FOR anyone who has visited Cragside in Northumberland, the former retreat of shipbuilding magnate and Victorian inventor Lord William Armstrong and famed for being the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, Jesmond Dene House looks remarkably familiar.

Not only are both nestled in Lord Armstrong’s expansive ‘gardens’ but the same Arts and Crafts architect, Norman Shaw, worked on both properties.

While Cragside is now owned by the National Trust and run as a visitor attraction, Jesmond Dene House which belonged to Lord Armstrong’s business partner, Captain Andrew Noble, is now an acclaimed four-star hotel with 40 bedrooms.

Knighted in 1902, Sir Noble was a prominent figure in high society and Rudyard Kipling, Lord Baden-Powell, Admiral Togo, Chinese ministers and Japanese princes have all stayed or dined there.

When we checked in on a Saturday afternoon, its popularity was obvious. Families were enjoying afternoon tea in a lounge next to an inglenook fireplace while a wedding got underway in the Great Hall complete with minstrels’ gallery and the finishing touches were being made to a private dining room downstairs decorated with art by Norman Cornish where a 50th birthday party would be held that night.

Our bedroom was located in the old part of the house but beautifully decorated in modern, unstated tones with a very tasteful en-suite bathroom and views overlooking the garden below.

We decided to go for a walk and explore and discovered that only ten minutes from the hotel we were could get to the heart of Jesmond which has direct bus and metro links to the city centre only two miles away. We mooched along Acorn Road, Jesmond’s premier shopping street filled with independents and niche boutiques before enjoying a couple of drinks on Osborne Road, renowned for its stretch of bars, around the corner.

We ambled back admiring the luxurious homes that make Jesmond such a desirable suburb to live in and through the dene, looking forward to our evening meal as the hotel has built up its enviable reputation - it was named North- East Tourism Small Hotel of the Year 2012 and The Good Hotel Guide City Hotel of the Year 2013- largely based on the high standard of its cuisine and makes no apologies for its kitchens being at the hub of the operation.

Bought by property developer Peter Candler and renowned chef-restaurateur Terry Laybourne, and two silent partners, it took 18 months to convert the empty building to a hotel which opened in 2005. After helping to set up the food operation, Terry stood down as director in 2009.

The owners recently ploughed £1.5m into St Mary's Inn, a one-time hospital administration building near Stannington village in Northumberland which has been transformed into a gastro pub with 11 bedrooms.

That night in The Restaurant we both ordered off the £35 three –course set menu, in Jesmond Dene House's former music room which has earthy tones and fun splashes of orange beneath the original plasterwork ceiling. The food was delicious, we particularly enjoyed the chance to sample ‘seaweed’ butter which was divine.

The next morning we had breakfast in the and the light and leafy Garden Room nextdoor, my husband tucked into a full English while I opted for eggs Benedict which was the nicest version I’ve ever tasted.

Before leaving we had a wander through Jesmond Dene itself, a steep-sided, wooded valley full of native and exotic trees which was created by Lord Armstrong who once lived nearby. When he moved to Cragside he donated his ‘garden’ to the city complete with waterfalls, rustic bridges and stepping stones.

Thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the beautyspot and its adjoining parks have undergone a £6m regeneration over the past with improvements including a new visitor centre and modernised ‘Pet’s Corner’ petting zoo which houses animals including sheep, goats and pigs.

Its past may be steeped in history but the unique appeal of Jesmond Dene House has ensured it is preserved for the future - great hospitality always stands the test of time.

TRAVEL FACTS

Jesmond Dene House Hotel, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 2EY. Telephone 0191-2123000

Spring offers include a ‘foodie special’ three-course house dinner menu, overnight stay and breakfast for £200.

The ‘shop until you drop’ package from £180 for one overnight stay includes a £50 Fenwick gift card and ‘full Northern’ breakfast

A 10-course tasting menu, overnight stay and full English breakfast deal is available from £288 per night.