Coach House hotel to open within estate of Northumberland's Otterburn Hall
A coach house in the grounds of the Otterburn Hall estate in Northumberland is to open as a 14-bedroom hotel later this month.
The Coach House hotel, which has a bar and dining room, intends to target the wedding market. It will provide a marriage venue and accommodation for weddings held at other locations nearby.
Author and entrepreneur Julie Blackie acquired the property at auction for £100,000 in January 2015 when it was offered for sale alongside the nearby 25-bedroom, Grade II-listed Otterburn Hall hotel, which closed in 2012 after going into administration. A number of holiday lodges and other buildings were also sold at the same time.
Blackie, a former TV scriptwriter of Hollyoaks and Casualty and co-author of the crime novel The Prodigal under the pen name Nicky Black, said that the town of Otterburn was a popular location for weddings, but lacked accommodation for guests.
"The Coach House will fill that gap in the market, and we're also welcoming in parties and celebrations of our own to cater for local people and those visiting the area from further afield," she said.
"We'll be providing great food - including Sunday lunches - and an excellent atmosphere, so local people can enjoy a great night out without having to travel to Newcastle or Edinburgh for it."
Blackie, who is involved in online fashion business Pink Boutique with her daughter Alice Hall, has overseen a major refurbishment of the Coach House since acquiring the property. She is working in partnership with another one of her four daughters, Julie Burrows, on Coach House.
Mother and daughter are supported by hotel manager Laura Kennedy, who previously worked as assistant manager at the Newcastle-Gateshead Hilton, and David Hadfield from the Duck at Corbridge, as head chef.
The Coach House hotel will welcome its first guests on 16 August.
Laura Kennedy, David Hadfield and Julie Blackie
