WELCOME to FIRWOOD BED & BREAKFAST ACCOMMODATION in NORTHUMBERLAND Firwood Bed and Breakfast is set in an enviable, elevated position in tranquil Northumberland, this former dowager lodge is now bed and breakfast accommodation owned and operated by Mike and Beth Mills. The B&B overlooks the picturesque area of Northumberland known as Glendale and nestles close to the Cheviot Hills. Firwood provides peaceful and relaxing bed and breakfast accommodation with a touch of style and luxury. We offer from our B&B a magnificent location, central for exploring all of Northumberland, the Scottish Borders and even Edinburgh or Newcastle, which are only 60-70 miles away. We are roughly 18 miles from the coast as the crow flies, just far enough to miss any sea frets! The treasures of Bamburgh Castle, the unspoilt beaches at Bamburgh, Seahouses, the Elizabethan town walls of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick Garden and Alnwick Castle, the Farne Islands, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Warkworth Castle, Alnmouth and Northumberland National Park are all within easy reach. If you want to cross to the Farne Isles to see the Puffins, the boats leave from Seahouses, again a lovely drive of just under 20 miles. Look at the attractions menu to see the breadth of things to see and do. If you are coming to walk the Northumberland hills, then again, we are well situated. Leave the car at our bed and breakfast, walk up the hill and down into the Harthope Valley - and there are the Cheviots! To have a quick overview of where we are in relation to everywhere else, go to the Introduction Page and click on Larger Map on the left hand side. For a very useful downloadable relief map of this area of Northumberland, use this link Wooler and Glendale Learn more about our 5 Star Gold award winning bed and breakfast in Northumberland by clicking the links above.   Firwood Country Bed & Breakfast, Middleton Hall, Wooler, Northumberland, UK, NE71 6RD T: 01668 283699 E: To make an enquiry please use this link :

In the North Northumberland Area

What's happening this month at Alnwick Gardens? The gardens are closed at the moment for maintenance but will re-open again on the 10th February The Alnwick Gardens

The Castle of Bamburgh sitting on a crag of basalt, can be classed as amongst the most impressive in England. Looking down on the village of Bamburgh the castle dominates the Northumberland coast, a breathtaking area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Bamburgh Castle

Howick Hall Gardens have been awarded Garden of the Year by Gardens Illustrated and Garden Museum. It's very much an undiscovered gem and will be re-opening early February for the Snowdrop Festival. Howick Hall

Chillingham Wild White Cattle. A more unusual but fastinating guided tour. 365 acre of beautiful enclosed parkland is home to what is believed to be the only survivors of the wild herds which used to roam ancient Britain. Untouched (still) by human hand, this has been their home since the 13th century. The tour is taken by the Park Manager who makes sure everyone is kept safef! Chillingham Wild Cattle Why not combine it with a visit to Chillingham Castle, reputed to THE most haunted! For more information on the castle Chillingham Castle

Have a break from castles while you are in Northumberland! The Chain Bridge Honey Farm at Horncliffe - where the old chain bridge is located, is a wonderful diversion. Not only do they produce honey (honestly!) but they have an excellent visitor centre which was established in the early 1990's. This tells the story of bees and honey and there is a live observation hive where you can embark on a search for the queen bee and watch the workers arriving with the pollen on their hind legs. There is a fantastic mural, a 10 year labour of love by local artist Tony Johnson and then you can take refreshments in the double decker bus! Admission is free to the visitor centre, find Chain Bridge on http://chainbridgehoney.co.uk

I really think that Northumberland is starting to become THE place to be for arts and crafts. Taking a little drive from Wooler to Bamburgh, I found quite a few galleries - these are just a sample. In Wooler itself, you might like to visit Florin, a lovely shop selling all sorts of delights, is now incorporated with the Glendale Gallery, a tranquil little space, ideal for just sitting and viewing the works of art. If you are into textiles and embroidery, you might like to try one of Helen Cowans workshops. These are held in her studio throughout the year at Haugh Head, Wooler and according to some of our guests, who made a very creditable attempt at a 'Tower of Flowers', very enjoyable and worthwhile. Beautiful work from what I saw! Helen's details can be found at www.helencowans.co.uk . The newest addition to the growing range of shops in Wooler is Breeze. A contemporary gallery with a good range of gifts and a very nice coffee shop - not bad for one shop! They recently held their first exhibition featuring internationally acclaimed artists, with a meet the artist day. Very informative, Helen, see above, was there and I met a chap called Les McLean a photographer of some note who lives in a little village just north of us. He was full of stories about this area and a lot of his work reflects his love of Northumberland - one that I love is of Roughting Linn, a wonderful waterfall not far from cup and ring marks. If you are interested in photography, you can do worse than visit Les's site at www.lesmcleanphotography.com Traveling across county to the coast, you must call in at the Chatton Gallery at Chatton. A wonderful space and pictures. They don't seem to have a web site but don't let that put you off! Still heading towards Bamburgh, make your next port of call Belford and the Belford Craft Gallery. A long established shop, now run by the original owner's daughter, she is extending it into the Courtyard Gallery. You can view the exhibition programme on their web site. Then you come to Bamburgh itself and the Bamburgh Gallery. It majors on coastal and marine landscape and wildlife art and can be found at 9 Lucker Road, Bamburgh. All this on just one drive across Northumberland, I've only just touched the surface!!

Some Guests Comments

Excellent hospitality. Our first visit but not the last. Thank you. Chris and Olivia, Lancashire

A gem of a retreat. Thank you. Suzy and Lee, Whitley Bay

Wonderful and relaxing as always. Thanks for the Squirrel Fest! Judith and Steve, Silloth

Thanks again! Brilliant as always, we love Firwood and Glen! Graham and Emma, Wirral

Thanks warm welcome, wonderful your smile and talking made us relax and enjoyable. Takashi and Fumiyo, Tokyo, Japan

Third members of our family to stay here - All think it is Shangri -la - Wonderful! Mary and Billy, Scotland

At last, we've visited Northumberland - and loved it! Wonderful B&B to stay in, Beth and Mike, you are the perfect hosts. Many thanks. John and Sheila, Dorset

Cycling is on the up in the area and there have been some wonderful cycling events this year with the formation of the Wooler Cycle Hub. It is being led by, amongst others, Anna Waddilove and you can follow her Blog about the progress of the project and her observations as she cycles Northumberland. Glendale is still relatively car free and with some of the most scenic little roads and some 8000 years of history to cycle through, they lived up to their promise to be full of activity and entertainment. To find out more and to download a leaflet with the route etc. go to GLENDALE HERITAGE RIDE We are 'Cyclist Friendly' at Firwood and have secure storage, basic repair kit - and a very handy man in Mike! We also have an outside tap for those times when you just have to wash off (bikes!). I usually do quite a bit of cycling around the area (curtailed this year due to said broken ankle) and can help with routes. There is Bike Hire and Repair just a mile or so from us. 'Ron the Taxi' can also accommodate a couple of bikes if you need transportation. Information here Please do keep an eye on this area of our web site as I will be updating it as events and routes become available.

The routes are now ready, tested and waymarked. The route brochure with the maps are also ready and beautifully produced. There are 7 detailed in the brochure, all graded and all circular. Please contact me if you would like anymore infomation on these or you can download them to your GPs or print the leaflets. Wooler Cycle Routes.