Animal lovers swap city life for scenic strolls by the Northumberland coast

Rob Dooley, 48, and his wife Su Fitton, 51, decided it was time to move out of their three-bedroom terraced house in the west end of the city and began searching for a place with more space, a bigger garden and access to scenic walks.

After looking at various properties on both sides of the Tyne, the pair finally found exactly what they were looking for at Bellway’s Woodgreen development in Blyth.

The couple, along with their cat Zorro and dog Dexter, moved into their new four-bedroom detached house at the site off Plessey Road last October.

Rob, a senior information analyst in the health sector, said: “We started looking for a new home when we got our dog over a year ago. We knew we wanted a place with a bigger garden, and we also wanted to move out of Newcastle to a place where the roads are quieter and safer for animals.

“We looked at a mixture of new builds and pre-owned properties but none of them fitted the bill - until we saw this place.”

Although Rob, originally from Kingston-Upon Thames, and Su, originally from Bradford, have spent most of their adult lives in the North East, they had never been to Blyth before.

But after finding the Woodgreen development online, they decided to pay a visit.

Su, a test manager in the technology industry, said: “As soon as we turned onto the development we got a good feel about the place and as soon as we went into the Lorimer showhome we knew we’d found the house.”

Rob added: “As soon as we walked in the door, we looked at each other and nodded. We knew we’d found the right one. It checked all the boxes - there was more space and the place felt airier. There was a sense of adventure here - we were doing something completely different.

"We are only a mile and a half away from the seaside which is great for my morning runs as well as taking the dog for a walk.”

For more information, call the sales office on 01670 751795 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east/woodgreen