Cottages in Hamsterley Mill

The charming village of Hamsterley Mill, near Durham, is the perfect location for your next North East holiday. Check out our cottages in Hamsterley Mill below, which have all the home comforts that make for the perfect places to rest your head. 20 miles away you will find Durham to the south, Newcastle to the north and the coast to the east, making Hamsterley Mill the ideal destination from which to explore this part of the UK while retaining that sense of countryside remoteness that you might be craving. 

Things to do in the area

Our self-catering properties in Hamsterley Mill are on the doorstep of the North Pennines. As an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the North Pennines is home to an array of forests, woods, reservoirs and historic sites such as the Killhope Lead Mining Museum, which documents the mining industry that was at the centre of North Pennines life in the nineteenth century. A local favourite in the North Pennines is Hamsterley Mills namesake, Hamsterley Forest, which is about an hour away. There are four walking, four cycling and two horse riding trails spread across the forest, so there are plenty of ways to explore this sprawling, beautiful landscape. 

But Hamsterley Mill is a village with plenty to offer for itself, too. For food and drink you are spoiled for choice, with the delightful Italian restaurant Santonios in the centre of the village, which is a great spot for pizza, pasta and a cocktail or two if you fancy. There’s also Hamsterley Chippy for all your fish and chip needs, or the popular local pubs The Miners Arms and The Royal Oak. 

Another local favourite is the Derwent Walk Pub which, you guessed it, leads you onto the very popular 12 mile walk along the old Derwent railway between Consett and Swalwell. There are various ways you can explore the Derwent Walk, which you can read more about here (PDF download), but it is definitely worth adding to your Hamsterley to do list. If you’re into bird watching, be sure to bring along your binoculars as skylarks, sparrow heads and red kites can all be seen if you keep your eyes peeled. The southern point of the Derwent Walk links up to Lanchester Valley Railway in another lovely Lanchester, where we have a range of holiday cottages also.