Welcome to Mains Cottages
We are a family run business and live in Northumberland and we are excited to share our holiday cottages with you.
Mains Cottages was established in 2013. My parents were staying at their caravan in Bamburgh with relatives and wanted to show them the Northumberland Coast. Driving through Beadnell they saw that Shepherds Cottage and The Bothy were up for sale. Mum asked me to go and see it with her and within 12 weeks it was ours. Having come from a training and management background we realised this would be a little different but we were very excited to set up the holiday company. Mains Cottages is a family business with additional members of the family helping with changeovers and gardening. Even our little nephews enjoy washing the company van!
We are passionate about Northumberland and love all it has to offer and we wanted to share this great county with all our guests. We know that when we go on holiday we want to be able to switch off and relax with family, friends and pets and we hope that our holiday homes provide that for everyone who stays.
Meet The Team
Meet Sam
Sam lives in Morpeth with her husband, Jon, 2 dogs, Bella and Lucy and 2 horses, Lottie and Cola. Jon helps with the maintenance and finance side of the business and when he isn’t doing that he enjoys golf and building sheds! Their 2 sons enjoy travelling , Joe is in the USA currently on a soccer scholarship, also doing a business finance degree (so who knows – he may help out!). Jack has returned home after travelling around international ski resorts for 7 years and is currently helping out with the social media and marketing of the cottages
Meet Stephen
Stephen, Sams brother, is a Director of the company and has worked at the cottages since opening. Stephen lives in Newcastle with his wife Karen and 2 girls, Kiera and Krista. Stephen has many skills and can turn his hand to any task, such as building games rooms (Shepherds Cottage), plumbing and gardening so he keeps the cottages running smoothly. Stephen used to take part in the annual tough guy event but is now a little more sedate and enjoys going to the gym and walking his dog Blaze.
Meet Lilian
Lilian is Sam’s mum and she has taken a little step back from the day to day running of the cottages and she is responsible for making the delicious home made dog biscuits for the ‘Doggie Welcome Pack’ and she is quite often ‘roped in’ to do a bit laundry.
Meet David
David, our nephew, joined the family business is 2021 and has been a great addition to the team. David lives in Ashington with his wife Jamie and 2 boys, Ethan and Chester and a menagerie of pets. David has come from a background of being a gardener at Alnwick Gardens and green keeper at Swarland Golf Club so the gardens at the cottages are looking great – he has the job title of ‘Lord of the Gardens’
Meet The Dogs
From left to right we have Joss, Bella and Lucy and they are the family Border Collies. This is them posing in front of Bamburgh Castle after a long walk on the beach. They have been instrumental at testing all of the fences at the properties to ensure that they are dog proof for our visitors. They also frequently test the homemade dog biscuits and give them the ‘paws’ up every time..
Awards
Northumberland Tourism Awards 2017
Gold Winners for Dog Friendly Business of the Year
Highly Commended for Self Catering Property of the Year (Shepherds Cottage)
North East Tourism Awards 2017
Silver Winner for Self Catering Provider of the Year
North East Tourism Awards 2017
Silver Winner for Dog Friendly Business of the Year
North East Tourism Awards 2016
Silver Winner for Self Catering Provider of the Year
Silver Winner for Dog Friendly Business of the Year
North East Tourism Awards 2018
Bronze winner for Self Catering Provider of the Year
North East Rural Business Awards 2019
Highly Commended
North East Tourism Awards 2021
Self Catering Provider of the Year – Bronze
North East Tourism Awards – Self Catering Provider of the Year 2023
Highly Commended
Guest Feedback
Shepherds Lodge
2nd visit here. Fantastic property ideal location. Everything we needed and more for a great holiday.
Super dog friendly and extra special touches from fizz choc and cake to doggy treats for our little fella.
Would highly recommend an week or two here to rest recharge and explore
Shepherds Retreat
Two luxurious shepherds huts with wood burning hot tubs are located on the the land next to Shepherds Cottage.
Check out our website Shepherds Retreats for further details Perfect for additional guests or larger groups.
