This is the only house in Northumberland still thatched in heather. Known locally as black thack, it was of course available in abundant supply, but was seldom used once slate became a cheap alternative in the last century. It survived here because the farm house, built in 1770 and never much altered, was abandoned over 20 years ago. Used as a store, its thatch was preserved beneath corrugated iron. Lorry loads of heather went into its repair, leaving a cover which is thinner and tougher than conventional thatch. Stuffed into holes in the roof we found two dresses, of about 1890, interesting examples of much worked-in clothing.

Inside, the original arrangement of living-room on one side of the cross-wall and byre on the other, with loft over, also survives. The loft is now a warm-weather bedroom, where you can sleep under the knotted tent-like thatch in a fully roofed bed.

The farm, which we own, stands in the rolling fertile land behind Hadrian’s Wall. Past the front runs a Roman road, with the stump of a Roman milestone nearby, which gives visitor access within a few hundred yards to the fort and settlement of Vindolanda. Indeed few houses in Britain can have so many traces of Rome around them.

View our history sheet for this Landmark.

Sleeps: 2+2