have stayed.

Scenery is just amazing watching the birds and red squirrel come feeding so close. Owners are so lovely and friendly will definitely be staying again, such. A peaceful place .

Fantastic cottage in a lovely, peaceful, rural area.

The freshly laid eggs and scones on arrival were very much appreciated. The views from the sunroom are amazing even on a dull day. You could spend hours watching the birds and red squirrels on the feeders. Mark and Jo are fantastic hosts and are there if you needed them. Very relaxing break, would highly recommend.

This was our second visit to keepers cottage and again it was an enjoyable week .

It is so peaceful but not far from the village shop and Alston is a few miles down the road if you need more supplies. We were once again welcomed with yummy home made scones and freshly laid eggs . The sunroom is a fantastic space with great views and with feeders outside the windows you can watch a variety of birds and the red squirrels. Thanks to hosts Jo and Mark for another lovely week.

Keepers cottage was wonderful, a lovely tranquil and delightful escape.

Hosts Mark and Jo were great with loads of advice local attractions. We will def be back. Neil.

Lovely cottage - especially the sunroom.

Lovely scones and eggs on arrival. Owners really helpful. We will return!!

We had a terrific stay here.

The sunroom especially is so immersed in the fells that we were able to enjoy the outdoors even when the weather was too bad to walk in. A lightning storm at night was spectacular! Chickens and red squirrels and birds made the garden a delight too. It was super clean; the bedroom was very dark at night; the kitchen was stocked with everything we needed including stainless steel pans (not flaking non-stick); I could go on!!

Great cottage and the hosts where superb with eggs and beautiful scones on arrival, great conservatory for watching the birds and red squirrels, perfect location for walking.

Many thanks Jo & Mark (MOT)

Beautiful quirky cottage with everything we needed for a comfortable stay.

The scenery on the journey to the cottage is breathtaking. Sitting in the conservatory with stunning views, watching the birds and red squirrels feed is so relaxing. The path down to the cottage is uneven and on a slope, so care needs to be taken. The Nook farm shop and cafe is worth a visit with excellent breakfast baps and coffee. Remember to get your provisions on the way to the cottage as the nearest supermarket we found was Barnard Castle or Penrith both some distance away...there is a small coop and spar in Alston. Mark and Jo were excellent hosts and the treat of homemade scones and eggs were very tasty. The area is remote with wide open spaces of hills and valleys....very relaxing. We enjoyed trips out to Penrith, Carlisle and Hexham .....the road from Alston to Penrith over Hartside Fall is a must...challenging but worth it ...even more of a challenge coming back up! Overall, wonderful hosts, comfy cottage, stunning scenery. We would highly recommend.

My stay at keepers cottage was amazing the red squirrels and birds in morning was amazing and set me up for the day fantastic place to relax nice walks and the hosts where great very helpful on places to go and do definitely going back if health let me

We had a great time at keepers cottage outlook from the sunroom is absolutely stunning.

Lots of nice walks available from the cottage no need to drive. Jo &Mark are wonderful hosts full of useful information if required and the eggs and scones provided on arrival was a loverly touch much appreciated. Would highly recommend this loverly cottage to anyone. Thanks Jo & Mark had a great weekend.

We had such a lovely, relaxing birthday weekend.

The location is stunning, the cottage was comfortable and the owners, Jo & Mark, were friendly and helpful owners. And it was lovely to meet Crumble too, much better manners than our black Labrador! Extra points for the first chicken eggs of the season - they were yummy! Thank you so much, we will be back! Simon, Karen & Joni

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Keepers Cottage.

Jo and Mark were the perfect hostes - nothing was too much trouble. Mark was a mine of information about the local neighbourhood - walks, must-see places to visit etc. We even got to meet his grand-daughter, who was a delight. We'll definitely be back again.

Keepers is a lovely cottage.

Ideal for a couple. Everything you need, and very comfortable with lovely rural views. The setting is stunning with the sun room overlooking super rural views, and the bird feeders kept well stocked by the owners, Jo and Mark, providing views of many local species at close quarters. Jo and Mark are lovely hosts, really focused on providing an excellent visitor experience. We hope to be returning again to this lovely cottage in a beautiful setting. Thank you both.

Lovely, quiet location, thoroughly enjoyed watching the wildlife from the sun room and upstairs at the dining table and chairs, we'll miss watching the bunnies at breakfast!

The cottage has everything you need, Mark and Jo are lovely hosts who are genuinely invested in making sure you enjoy your stay at their beautiful cottage.

"Finders keepers" Well what a lovely homely inviting cottage this is.

My husband and i knew from the moment we arrived that we were going to enjoy our stay here. On arrival we were met by the owners Mark and Jo and given a tour of the cottage, from the conservatory the views are amazing especially watching birds too and frowing to the the feeders is very entertaining. Jo left us eggs from their chickens, and delicious home made scones that went down a treat with our first cup of tea. After spending days out and about we looked forward to returning to the peace tranquility, and the views that this cottage offers. The bed was very comfortable, and we found the layout and facilities of the cottage worked very well for us. Mark and Jo are very welcoming, never intrusive, and happy to share recommendations of things to see and do, also providing many leaflets of attractions for you discover. Thank you for sharing your lovely cottage, we would recommend this place to anyone seeking beautiful surroundings, with lots of places to visit within a short drive, and we would love to return in the near future. Best wishes Sandie & Roger

Keepers Cottage is a lovely quirky cottage set on the hillside near Nenthead.

The views from the sun room are wonderful during the day with copious amounts of birds visiting the well stocked bird feeders right outside of the window. You will also see a red squirrel visiting the feeders as well as a woodpecker. The sheep on the hillside in front of you are fun to watch as well as the rabbits. The sunsets at night are also gorgeous and it’s hard to tear yourself away from the peace and tranquility of such a lovely place. We loved our time at Keepers and would highly recommend it. The hosts are so friendly and helpful, meeting us on our arrival and showing us around. We were also welcomed with homemade scones and free range eggs, Yummy! We must say the hosts were the most friendliest people we have encountered on our stays within the 30 plus cottages we have holidayed in. The Pennies are an outstanding source of beauty with quaint little villages scattered around, well worth a visit. We enjoyed visits to Barnard Castle, Hexham and Carlisle. Alston have a lovely railway which meanders through the countryside. Lots of things to see and do with plenty of lovely walks. We would highly recommend staying here and visiting the beautiful areas of the North. You won’t meet more friendlier people than the Northerners!

Wonderful place watching birds out the window with beautiful view.

Lovely hosts couldn’t do enough for us, had homemade scones on arrival. A nice luxury to have bathrobes to lounge in and enjoy the tranquil ambience of the cottage, watching the sheep, didn’t realise the sleep such a long time . One of the best cottages we’ve stayed at , and that’s a lot

Thoroughly enjoyed the stay, views are fantastic.

Mark and Jo make you feel most welcome perfect hosts

Me and my girlfriend stayed at Keepers Cottage in late May and it was a wonderful experience.

Jo and Mark were very attentive without being intrusive. They've got the balance just right. A shame the weather wasn't on our side but we'd love to come back. It's the peace and quiet that we remember the most.

Had such a wonderful stay, we didn't want to leave.

Cottage is perfect for two people (and the dog!) and has everything you need for a holiday. Location was beyond perfect for us - lots of walks straight from the front door and many more a short drive away. Secluded enough to be private but without being isolated. Absolutely will be coming back!

We have just had a lovely few days at Keepers Cottage.

Jo and Mark are great hosts, very helpful but in no way intrusive. The sunroom is where we spent a lot of our time watching the wildlife and enjoying the wonderful views. Keepers Cottage is a very clean, comfortable and welcoming place to stay. We would love to stay again.

No and mark were perfect owners, scones and eggs on arrival, full tour of the property and how the house worked .

Told us about location and local walks and local beauty spots. The sun room was perfect to unwind in watch wildlife and the weather fronts coming across the hills. We passed on a couple of other places that they were not aware of as they are also new to the area. Mark had left a detailed folder of some of the local birdwatching and footpaths, which was brilliant, we hope to return, just need to book now and decide when to go Thanks very much Tony and Rachel

Always a wonderful stay here.

Already booked another week away next year.

We absolutely loved The Keepers!

The sun room was a major attraction (despite the lack of sun!) for the views and wildlife watching. We had everything we needed and lots of extra touches. Jo and Mark were great hosts. We will definitely be returning!

Homely and cosy cottage.

Amazing views from the sun room. We spent two weeks here and it just flew past with the wonderful surroundings. Jo and Mark made us feel very welcome with just the right blend of care and contact.

Had a wonderful time on our week long stay.

Mark and Jo are very welcoming and even supplied us with scones and eggs. Incredibly peaceful place with wonderful views. Didn’t get to see a squirrel though but plenty of other wildlife, oh and chickens lots of chickens. The cottage is quaint and perfect for 2 people and we would stay again 100%

Quite dated the cottage was comfortable but if anyone has some mobility problems the stairs are a problem.

Downstairs quite a cold area. Fantastic views from the sun lounge and lovely to just sit and chill. Jo and Mark very welcoming gave us lovely fresh eggs from the chickens who visited us at frequent intervals. We very much enjoyed our visit and would recommend the cottage to others.

We have just returned from a lovely week at keepers cottage with its stunning views and peaceful location .

The owners Mark and Jo gave us a very warm welcome along with some home made scones and freshly laid eggs . The sunroom at the rear of the property is lovely as it looks out over the surrounding countryside and there is a variety of birds to see visiting the feeders ,the resident red squirrel popped up occasionally as well. Peace and tranquillity definitely high on the agenda here,we loved it .

I had a lovely time at Keepers Cottage it was everything I had expected and wanted.

It was quiet in a beautiful moorland setting, with lovely walks and the sound of curlew, lapwing and oyster catcher, very evocative. The hosts Mark and Jo were welcoming, interesting to talk to and made sure that everything went smoothly. The view from the verandah was beautiful especially when a red squirrel turned up! If you want a peaceful retreat with great walks it is the perfect place I certainly hope to go again.

Fab cottage.

Beautiful scenery. So quiet. Lovely wild life (especially Red Squirrels, Deer and Woodpecker). Great hosts. Thank you Mark and Jo. In those famous words "I'll be back!"

So good.

..! Mark and Jo are a joy, very nice people indeed, very helpful and genuine, and the accommodation / local area was perfect for a relaxing break. I extended my stay for a second week in a different cottage, and both Keepers Cottage and The Bothry were simply excellent. Overall, 10/10, very highly recommended (even if Mark is a Leeds fan!!). Regards, Stu.

Had a very enjoyable stay at keepers cottage, the wildlife is unbelievable, Red Squirrels, Woodpecker’s, pheasants to name but a few, local chickens keep you amused for most of the day, best nights sleep I’ve had in a long while in the very comfortable bed, everything you need in the kitchen, thank you to Jo and Mark for the scones and eggs on arrival and your friendly hospitality.

Hopefully we will be back.

Thoroughly enjoyed our week away.

The cottage was warm and cosy and we enjoyed the homemade scones. It was very peaceful and we loved listening to the owls at night. Spent our time in the sunroom enjoying watching the chickens, rabbits and wild birds. Jo and Mark were excellent hosts. We will definitely be returning.

Fantastic property in a stunning location.

Our hosts Jo and Mark very outgoing and made us very welcome and the scones were a very welcoming gesture on our arrival .They were extremely helpful with useful hints and suggestions for the local area. A great base for seeing the North Pennines , lots of things to do and see. We will definitely be back .

Lovely hosts Jo and Mark, very helpful and fabulous people.

We had a wonderful stay, the area is secluded and peaceful, the cottage was cosy and perfect for watching the wildlife, unwinding and an escape from the world.

The sunroom was warm and inviting, had amazing views, with visits from red squirrels, garden birds which included woodpeckers and the owners chickens. The owners were friendly and inviting and welcomed us with beautifully made scones and jam. Would fully recommend for a relaxing holiday.

lovely quiet cottage lovely outlook and surroundings .

hosts mark and jo were very welcoming ,the scones went down well with a nice cup of tea,a lovely place to get away from it all we hope to return

Cosy cottage great base for seeing the historical sights, great for stargazers

Keepers is quirky but comfortable and in the middle of a lovely area of the country.

The owners are very friendly and helpful but unobtrusive. It's in a very quiet and rural location but only a couple of miles from the lovely town of Alston.

Very friendly staff and very helpful, overall very happy with my stay and i would highly recommend!