Times review puts spotlight on The Tempus near Alnwick

The Tempus, on the Charlton Estate near Ellingham, featured in ‘The Times hotel guide’ on Saturday and received an overall score of 8.5 out of 10.

Reviewer Lucy Perrin writes: ‘You’ll happily fall down the rabbit hole of this Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-inspired hotel in 150 acres of private country estate and within sea-spotting distance of the Northumberland coast.

‘The owner, Richard Shell, who grew up nearby, has transformed a set of 18th century farm buildings into what the North East has been crying out for: a unique boutique hotel that’s a destination in itself.

‘The original stone ensures a farmhouse feel, while the interior designer Jo Aynsley has made the experience even more memorable by adding a warren of Instagram-ready lounging spots that lead from the reception, houses in the farm’s original gin gang, to a cocktail bar with disco balls, palms and a blck-and-white floor that leaves guests with a grin as wide as a Cheshire Cat’s.’

The review goes on to describe each of the hotel’s 15 rooms as ‘bold, bonkers and completely different’. They clearly impressed with a 9 out of 10 score.

On the food and drink front, she adds: ‘The dimly-lit restaurant is snug and can get noisy, but the open-plan kitchen serves hearty mains that are just what you want after a day on the beach.’

The Tempus, which is named after the Latin translation of Time, opened in May, creating 50 new jobs.

There are future plans for a spa and a lake-facing infinity pool.

Visit www.charltonhall.co.uk