Award-winning Northumberland hotel the Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland lodges plans to expand accommodation offer with cottage conversion

A planning application has been lodged by the Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland seeking permission to turn a nearby cottage into rooms for hotel guests.

The hotel, operated by the Lord Crewe charity, wants to create five en-suite bedrooms by converting 15 The Square, formerly known as Gowland’s Cottage.

The property was let as a three-bedroom residential property which had been occupied by the same tenants for a number of years until recently becoming vacant.

“Like the former cottages to the north of the village square, this application seeks permission to change the buildings use from a residential dwelling to hotel accommodation to support the growth of the hotel and to meet with the current demand,” explains a report by Savills on behalf of the applicant.

“The property will be remodelled in a sympathetic and sustainable manner with the proposed scheme seeking to achieve five en-suite bedrooms to form an enlargement to the Lord Crewe Arms hotel.

“It is clear the proposals are necessary to create comfortable, high-quality hotel accommodation to meet with existing high standards that currently set by the hotel.

“In terms of impact, it is considered that the provision of additional hotel accommodation to serve the existing hotel is welcomed given the positive impact it has as a local employer and economic generator.”

A new heating and hot water system would be installed and connect to the existing biomass system currently supplying the hotel.

The Lord Crewe Arms, a former 12th-century abbot’s guest house and one of the oldest hotels in the country, currently has 21 bedrooms.

It has won numerous awards, including Boutique Guest Accommodation of the Year and Dog Friendly Business of the Year at the North East Tourism Awards in 2018.

Blanchland, which gets its name from the white robes worn by monks who established a monastery in 1165, lies just north of the County Durham boundary, set amid the North Pennine Moors close to Derwent Reservoir.

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