By Sian Ellidge

HAVING grown up in Northumberland, I’m always looking for an opportunity to go back, but it can feel a mammoth drive just for a day out, especially at this time of year. So I jumped at the chance of a two-night stay for myself, my husband and our son just outside of Rothbury, pretty much in the centre of the county, the ideal base from which to explore.

An hour after setting off, I was glad we had a place to stay for the night. At the mercy of horrendous roadworks on the A1 and a satnav that I can only assume has shares in petrol companies, it took two-and-a-half hours to get to our first destination, Kirkharle Courtyard, near Kirkwhelpington

The birthplace of landscape gardener Capability Brown, who lived and worked on the estate until he was 23, it was the perfect place to stop. A number of converted farm buildings house a cafe serving a tempting variety of home-cooked food, craft shops selling an assortment of quirky, handmade items (perfect for a spot of Christmas shopping) and an exhibition dedicated to its famous former resident.

There’s even a small adventure playground and a lakeside walk, perfect for a seven-year-old who had spent the morning squished in the back of a Fiat 500. Fed and rested, and having stocked up on delicious cakes to take with us, we wedged ourselves back in the car for our onward journey.

After another unexpected satnav-instructed detour, largely on single lane farm tracks, we arrived at Kingfisher Cottage, our base for the weekend. Just outside Rothbury, our base was one of a small complex of 12 cottages created from old farm buildings nestled in a valley, and it was just the sort of rural idyll we needed.

Small but perfectly formed, our two-bedroom cottage had everything we needed, although the lack of mobile reception was disconcerting until we got used to it. Tastefully furnished with real wood furniture, squishy sofas and comfy beds, we could have happily stayed for longer than a weekend.

While I unpacked, my husband and son went to explore the communal tennis court and play area, where, much to their delight, they invented the new game of tennis football. However, their joy was curtailed by the fading light and falling temperatures, so it was back to the cottage for tea and to enjoy the tranquillity of a Northumberland night.

The next morning it was off to the other side of Rothbury, to Cragside, former home of inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong. The first house to be powered by hydroelectricity, it is full of ingenious gadgets, many of which still work.

After making the most of the dry weather to explore some of the fabulous gardens, which comprise five lakes, one of Europe’s largest rock gardens and millions of trees and shrubs, we ventured inside. Feeling virtuous, and hungry, after a morning exploring the acres of gardens, we called at the cafe for lunch before moving on to the house and all its contraptions.

And pretty fancy it was too – Lord Armstrong used hydroelectricty (courtesy of the Archimedes screw in the gardens) to create a range of then-unheard-of labour-saving devices. There was a lift that is still in working order, as well as a kitchen full of gadgets – a system of wheels and pulleys to turn the meat roasting over the range, a primitive dishwasher and a dumb waiter among them.

If the weather’s in your favour, you could easily spend a full day at Cragside, but unfortunately, the grey October skies had turned to drizzle, and so it was back in the car to travel to our final activity – sungazing.

The vast skies above Kielder Water and Forest Park and Northumberland National Park are the darkest in England, and have officially been awarded Dark Sky Status by the International Dark Skies Association; the leading international organisation combating light pollution worldwide. There was even an episode of aurora borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights most commonly associated with Scandinavia, over Kielder earlier this year.

However, in daylight hours, the huge expanse of sky also makes it an ideal location to get a close-up look at the sun, and so we headed to the village of Elsdon to see what we could see.

Sadly, the answer was not much. After an informative (and mind-boggling) video about the universe, we had the chance to use specially designed telescopes to look directly at the sun. I managed to spot one solar flare before the cloud moved in, but unfortunately, my husband and son didn’t manage to spot anything. However, the video of the aurora borealis in the night skies above Kielder, and the excitement of those who’d been there to see it, more than made up for it.

The next morning, we savoured our final breakfast in the tranquillity of the countryside, before wedging ourselves back in the car for the return journey. Having failed to learn our lesson, and at the mercy of a number of road closures, the satnav once again led us a merry dance up hills, through fords and along farm tracks, although much to my delight, we did see a red squirrel at one point.

Which pretty much sums up the county of Northumberland – it might be big, and wild, and a bit rough around the edges (especially some of the roads) but there are always hidden delights around the corner to make it worth the effort.

TRAVEL FACTS

A three-night stay at Kingfisher Cottage costs from £250, plus a £25 booking fee. See cottagesinnorthumberland.co.uk. Cragside is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from February 14. See nationaltrust/cragside