Cragside

Cragside House is surely one of the most prominent National Trust properties in the north of England - and probably the most remarkable, too. Having lived in the north east since I began university in Durham back in 1997, I have been well aware of its proximity but frustratingly unable to visit it until very recently. You see, as with most of the National Trust's great houses, it is out in the middle of nowhere, inaccessible to the non-motoring public (*mutters under breath about inadequacy of public transport*). However, this April began with me getting my very first car - and an eagerness to start seeing the region I lived in properly for the first time. First ...

My favourite National Trust property in the north of England is without a doubt Cragside House, Garden and Estate in Rothbury Northumberland. A BIT ABOUT THE HOUSE Situated on a rugged hillside, the house was built by the 1st Lord Armstrong in the late 1860's and by the late 1880's had hot and cold running water, central heating, telephones and a Turkish bath, but most of all, it was the first house in the world to be lit by hyroelectricity. The house is full of nooks and crannies and over thirty rooms are currently on show to the public. Some of the rooms are in dark "Old English" decor while others are light and Oriental.My favourite ...