Otterburn
Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, 31 miles northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about 16 miles from the Scottish border. Otterburn was the site of a major battle in 1388 between English and Scottish armies. The engagement, in which the Scots took Sir Henry Percy captive, The battle of Otterburn ended in an English rout. Despite James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas being killed, Sir Henry Percy was captured and over a thousand of the English were taken, left dead on the field or slain as they fled.
The modern village grew up around a coaching inn and Otterburn Tower. It was enlarged in the 1950s with the addition of Brierley Gardens, a council estate which was expanded in the 1970s. The village further expanded in the 1990s and 2000s with the new housing development on former farm land at Willow Green.
Today, the village is close to the Otterburn Training Area, one of the UK's largest army training ranges at approximately 60,000 acres. The village also has an independent general grocery shop, two hotels and Otterburn Mill, an 18th-century woollen mill containing a small museum, outdoor shop and cafe.
We stayed two nights at the Coach House hotel situated on the Otterburn Hall estate. Originally the hotel housed the stables and coaches for Otterburn Hall, a country retreat built in 1870 for Lord James Douglas. Sadly, it looks as though the hall has fallen into disrepair. The Coach house has been beautifully restored and today is a very pleasant hotel and restaurant. We had a very pleasant stay here and was an ideal base for touring the surrounding area.
|
|
| |||||||||
|
