AD| We were kindly invited to stay at Weardale Retreat Shepherds hut over the Jubilee Weekend.
We finally had a few days child free whilst the boys were away with Scouts, so when Carol got in touch with the dates they were perfect for us. I am so glad we visited, it is such a beautiful place to relax and unwind and forget all about life for a while with, the added bonus of rolling hill views.
I have to say that Carol and John are just amazing hosts and they have done a wonderful job creating such a lovely getaway space.
Weardale Retreat Shepherds Hut is a luxury getaway that sleeps two, with a wood fired hot tub.. Located on a working farm with postcard ready views across the Durham dales.
Scroll down to see more pictures
Our Stay
Upon arrival we were greeted by the lovely Carol, who handed us a basket for Afternoon tea. Parking is outside of the farm house, where you will also find an EV Charger, which free to use. This was a huge bonus for us, as we have recently gone electric. We had the pleasure of meeting Brett the collie, who is just adorable and he did have his belly scratched before we left on the Sunday. There are also a few chickens up near the farm house and the cockerel is hilarious, he runs alongside the car as you leave.
You can't park the car right next to the hut, which wasn't a problem for us we only had a small bag to take in, but you can use the little cart that is available to pull your bags along. You have to walk through an orchard and a small field on a grass cut path and then you enter the hut, through the gate to a private enclosed garden, which is perfect if you have a dog.
In the hut itself you have at one end, a lovely comfy double bed with a handy cupboard/wardrobe to store your things in. A little seating area with cushions in the middle and then, to the other side, you will find a cute kitchenette, complete with coffee machine, and absolutely everything you will need to make your stay comfortable. Please note there is no cooker, you are supplied with a BBQ outside and a microwave in the kitchenette, as well as a kettle, toaster and egg boiler. There's also a cute little shower room with toilet and sink. To keep you warm on those cooler nights you can also find a wood burning stove or alternatively there's a mini heater in the cupboard. Everything was spotless and we couldn't fault it. We toughly enjoyed our stay and we would book to stay again in the future it is lovely and cosy and not cold on a night.
Outside
It is such a cute space to relax in, you have a lovely firepit area with wooden seats, a large grass area and then you have the patio which used to be an old Pig Sty that has been converted and it looks fab. On the patio you have a 2 seat table and chairs, BBQ and the Hot Tub.
On the day of our arrival it was lovely and warm and the garden is such a sun trap, we set up our afternoon tea on the patio and enjoyed the home made goodies whilst soaking in that view. The afternoon tea is an additional extra you can add on to your booking and costs £25 per booking. This feeds 2. Find out more below for other additional extras. We then headed into Stanhope for a wander and we grabbed some dinner from the Indian takeaway which was lovely and the portions were huge. After we had sat for a while we got in the Hot Tub, it was so nice to just sit and relax and watch the world go by.
The following morning we were up nice and early and headed out for the day. We got back to the hut for about 8pm and enjoyed a pizza from Stanhope and just relaxed with hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows around the fire pit. Sunday was our leaving day and we were treated to a beautiful breakfast, which we set up outside. The breakfast is £17.50 per person. After breakfast, we headed home as we had to get back to pick the boys up, however if you book direct with Weardale Retreat you get a complimentary late check out (3pm) on the Sunday.
What is included
Inside
Complimentary Prosecco, gorgeous Honey from South Durham Honey and tasty cheese from Weardale Cheese. We didn't eat the cheese this time but we have had Weardale cheese in the past and it was beautiful.
The hut is jam packed with everything you need to make your stay a fab one. You will find the following
Double bed with bedding
Towels
Dressing Gowns
Slippers
Cushions
TV with Freeview
Free WIFI
Small Heater
Throws
Wood Burning Stove with logs
Fairy Lights
The Kitchenette is well equipped with Coffee machine, tea, coffee, sugar, kettle, microwave, egg cooker, fridge freezer, wash up kit, marshmallows to toast on the fire, cutlery, plates etc
Few rolls of toilet roll, soaps, shampoo, hand sanitiser
Outside
Fire Pit
BBQ
Hot Tub
Wood for the burners
Table and chairs
lights
Extras
Afternoon Tea for 2 - £25
Cream Scones for 2 -£10
Bag of logs - £5
Breakfast basket for 2 - £17.50 Each
Basket of flowers - £30
Charcoal - £2
Iced Fruit Cake - £15 per booking
Good To Know
The property sleeps 2, you are welcome to bring a well behaved dog, please do remember this is a working farm with cattle. There is an enclosed garden surrounding the hut so your dog will be safe and so will the farm animals. Parking is to the side of the main farmhouse and you can use the EV Charger if you have an EV. You will hear the cockerel but you get used to it and it's not all the time, you may hear the dogs barking again it's not all of the time. It would have been nice to have a parasol or something to shade you from the sun without going in the hut which I did mention to Carol and John who were happy enough to source a parasol. We did go the wrong way once we were on the track as there was no signage again this is being sorted. When you do go up the track from the main road you need to turn right and follow the road up to the farm house.
Prices start from £270 for a 2 night stay for 2 people to book or to find out more please visit
You can also find a few walking trails around the farm, one of which will take you to one of our favourite walks in the area, Tunstall Reservoir. Other things to do in the area include
🌷Weardale Railway
🌷Killhope Mining Museum
🌷Bowes Museum
🌷Barnard Castle (English Heritage)
🌷Hamsterley Forest is another favourite of ours - Read More HERE
🌷Auckland Castle Deer Park - Read More HERE
🌷Escomb Saxon Church
🌷Stanhope has some lovely shops and a castle
🌷You are not far from Durham City Centre, Wolsingham, Barnard Castle which all have lots to do.
🌷If you don't mind driving you will be in North Yorkshire in under an hour and we highly recommend visiting Ripon
Overall, I would say that this is the perfect place for a child free break and we are already making plans to head back, the next time we get a chance.