There is a wide selection of restaurants, cafés and pubs to suit all tastes within easy reach of Warksburn Old Church. The listing below is by no means complete or exhaustive; it’s simply our personal selection of places where we have ourselves enjoyed good food and drink. Booking is essential for the Fine Dining restaurants, and strongly advisable for all the other establishments listed.

When considering the mileages to each destination, do bear in mind that the roads in rural Northumberland carry an exceptionally low volume of traffic, so you won’t need to allow time for hold ups. The distances shown are approximate, starting from Warksburn Old Church.

Restaurants: all serving dinner, many serving lunch too.

Wark: a 200 yard walk

Battlesteads Hotel, serving dinner only, primarily Modern British in style, but with some Mediterranean-inspired choices too. Many ingredients are grown in the hotel’s own kitchen garden. There’s a good selection of craft beers in the cosy bar. Literally a 1 minute walk along the road, The Battlesteads has very strong green credentials: the sun-tracking solar array in the car park is a bit of giveaway! And it’s the only pub/restaurant we know with an astronomical observatory in the back garden. That’s testament to the extraordinary night skies guests at Warksburn Old Church will enjoy, on the edge of the world-class International Dark Skies Park centred on Kielder.

Fine Dining

Hjem (Michelin Star). In Wall – 7 miles. Hjem, pronounced ‘yem’, is the dream project of Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his partner, Northumberland-born Ally Thompson who have joined forces to create a destination restaurant which represents the very best of their respective backgrounds, in the heart of Hadrian’s Wall country. This 24-seat restaurant, which boasts a stunning open kitchen, brings the flavours and style of Scandinavia to the Tyne Valley. The ambitious tasting menu is created from ingredients sourced from the surrounding farms and gardens of Northumberland, and is a mixture of small bites and larger dishes, all of which are cooked with Scandinavian precision and techniques.

Pine (Michelin Star). In East Wallhouses – 15 miles. Pine is the debut Restaurant of Northumberland born Cal Byerley and wife Sian Byerley. Set in an old cow barn, the restaurant offers an intimate setting where you can admire the sloping Northumberland landscape alongside Hadrians Wall or watch your evening meals be prepared by their team of dedicated chefs in the bespoke open kitchen. Exclusively serving a tasting menu, most of Pine’s ingredients are sourced the restaurant’s on-site kitchen garden and by foraging the spectacular Northumberland landscape. This focus on local and seasonal ingredients means the menu may change on a daily basis.

Langley Castle. Langley – 15 miles. Literally a medieval castle. Containing a fine dining restaurant (and a rather spectacular drawing room serving afternoon tea). Atmosphere aplenty, and very good food.

Humshaugh: 5 miles.

The Crown Inn

The Crown Inn – The Crown Inn is a traditional country pub situated in the heart of Humshaugh village, Northumberland, close to where Hadrian’s Wall crossed the North Tyne at Chollerford. The Crown has a great local reputation for food (and a truly quirky collection of micro-cars usually parked outside). With a traditional bar area, a separate pool room and a large beer garden, this classic pub offers a range of traditional local cask ales, as well as draught beer, lager and cider. Food is available 7 days a week: well cooked and hearty, dinner at the Crown became a firm favourite of the team of specialist technical experts working on the renovation programme at Warksburn Old Church.

Hexham: 12 miles

Beaumont Hotel

Beaumont Hotel – Inventive menu from the open kitchen, where the majority of ingredients are sourced locally. In the summer the bi-folding doors open to create a buzzy cafe culture, whereas in the winter months the park provides a beautiful backdrop of Christmas lights while relaxing with friends and family.

Bouchon Bistro – Winner of the Best European Restaurant honour at the North East Restaurant Awards and conveniently situated close to the Market Square on Gilesgate, Bouchon Bistrot serves straightforward country style French cuisine, including daily specials in the evening. Born in the Loire Valley and having plenty of experience from working in Michelin starred restaurants throughout France, the owner of Bouchon Bistrot is an expert when it comes to traditional country cooking in France.

Cilantro – If you didn’t think Indo Latino Tapas fusion was a thing, then this unpretentious but very popular place will change your mind. Located in Hexham’s historic market square, very close to the Abbey.

Cilantro

Saathi – our go-to local curry restaurant, located on Priestpopple, Hexham’s ‘street of many flavours’. Authentic cooking, offering traditional curries and Saathi’s unique regional tastes, using a combination of authentic and modern cooking techniques. A long-established favourite of many people in and around Hexham. All dishes available to take away too. Order well in advance. Allow 20 minutes for the drive back to Warksburn Old Church.

Vercelli – modern Italian. Located just along Priestpopple from Saathi, the Vercelli’s team source the finest Italian provisions to produce high quality Italian dishes with a modern twist. At the front of the restaurant is a small, modern cocktail bar which hosts live music nights regularly but can also be enjoyed for a bite to eat or a drink any night of the week.

Zyka – again just along Priestpopple, Zyka majors in “the art of spice”. This is a modern boutique restaurant, offering a stylish but cosy ambiance. Master chef Khaled Miah delivers a menu comprising dishes from all over India, all given his own personal twist and refinement. He brings a lot of old favourites to life with his nuances and will willingly create a dish for any individual diner providing he has the ingredients available.

Danielle’s Bistro – Located in central Hexham, Danielle’s has been a Hexham staple since 1996. Italian-owned and family run, this restaurant offers both Mediterranean and British cuisine. Unpretentious and reliable.

Corbridge: 14 miles

The Angel – A pub dating back to 1569 in the beautiful village of Corbridge, steeped in Roman history. Good food, using locally sourced produce. Majoring on homemade and hearty, food is served in the bar, wood-panelled lounge with real fire, or dog-friendly dining room. Sunday lunch is popular with the locals. The Angel serves a great selection of local cask ale, a decent wine list, and lots of gin and whisky.

Sycamore – Reviatalised under new ownership, this restaurant occupies the former Town Hall in the centre of Corbridge. A stylish addition to the Tyne Valley restaurant scene, Sycamore offers all-day dining, including hearty breakfasts, light lunches, and gastro-style cooking for dinner.

Black Bull – In a building dating to 1755, the Black Bull is part of the Chef & Brewer chain, but nevertheless enjoys a good local reputation. Pub grub.

The Pele – (pronounced “peel”, not as per the late Brazilian football legend). Because the Borderlands around Hadrians Wall were a pretty lawless place from (roughly) the Roman withdrawal from Britain until the Act of Union between England and Scotland over a millennium later, even the clergy had to live in fortified houses.

The Pele, Corbridge

The Pele is basically a (really small) micro-pub with (really, really, really) steep stairs. But we simply had to include it here, because it is truly unique: we have never come across anything remotely similar anywhere we have travelled in the world. The Pele Tower is a Grade 1 Listed building with National Monument Status. It was built in AD 1300 for the Vicar of Corbridge and was lived in as a fortified vicarage until the early 17th Century. Today The Pele sells quality craft ales, wines and spirits along with speciality coffees and teas. This truly unique and historic setting has three floors, each with its own unique ambience. Alcohol intake versus navigating the stairs is a fine balance, which it is much better to anticipate than regret!

Further Afield

The Rat Inn at Anick. 9 miles – Originally a drovers inn conveniently situated  just a few miles from the market town of Hexham, the Rat is an historic 18th century inn with a colourful past. It now has a strong reputation for locally sourced, award winning food. “One of the clever things about the Rat Inn is how they’ve managed to hold onto the spirit and atmosphere of a traditional, unpretentious country pub while still offering ingredients and preparations that you don’t often see outside specialist restaurants.” (Chris Pople, food writer and blogger).

The William de Percy at Otterburn. 14 miles – Unlike all the other restaurants in our selection, the drive to Otterburn will take you North from Wark over the remote uplands leading to the Scottish border, not down into the gentler landscape of the Tyne Valley. But the journey over the high moors is worth it, as you’ll find a refined, but down to earth, restaurant when you get there. The menu features “all the usual, and a lot of the unusual, pub food but with an added sprinkle of edible oomph”. The owners describe their food as “hearty, gutsy, plucky and really very tasty: the kind of food that showcases local produce at its very best”.

William de Percy

The Duke Of Wellington at Newton. 17 miles – A sensitively renovated and extended village pub now offering Traditional British comfort food, cooked and presented to an exceptionally high standard. Award winning dishes make use of seasonal produce and ingredients are sourced from local suppliers. Due to the use of seasonal ingredients, menus are subject to frequent change but vegetarian and gluten free options are always on offer. Booking a table near the windows is recommended by the owners, allowing glorious evening views across the Tyne Valley.

The Lord Crewe Arms at Blanchland. 18 miles – Set in the heart of a remote and well preserved medieval village on the border between Northumberland and County Durham, in the grounds of a once-mighty abbey church that didn’t do too well when Henry VIII was doing his thing, history seeps out of the ancient stones from which this place is built. A favourite of ours for its subtle take on Sunday Roast, the Lord Crewe sprawls across a number of ancient spaces. Up the stone staircase is The Bishop’s Dining Room, notable not just for quality of the food, but also for its elegantly restrained decor. There’s a roaring fire in The Hilyard. Minding your head on the low ceiling, The Derwent serves afternoon tea, whilst The Crypt is a medieval vaulted pub serving real ale and ‘Bar Bait’.

Lord Crewe Arms: Crypt Bar

The Feathers Inn at Headley on the Hill. 22 miles – Since opening under the present ownership in 2007, the Feathers has built and maintained a strong reputation for great food, served in an unpretentious village pub atmosphere. The Feathers were 2019 winners of the Good Food Guide North East Local Restaurant of The Year and have been keeping up the winning streak recently, being selected as The Good Pub Guide 2023 Northumbria Dining Pub of the Year.

The Fleece at Ruleholme. 25 miles – The Fleece is excellently located for dinner if you’ve followed Hadrians Wall into Cumbria, explored the historic city of Carlisle, or ventured further over the Scottish Border into picturesque Dumfries & Galloway. Although newly built in the 2020s, the sheer quality of the interior finishes, most notably the joinery in the sky lit atrium, is reminiscent of the craftsmanship of a bygone age. And the food is great too.

The Greenhead Hotel

The Greenhead Hotel. 20 miles – This cracking country pub/restaurant, also makes an excellent stop, at the other end of the central section of Hadrians Wall, if you’ve been over to Cumbria or Dumfries & Galloway. Very reliable Modern Gastropub food. A regular stop for us. AA One Rosette for Culinary Excellence, 2023-24.

Newcastle 25 miles

‘The Toon’ offers a huge variety of places to eat, with most of the big national chains and a good selection of the more niche gastrobrands well represented. We’ve picked out a few of our own favourites, all of which are unique venues, offering food and/or locations that stand out from the mainstream. We’re only providing a sentence or so of introduction in this section, and letting these restaurants’ own websites ‘do the talking’.

Photo © David Dixon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Blackfriars. With its origins dating back to 1239 and a long and turbulent history that included a spell as a hostel to accommodate King Henry III, Blackfriars claims to be the oldest dining room in the UK. Great history and great food!

21 Newcastle Just off the River Tyne Quayside, we’ve always found 21 to have a very sassy vibe, attracting the ‘Geordie bling’ demographic. So there’s great emphasis on looking sharp and making an impact. And that goes for the food too.

Dobson & Parnell. Describing itself as “a Newcastle restaurant pushing the boundaries of British and European cuisine”, this unique establishment nestles under the mighty girders of the Tyne Bridge. The location, ambience and cooking are spot on, bringing understated modern elegance and a bit of glamour to the heart of the Quayside, along with award-winning food. Open from Wednesday to Sunday for dinner and Thursday to Sunday for lunch.

Six. Just over the footbridge linking the Quayside to the Gateshead bank of the Tyne, Six is undoubtedly the restaurant with the best view in town. It is situated on the sixth floor of the towering BALTIC Centre For Contemporary Art. When booking, ask for a table on the river side of the building. The Taste of Six, a 6 or 9 course tasting menu, is the signature offering.

Cafés, delis, farmshops, bakeries, etc.

Grants Bakery & Patisserie, Corbridge

In short, you’re never far from a cake in Northumberland. Whilst the diet-conscious may raise an eyebrow (or the diet-conscious partners of the incorrigible may resignedly raise one on their behalf), indulgent temptation is always close at hand.

In addition to cakes, a vast array of other really good opportunities to buy and eat food is available locally. We cannot begin to do justice to the full range of outlets or produce, but simply offer the following links as a guide for guests. Again, as with the restaurants, this listing is by no means exhaustive, it’s simply a few personal recommendations from us to you. As you may glean from the listing of eateries in the local area below, if you are seriously committed to cake and bread based indulgence, then Corbridge should definitely be on your list of excursions during your stay at Warksburn Old Church.

  • The Riverside Kitchen, Chollerford (right by the historic bridge over the North Tyne: vernacular building; outstanding grub)
  • The Errington Coffee House (on the Hadrians Wall ridge, a few miles uphill from Corbridge)
  • Grants Bakery & Patisserie (Corbridge: buy bread, eat cake, die happy)
  • Tea & Tipple (Corbridge: really good café in the heart of this exquisite little town)
  • Watling Coffee House (Corbridge: just over the road from Tea & Tipple)
  • Corbridge Larder (guess where! Superb deli, with café)
  • Brocksbushes Farm Shop (near Corbridge, nice café/bistro, inside a huge farm shop with good deli range)
  • Lunch in Bellingham (in a challenge to its own branding, this place doesn’t only serve lunch…)
  • Fountain Cottage (Bellingham: TripAdvisor ‘Best Cafe’ in Northumberland 2021, 2022 and 2023.)
  • Tea on the Train café at Bellingham Heritage Centre offers lovely homemade food, but is guaranteed to upset ‘purist’ railway enthusiasts by having positioned a BR MK3 carriage at the platform of the former Bellingham railway station, on the Border Counties Railway line, which closed well over a decade before MK3 rolling stock was even designed. If you are (or are accompanied by) a railway enthusiast of this persuasion, you’re perhaps best advised to select another of the many available options…

Hexham has a good range of places for a quick bite and a tea and coffee. Some of our favourites are listed below, they’re all in the historic centre of town, just a few yards from the Grade 1 listed Abbey, which goes back to the 6th Century, the 13th Century market place, or the Grade 1 listed Moot Hall. They’re also all in close proximity to the Grade 1 listed Old Gaol, which was built in the 14th Century to lock up the kind of folk whose disdain for authority forced even Vicars to live in fortified houses (see The Pele, above). You get the picture with the Grade 1 listed historic stuff: basically Hexham is history.

The following cafés offer convenient stopping places (and great food) if you’re venturing further afield during your stay at Warksburn Old Church.

  • The Running Fox bakery. Very good bread. Very good cakes. Five locations around Northumberland, including at Kirkharle, the birthplace of Capability Brown. On a sunny weekend morning, there’s usually a queue of serious cyclists outside; a sure sign of quality cake.
  • Blacksmiths Coffee Shop. Again, a tell-tale queue of cyclists provides eloquent testimony to the quality of the cakes (and bacon butties) on offer in both Belsay – near the English Heritage Belsay Hall, Castle & Gardens – and the Milkhope Centre, the only retail destination we know which houses both a boutique selling hats and fascinators and a chainsaw retailer. Seriously. That’s Northumberland for you!
  • Café Lanercost. Just follow Hadrians Wall over the county border into Cumbria. Then keep a lookout for another once-mighty priory church that didn’t fare too well when Henry VIII was doing his thing. The outbuildings just in front of the Priory are now home to Café Lanercost, awarded Best Cafe in England 2023 by England Business Awards.
  • If you visit Kielder, then carry on North on the only road out of the place, you will end up crossing the Scottish Border. When reaching the main road after a few miles of really, really, remote country, just turn left and trundle generally downhill for a bit. After a while you will come across the ‘model village’ of Newcastleton, which the locals confusingly call Copshaw Holm. There are two cafés here, one at each end of the single main street. Both The Olive Tree and Copshaw Kitchen are great little places for a cup of tea, coffee and truly freshly made sandwiches, home baking and light lunches.