Meet your hosts Liz and Martin. Martin and I live and work on a farm just over the moors from Edmundbyers in Weardale. Pease Myers Farm is a hill farm with swaledale sheep and a small herd of suckler cows.
Martin is born and bred Weardale and farming but I am the daughter of a soldier. I was born in Hong Kong and have lived on army bases in Germany, Northern Ireland and the south of England.
Hepple Hill was my mother’s house. After living there for 20 years, she decided to spend her eighties in the bright lights of Newcastle!
With its unique ‘upside down’ arrangement and those amazing views, I knew Hepple Hill would be an ideal holiday cottage.
We worked on insulating the older part of the cottage and put in underfloor heating. Martin is a talented joiner and introduced the beautiful wooden window sills and tops, skirting boards and the amazing kitchen table.
Much of the lovely furniture at Hepple Hill is my mother’s as she wasn’t able to fit it all in her flat and I think this is what gives the cottage such a homely feel. The rug in the lounge is amazing. You would never go out and buy a rug like that for a holiday cottage! There is a beautiful glazed bookcase in the master bedroom and a rocking chair dating back to the 70s which has seen better days but I can’t bear to part with.
Martin and I have taken to running a holiday cottage surprisingly well. To be honest it is a welcome change from farm work and the positive feedback we have been getting makes it very rewarding.
This is our second year and we have already been welcoming back returning guests which is great.
We feel really lucky to have Hepple Hill Cottage. It really is a special place. It’s wonderful that it is now helping create happy memories for so many guests.
I decided to go with Sykes for the marketing etc as I really don’t have time for that but Martin and I are your first contact for any queries. This year I have also (with help from Charlotte) been cleaning! Not as awful as it sounds as happily our guests are the best at looking after Hepple Hill and leaving it nice.
I have had a varied work life. I started off as a local reporter, then primary school teacher and now farmer, holiday house cleaner with a bit of poetry writing on the side!
Enjoy your stay at Hepple Hill Cottage and if you need anything don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Liz and Martin x
