Shieldhall, Capability Brown's family home (he is buried in the nearby pretty church) is Celia and Stephen Robinson-Gay's blisful B&B in the green rolling Northumberland countryside. Very comfortable bedrooms named after the wood used in them (we usually stay in the Oak Room) have ample bathrooms with soft towels. Celia's excellent breakfasts and (optional) dinners, incorporating local and often organic ingredients, are eaten at antique tables or one made by Stephen (an outstanding furniture maker/restorer) among elegant glass and silver antiques. With a sitting room/well stocked library and local walks, Shieldall is within easy reach of Alnwick and Bamburgh castles, Lindisfarne, Cragside, hadriaan's Wall and the Cheviots.

www.shieldhallguesthouse.co.uk
+44(0)1830 540387
Shieldhall, Wallington, Northumberland, NE61 4AQ
Google map: bit.ly/has51o

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Had a shopping weekend in Newcastle over the summer and stayed at a really cool hotel at the bottom of Grey Street.

The hotel was cool and contemporary and my room was complete luxury - the service was excellent too. Plus you get to have breakfast and dinner in The Living Room restaurant next door which is interconnected with the hotel.

greystreethotel,
2-12 Grey Street,
Newcastle,
NE1 6EE
Tel - 0191 230 6777
www.greystreethotel.co.uk/
www.nichehotels.com/

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Lovely mal: a thoroughly excellent stay. A lovely hotel - beautiful, modern decor. Nice wee extras, like decent free toiletries. Sky Sports too.

Friendly helpful staff (e.g. our bill at checkout was about £20 higher than the website had preordained it would be, I queried this - and it was not a problem in the slightest, no quibble - just an instant alteration to the figure I said).

Brilliant location too, right by Millennium Bridge, Baltic, Sage. Decent cafe attached too.

Quayside

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This is one of Newcastle's best hotels, with an unrivalled position handy for both the quayside and a quick march into the city centre. I read that it is where Anthony Gormley likes to stay when he is in town constructing angels or whatever. The rooms are quite traditional and less trendy than, say, the Malmaison, but comfortable and the staff very helpful. We stayed on one of their special deals over a long weekend, getting a double room for three nights for the price of two, which was around £220.

www.vermont-hotel.com/

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