Wannies Retreat

05/02/2025

That's January out of the way, which I am sure is a relief to many. It does seem to go on forever!!

We have had some lovely guests staying with us over the dark skies months but it has certainly been challenging at times thanks to the weather. High winds caused the electricity to go off at one point. Nobody's fault and we are happy to change dates over for our guests. Whilst the darkness is breathtaking we still want to be warm and be able to keep the hot tub hot!

As a family we have enjoyed a night away (only up the road in Amble, which is lovely if you want to visit) and our daughter, Isabel has been busy in rowing competitions whilst Finlay continues to chop wood for our home and your firepacks.

We have scanned our first batch of ewes (sheep) to see how many babies to expect at the start of April and we were really pleased with the results. April and May are the times to see new born lambs. We lamb everything outside in the fields surrounding the carriage so you have a high chance of seeing a lamb born! 🐑

Mark at Nordic Cleaning has done a fantastic job cleaning our decking. All s**c and span ⭐️

Remember this is the time when the sheep get coloured dots on them. 🔴 for twins 🔵 for singles and 🟠 for triplets.

We have also just started calving! A set of twins and a single! It certainly makes things feel a little spring like 👍🏻 🐮

As always and questions just ask and check out our website for availability on dates.

https://wanniesretreat.co.uk/

22/01/2025

Our local paper came out for a visit to discuss what it was like, one year on after appearing on Robson Green's Weekend Escapes. 👍🏻💜👍🏻

https://www.facebook.com/share/19w352xeQW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Northumberland’s Wannies Retreat featured on Robson Green’s series Weekend Escapes in January 2024. One year on, we went along to find out the…

20/01/2025

🎂🥳CELEBRATIONS🎂🥳

We get so many guests coming to stay at Wannies Retreat to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, engagement.......

Last weekend guests were so grateful for the little extra touches 🎈and had a wonderful time celebrating together. A glass of your favourite in the hot tub 🥂 and a leisurely stroll to a local pub 🚶‍♂️ The Bay Horse Inn West Woodburn where you get 10% off your food bill 😋😋 They had great fun meeting the Shetland pony 🐴 and donkey 🫏 on their walk. Here is the comments they left:

"I had the pleasure to celebrate my 55th birthday in your amazing carriage with my best friends. Annabel you are an amazing host from the point of booking and throughout. Thank you so much, we will see you the same time next year. We have found our favourite place of all time"

📆✅️ With only 8 weekends left to book this year pleaae get your preferred dates booked in. I am always happy to help you get the most out of your stay and any requests I will try my best.

https://wanniesretreat.co.uk/

08/01/2025

Whilst this weather can cause us some headaches on the farm it is quite mesmerising to view. When checking the stock this morning I felt like I was in another country in some fields and that I should have skis! ⛷️

We make sure all of our animals outside have plenty of feed as they can't get to the grass so we take them lots of silage to munch on. The other thing we have to think of in these conditions is to make sure they all have access to water. I had to smash the ice on Mollys water trough (our giant pig 🐽

When you ride around on the quad bike you have time to think. I was thinking "I haven't set myself any new years resolutions" I usually fail at them so why bother? 😂 I would love to know if you have any interesting new years resolutions to, maybe inspire me?

❓️❓️answers in comments please❓️❓️

We are now fully booked for the Easter holidays and literally have 4 days left in the May holidays and 2 days in the summer holidays.

If you can get away mid week for a cheeky little get away check out our website for dates.

Www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

04/01/2025

We have had some beautiful mornings these last few days. Crisp air with the whites of Cheviots in the distance 🏔 Snow is forecast but we always have plenty of salt and grit to put down on the road and I personally think sitting in the hot tub with a white, wintery scene is pretty magical ✨️ It usually means clear skies too for our amazing dark skies 🌠🌌

As we look forward to 2025 I thought I'd give you a heads up for school holidays. We get a variety of guests due to our layout (you get your own bedroom!) But we do have lots of families stay.

🚂 February school holidays - fully booked

🚂 Easter school holidays- 21st to 25th available (don't forget, this is the time you can feed our pet lambs as well as seeing lambs born out in the fields next yo your carriage 🐑)

🚂 May school holidays - 26th to 30th available

🚂 Summer school holidays - 30th and 31st July only!

💜 2 night minimum stay
💜 sorry but no pets
💜 £225 per night (unchanged since we opened) don't forget if you have stayed with us before you get a 10% loyalty discount
💜 Georgous locally sourced toiletries, tea, coffee, sweet treats all provided as well as dishwasher tablets, cleaning pack, toilet roll, spray oil, salt, pepper.........
💜 7 seater hot tub
💜 firepit and bbq on site
💜 purpose built viewing platform with telescopes

Any questions please feel free to get in touch or head over to our website to get booked in. 25% deposit required to secure your stay and you can pay the balance how you want as long as final balance is in 28 days prior to your stay 😊

Www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

31/12/2024

🍾🍾🍾🍾Happy New Year!🍾🍾🍾🍾

The picture is the road to Wannies Retreat and the views are just the best ever! We would like to wish each and everyone of you a beautiful road into 2025.

Thank you so much to all of our guests and followers of 2024 and I'm looking forward to meeting new guests and of course our ever loyal returning guests in 2025.

Get your dates in quickly as we are filling up very fast. Whether it be during calving time (Feb/March), lambing time (April/May), summer fun, dark winter nights or just anytime of year for that well earned little break away, check out our website

www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

Have a good one folks 🥂🥂💜💜🚂🚂

24/12/2024

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄A very Merry Christmas to all of our followers, past guests, repeat guests and future guests.

We have met some amazing people this year from all over the country as well as the workd! Thank you for choosing us to spend your time 🙏💜

We hope all of you have the best time at Christmas whether that be with friends, family or enjoying the peace and quiet yourself. 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Our next weekend availability is in October but we have a few mid week getaways for you to enjoy.

Www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

29/11/2024

We get lots of people asking about dogs.

Unfortunately we do not accept dogs at Wannies Retreat. We have various reasons for this but the main reaaon is that as a working farm with cattle and calves, lambing and our own working dogs we thought it best to say no. We love dogs and have 4 of our own.

Check out this amazing new luxury dog hotel which is soon to open. It is just down the road from us and looks fabulous! You could stay with us and have your pooch enjoying a spa day 😆 Have days out in the Northumberland hills, beaches with your mate then chill in the knowledge that your dog is also staying in luxury 😄

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15g64ZmDuZ/

Here’s some general info on Northumberland Dog Hotel & Dog Spa…

The new boarding kennels are not kennels at all and are large rooms, with proper ceilings, real doors, glass fronted suites, underfloor heating, wall lights, tv/radio in the rooms and a a camera in every room too. Each room also has its own dedicated outside dog patio area.

The rooms are large, over double what's required for the highest standard of licence. The room area & private covered patio area are over 12m2... multiple dogs can share a room, however they have to be from the same 'family' to share the same suite.

The whole idea is it's as close to being in my house as possible without actually being in my house. We want the dogs have a much more calm space to relax in vs a regular 'kennel' environment or a busy home boarding scenario which can be stressful for dogs that aren't used to it.

📍We are 11 miles north of Corbridge, straight up the A68. The link for ‘what three words’ directions…
https://w3w.co/doghouse.sorters.fund

We have a range of beds from Tuffies, HiK9, pet sofas and vet bed. What we give your dog depends on your dog and their requirements, age, size, behaviour etc.

We also have doggy dry robes and and an outside shower at the doggy play area door, so dogs will always return to the room as clean as possible. They will be lovely and toasty on our underfloor heating which covers 50% of the indoor area.

✨We believe the modern dog requires something a little more special. Our goal is to reduce stress and have happy, fulfilled dogs!

I also specialise ( as a dog groomer ) in nervous and reactive dogs and have rehabbed many over the years. We will have a new groomer in January 2025 and I will be teaching them all my wisdom from my 17 year grooming career! Grooming will be open to non guests however we will have time blocked out each day for guests so they can enjoy bath and blow drys before they go home (this is a bookable extra).

We always recommend a trial day or night to make sure it's right for them first but it’s not essential, it really depends on the dog and it will be a requirement for some.

You would provide usual food to avoid upset tummys, and any special treats/blankets to help them them feel more at home, then we do the rest!

We have 500 acres of our own land to walk on including a high fenced 5 acre field and plenty of normal walks around here too. In the summer months next year we will be building an all weather play area too to help us manage winter months. So bare with us while we finish up some of the outside areas in 2025.

We have 4 staff, and more seasonally or as required! All dogs will be out first thing for toileting and initial walk, after that dogs will have breakfast. Once they’ve digested that they will be out for walks on our farm or local routes, in the secure field or in a group play session in the field (this is only suitable to well socialised dogs with a recall and with your permission). The dogs will have some down time at lunch time then it’s more of the same! Enrichment activities will take place now too! Dogs will have their evening meal, then will enjoy an evening walk before being tucked up in bed.. Dogs are monitored 24/7 with our wonderful CCTV system.

The daily routine is flexible and will change if your dog is very young, very old, has disabilities, needs 121 training sessions or requires any special measures, medication etc.

💲Introductory price has now ended.

For the first dog room will be £43.20 per day, then additional dogs from the same house are £21.60 per day...

There is also a range of extras you can choose to add such as spa treatments, teeth cleaning, massage and our special scent school!

Check in and check out time are to be confirmed exactly but will like be 8:30-10:00 and 3:30-5:00 but this can be discussed.

Any questions just ask, we are an open book and will tell you anything! You're all welcome to come and view it and meet me once the build is complete in early December. We will be releasing open weekend dates every soon!

🐾 Let us know if you think we’ve missed something? Or if you think there’s something else you would love to see in a dog boarding environment. You can comment below or pop us a message! 🐾

28/11/2024

A little bit about "a day in the life". Each day can be so different on the farm and I'm obviously a mother, wife, carer for my mother.... and whatever else comes this way 😂 (apologies for my snotty appearance 😬)

Happpy to answer any questions. Oh our latest guests have all commented how they enjoyed watching our "amorous sheep!" 🤭

Lots of different coloured bums on show 💙🤎🧡😄

Www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

25/11/2024

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥Rare Rare Rare 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Following a cancellation we have a Friday amd Saturday available! 6th and 7th December.

It's definitely rare as the next weekend availability is 10th October 2025!! 😲

If you fancy a winter get away under the dark skies please visit www.wanniesretreat.co.uk or message me.

Last week we had our bedrooms painted by the fabulous Finishing Touches Painting and Decorating and our oven cleaned by Hadrian Professional Oven Cleaning

It was a hard day on the farm on Saturday as we had rather a lot of snow! ❄️ Whilst most of the cattle are inside the sheds we still have some cows who will be out wintered on our fell and the heifers (young cows who haven't calved yet) are also outside. We take silage out to these cows as well as the sheep in the snow and Finlay and I filled up the hay nets for the donkey, Shetland pony and pet calf. A power cut also added to the workload with wood cutting being a priority 🔥☃️

As always any questions please just ask 💜

05/11/2024

A busy week on the farm! With the winter drawing in and the grass not really growing too much the cows have been coming inside.

It's always a pleasure to move our Luing girls. Not only are they so quiet and easy to work with but the views we have when moving them is just unbelievable 😍

The calves have been put into there own shed and the pregnant cows in other sheds. We do keep about 27 cows outside on the fell over winter. The Luing cow is a hardy breed and is absolutely suited to being out wintered.

Any guests staying from February till mid April may get the chance to see new born calves and then, of course we go into lambing season 🤯

2025 is really filling up now so please get your preferred dates in to avoid disappointment.

Happy to answer any farming questions or any queries. It's always great when I see our guests and have the chance to talk about our farm.

Www.wanniesretreat.com

24/10/2024

October is absolutely flying by! This month we have been fully booked every day and I have enjoyed meeting our guests from near and far.

Our last guests took full advantage of what is on our doorstep, this was there review:

"Needles to say our stay was too short! It is so comfortable in the train it was tempting just to settle down with a drink and a good book. However we visited The Heritage Centre at Bellingham tea and cakes are available in the Tea on the Train Bellingham which is next to the centre. Mary Ann Rogers Gallery is well worth a visit and is very close. We had a meal at The Gun at Ridsdale a community pub, very friendly. Thank you Annabel for taking time to chat to us - you and Dave have created a beautiful oasis"

These guests were 2 couples, from Surrey and Kirkheaton. Family meeting up with each other, which I just love!

We have had guests from London, Scotland, St Helens, Newcastle as well as our very loyal repeat bookings, which I always appreciate.

It looks like there could be some great aurora action over the next couple of months. We have a few mid week stays left but not many. 2025 bookings are coming in every week so please don't delay getting your preferred dates.

Check out our website www.wanniesretreat.co.uk for availability.

As always any questions please just ask.

27/09/2024

A quick video of the exterior at Wannies Retreat. A very firn favourite it the 7 seater hot tub where you can unwind after a long day of exploring with a glass of your favourite 😍

The firepit is also a wiiner where guests simply sit and take in the amazing dark skies above them or enjoy the simple silence. Remember we have binoculars as well as telescopes for you to use 🔭

The bbq is there waiting for you should you wish to use it or you could take a walk to 2 local pubs.

Lots of recent guests have loved chatting to Mary at The Bay Horse 😁 and our guests also receive a 10% discount on food here 😀

Unbelievably we only have 17 weekends left for next year! 133 days are now booked in for 2025. Please do not miss out on your dates 👍🏻

Www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

27/09/2024

With lots of newbies and to remind our lovely past guests, I did a couple of videos the other day to give an insight into our carriage (you know how much I love doing these 🫣). This is a very quick look at the interior.

We have 5 separate rooms which means you get your privacy and it opens the door for couples, friends, families .....

We sleep up to 5 and have really comfy beds with lovely linen and local smellies. 2 ensuites with fluffy towels. Full size kitchen with 4 hob, cooker, grill, microwave, dishwasher, velvitiser. You can purchase our very own beef, lamb, pork and eggs for yummy breakfasts or delicious bbqs. Or yiu can wander to 2 local pubs with the best views. Say hi to the donkey and Shetland en route 😆

Dates left for this year include:

3rd and 4th November
24th to 27th November
1st to 5th December
9th to 11th December

Remember as a past guest to use your loyalty discount 👌

Www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

18/09/2024

🌠🌠🌠🌠SEPTEMBER

I have no idea how we are at 18th September all ready! This year really is absolutely flying by. The kids are back to school which is very helpful in feeling more organised but also comes with the almost daily task of being a taxi mam. Film club, cubs, guides, swimming, rowing and whatever other little impromptu trip they decide 😆

The carriage has been fully booked throughout the summer and we have had some fabulous guests ranging from couples, families, friends and of course our loyal repeat guests 💜

A visit from ITV was very last minute but our guests, as always, went with the flow and had some fun 🎥

Life on the farm is always busy and differs weekly. We have a pit full of silage and a shed full of straw ready for the winter months. The lambs have been weaned off their mothers and we have started to sell them thorough the mart. Shortly we will be testing the cattle to see who is in calf, fingers crossed for a high percentage 🤞

Don't forget when you stay with us you can purchase our very own lamb, pork, beef and eggs to enjoy in our full size fitted kitchen or outside on the BBQ 😋😋

Our dark skies have been spectacular this year and you can take full advantage when relaxing in the dark in the hot tub or using our telescopes or binoculars on the purpose built viewing platform or keeping toasty around the fire pit 🔭🔥

We only have 14 days left this year and already have 115 days booked in for 2025! 👀

Please get your preferred dates in quickly to avoid disappointment and don't forget to tell me if you are staying with us for a special occasion 🎂🍾

As always, any questions please just ask 😊

****check out the picture of a recent gift I received from our friend Derek Knox. A booking form and details with actual tickets for the last train "The Wansbeck Piper" on the Wansbeck Valley Line, how luck am I?***

www.wanniesretreat.co.uk

12/09/2024

Wannies Retreat appeared on ITV national news tonight!! Dave, my husband appeared on ITV to give the story on the difficulties in uplands farming.

A great opportunity to showcase the difficulties in farming whilst showing our wonderful guests having a good time 🤣