Gardenside Lodge

What a beautiful night! I don’t think I have ever seen so many stars with the naked eye !!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This review made our day 😍

The lodge was perfect. Spotlessly clean and pretty and everything you could need. However what made our holiday absolutely perfect was the garden the lodge is set in. Stunningly beautiful, magical grounds that you could see from all sides of the lodge. With a folly perfect for an outdoor fire and BBQ. Central to all of the North East and Durham attractions. I have been twice now and can’t wait to go again. Magical!

yikes! That was a surprise when I walked around the corner. However, it looks like August is the new December so if you would like to book in for Christmas now would be the time 🧑‍🎄 🌲 ❄️

!!

We always get excited when our guests love their stay so much that they book again. We were so happy to welcome back Oscar and his lovely family and although they have wrapped up their second stay we really hope to see them again soon. X

🐶 Meet the lovely Lenny who brought his humans to stay with us. Lenny was a wonderful help and asked that we light the fire so his family could enjoy toasted marshmallows while he ran around burning off some energy 😀🔥🪵

Durham Cathedral is always a sight to behold but this looks spectacular

🚂 We had a great visit to Locomotion last Monday, the railway museum in Shildon. We shook hands with Timothy Hackworth and saw the Flying Scotsman. It’s a great place to visit and even has free entry !

☕️ They have a cafe and a lovely deckchair area with an ice cream van 🍦

🚗 Only 10 minutes drive from the lodge!

Ok, who went out last night to watch the stars?

We had a short drive from the lodge and were lucky enough to see some of the magic. There may have been a few shrieks of excitement as the shooting stars went past. How fast are they ?!?

Our only regret? We are not natural night owls so couldn't manage to stay awake past 12:30 !!

Kynren really is that good !

It is always on our 'must see' recommendations to guests, friends and family :-)

🎅 🎄We often get asked if we decorate for Christmas. We certainly do and sometimes Mother Nature helps too !! 🎅 🎄

We have several gargoyle and grotesques dotted around, some look more realistic than others 😂

🏰 The folly was looking very dramatic last night.

We went to Kynren last night and the show was incredible, then came back to this 😍

🎃 🏰 What’s this?

Not only will Gardenside Lodge be decked out in its spookiest finery for Halloween.

But there is a new family friendly local attraction to enjoy! The Pumpkin Forest by The Auckland Project looks great and it’s only a short broomstick ride away from us.

Pumpkin Forest | The Auckland Project Step into enchantment at Auckland Palace’s new light trail, the Pumpkin Forest, a celebration of autumn in the Palace grounds.

🍻 taking a moment to enjoy a nice cold lager. Hope you have all had a lovely weekend !

🌌Wow ! Did anyone see the beautiful sky last night?

The stars were just stunning, these are just taken from our phone

We really do appreciate being able to see the stars, the sunsets and the sunrises here. 🌠⭐

🎃 Halloween at Gardenside Lodge🍂

TK Maxx has spoken - Halloween season is officially here! 🦇

Our garden transforms into the beautiful colours of Autumn and offers you a little touch of gothic with our folly. We also fully embrace the spooky season and decorate our gardens for your enjoyment (and ours!). (Fun fact: We built the folly for our first family Halloween party and no, we're not taking it down. Ever. 😉)

🧙‍♀️ We can't all get to Salem but County Durham and the North East are brewing up some wickedly good events, here is just a little taste:

🏰 Raby Castle Halloween After Dark Illuminated Trail
👻 Beamish Museum's spine-chilling Halloween Nights (Book early, they sell out fast!)
😱 The hair-raising Scream Factory in Redcar (We've got our tickets... pray for us as we may simply p*e our pants! )
🎭 Psycho Path

🎉 STOP THE PRESS! ALERT THE MEDIA! CALL YOUR DAUGHTER (which I did by the way) 🎉

We've just received our FIRST EVER booking through our very own website! 🖥️💃

That's right - someone actually found us on the vast wilderness of the internet and hit that 'Book Now' button.

We're not saying we're tech geniuses, okay, we're definitely not saying that. But we ARE saying that we're so excited, we might frame the confirmation email or tattoo it on our foreheads. We haven't decided yet.

To celebrate this glorious occasion, we're doing a happy dance that looks suspiciously like a banana being mangled in a blender.

To our first website booker: We high five you! 🙌 You've made our day!

Here's to many more bookings and hopefully fewer tech-induced headaches.

https://www.gardensidelodge.co.uk

Self Catering Holiday Home, County Durham - Gardenside Lodge Self Catering Holiday Home, County Durham

☀️ 🏰 BBQ in the folly anyone ? 🏰 ☀️

We guarantee you can’t find one the same and why … because Kenny built this 😀

🎉 Celebrating Northern Spirit at the Durham Miners' Gala! 🏡

We were over the moon when our recent guests chose the lodge as their base to attend the incredible Durham Miners' Gala! They left with smiles, memories, and kind words about our "Northern spirit" - we couldn't be more proud!

For those who may not know, the Durham Miners' Gala, or 'The Big Meeting', is more than just an event - it's a huge celebration of our region's mining heritage and community spirit. Held annually on the second Saturday of July, it features:

🚩 Colourful banners and AMAZING brass bands parading through Durham
🎵 Live music and traditional miners' hymns
💬 Powerful sp*eches on social issues
🍻 A festive atmosphere throughout the city

The Gala keeps our rich history alive and embodies the resilience and solidarity of the North East.

Have you experienced the Durham Miners' Gala? Will you be attending on 12th July 2025? Share your favourite memories below!

https://www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org

Friends of Durham Miners' Gala Since 1871 our Gala has celebrated trade union collectivism, community spirit and international solidarity - and it gets even bigger and better each year.

🏰🍷 Are you looking for a hidden gem near Kynren?

Our holiday lodge isn't just a place to stay - it's an experience that complements the wonder of Kynren.

In our beautifully tended gardens and only a few meters away from the lodge you will find the charming folly that feels like stepping in a Kynren scene. You can sit by the outside fire, which is perfect for toasting marshmallows or staying cosy on a cool night. It's ideal for BBQ's sharing wine and reliving Kynren's excitement under the stars.

Just minutes drive from the epic Kynren show, it's the perfect base to immerse yourself in County Durham's rich history. Why settle for normal when you can stay somewhere truly unique?

Book now before the secret gets out! ✨ https://www.thisisdurham.com/accommodation/gardenside-lodge-p1110791

So excited to be going to Auckland Castle tonight to see The Queen Tribute.
Fantastic music, wonderful family, what more do I need?
Is anyone else going?



https://aucklandproject.org/event/summer-fest-a-tribute-to-queen/

🌟 A wonderful review from our most recent guests! You could say it was all ‘paw-sitive’ 🌟

Walking a small section of the Way of Life tonight, lovely for our dog guests 💕

What a lovely review from wonderful guests. We love to hear people enjoying the folly as it should be enjoyed :-)

Ooooo, we have a website😍

https://www.gardensidelodge.co.uk/

Self Catering Holiday Home, County Durham - Gardenside Lodge Self Catering Holiday Home, County Durham

😮 If you explore the lodge today, you will be sure of a big surprise