Kielder Castle

A holiday was called for. We'd been working hard and fancied a few days away. So, not having spent a great deal of time in Northumberland, we thought we'd venture that way and just relax, making the best use we could of our National Trust memberships.

We stayed in a lovely farmhouse B+B (Tosson Tower Farm) just a couple of miles out of Rothbury.

Setting off early in the morning, we knew that we'd be too early to book into our accommodation so decided to check out Kielder Water and Forest Park en route to take up a couple of hours.

Walks, mountain bike hire - all the things you'd expect of a good country park - with a castle in the centre. Now, it's not really a castle - more of a hunting lodge with a few displays of old gamekeeping implements and some stuff about recycling and the stars (all to do with the world famous Kielder Observatory). And there was a cafe, and free wifi - what's not to like?

The coffee cake, that's what's not to like. The staff member who served us clearly would have rather been somewhere else and, as the cake crumbled as she put it on my plate she just picked up the bit that had fell off and sort of jammed it up against the bit that was left. Maybe she thought it would prove that it was rustic, artisinal and home made?

The sponge was dry and loose, the icing hardly there and looked as though it had been added as an afterthought. Maybe it had been. Mind you, it was only £2.20 so I suppose I should make allowances.

Still, the wifi was handy and, after our snack we headed out to navigate the longest forest drive in the UK (£4.50 toll).

Price: £2.20
Walnut Garnish: no
Walnut in sponge: yes
Sponge: 4/10
Icing: 3/10
Filling: yes - but only just.