Which cottage? Remote with lots of space, or central and small?

[Aranea]

My brain is frying. Please rescue me.

After hours of trawling cottage websites (not, as dh suggests I should write, cottaging), I think I've narrowed it down to a straight choice. And I am stuck... so please help!

We'll be travelling with a 5yo and a 22mo. Should we stay in Northumberland in a large, gorgeous house with a big beautiful garden 20 mins drive from lots of interesting things to see & do?

Or should we stay in St Ives in a small cottage with a little patio, where we would just need to walk out and do things?

Well it depends where you live!

St Ives,unless your dcs don't mind a lot of car travel.

It'll be an insanely long drive either way Not much in it.

NOT St Ives. The hills are a nightmare.

try here

Where is the cottage in Northumberland? I am sitting here in a cottage in Northumberland and have just spent the last 2 hours trawling the web for our next trip here, so I know the area reasonably well.
I'm biased and love it here, but tell me where it is and I'll tell you if it really is miles from anywhere and anything.
is this for the summer btw?

I can't decide about the car travel, helly.... am thinking maybe a 20 min trip anywhere isn't that big a deal? But on the other hand the business of getting them both into and out of the car is a bit of a palaver. But on the third hand am liking the idea of spending lazy days in the big house playing in the garden. And on the fourth hand the likelihood of getting sunny lazy days is increased in Cornwall.

You see how badly I'm doing here! I feel like an octopus.

...and that website generally.

we have booked a weekend in May - it's perfect for typical toddler things, amazing beaches, perfect rainy day stuff (newquay aquarium anyone?) and close to Eden.

And I wouldn't count on more sun in cornwall than northumberland. Last year we had far better weather than in SW - its often wetter there. colder here, I will concede, but less rain.

elliott, it is remote in that it's not walking distance from a shop. It's about 20 min drive from Alnwick and Bamburgh, so definitely lots of lovely things in the area.

interesting about the weather, elliott... thanks. Hmm....

Pure, am about to look at the site, thanks v much

cannot wait, btw -so pleased we've booked it.

SOunds not a million miles from where I am sitting
The coastline there is lovely, best beaches at embleton bay (sounds like that will be the closest to you).
And at least the roads will be quieter than in cornwall.
Not even a small cluelet about location? (holiday cottages in northumberland my specialist subject, so I always love to discover new ones).

elliott - it's wooler

Pure - your place looks gorgeous but out of our budget now we're tied to school hols

trawling their other options now

Ah, in that case I'd say its rather more than 20 mins to Alnwick area, closer to Bamburgh/Holy Island/Berwick area. But a bit of a trek to the coast for my liking for a summer holiday. Fabulous walking area though. And in general I think Northumberland is a wonderful place
I've had a fruitful evenings trawling on these sites (can't be bothered with links, sorry so messy):

www.bookcottages.com/northumbria.htm

www.northumbria-cottages.co.uk/

www.northumbrian-cottages.info/?engine=adwords!8691&keyword=northumbrian-cottages&match_type= &_$ja=kw:northumbrian-cottages|cgn:Brand|cgid:429939447|tsid:2402|cn:Cumbrian+Cottages+-+Northumbria n+Brand+Terms|cid:17926947|lid:4944935127|mt:Exact|nw:search|crid:1935317367

ooh, thanks elliott, will look

The cottage is not right in St.Ives though is it? Sounds like you would still have to drive into St.Ives which is a nightmare (narrow streets + little parking) so it could still take 20 mins to do a relatively short journey.

Beautiful part of the world though, we have stayed at Porthreath(Incline Cottage on Cornish Cottage Holidays site) and also near Cambourne where we have family www.besidethewaves.co.uk . Latter is great for kids as you go out of back gate straight into country park - ducks and very tame squirrels abound. Do have to drive everywhere else though.

If you like cycling recommend hiring bikes in Wadebridge (with trailers for kids) and taking path to Padstow (about 1 hour). Creallys Adventure Park near Wadebridge good for little ones.

Sorry Aranea, read Pure's cottage site as the one you were looking at, DOH.

Ooof, every time I think I'm near a decision I seem to have to start again! Thanks for suggestions, Boo - will check them out.

I'm getting cold feet about St Ives now, having read lots of accounts of how busy it gets in August. And also feeling unsure about being in the remote house unable to walk anywhere with the children.

Um. I think what I really want is a place that is a small coastal town with enough nice things to do pottering about on foot, plus other stuff within driving distance. But not with nightmare summer crowds. Do you think such a place exists?

We've done alnwick twice now. we were walking distance from the centre both times (thankfully in the case of the first time as our car died ) so we were carless and had to hire one for the return trip. The second time, although we could have all walked into the centre we had elderly mil so i ended up walking with the dc while dh drove her in. Anything further afield, we had to drive to, but I think it is worth the drive, and it is not like you'll be hauling the dc in and out the car all the time - you will spend chunks of time places.........

I'd say the Wooler one simply beacuse I LOVE the area!!!

Aranea - we have stayed in the little estate that is just south of Bamburgh (I think its called something like the Fitzwilliam estate???) where we could walk out of the cottage, over a not very busy road, into the sand dunes and onto a gorgeous beach - you can walk up the beach to the castle and the village (tea shops ) - might mean that at least some of the time you could not bother with the car?

I'll have a look at stuff in alnwick, alittlebitshy. That's a good idea.

mistlethrush, that sounds lovely. Off to have a browse now.

What will I do with my evenings when i've booked something??

mistlethrush - I'm trying to find the estate you're talking about but not having much luck. Can you give me any more info? It sounds so nice!

come and stay in West Wales instead .