Braithwaite Hall

Braithwaite Hall is a grand 17th-century farmhouse in the heart of Coverdale, about a mile and a half south-west of Middleham, and it remains a tenanted home rather than a show house. The Trust calls it an unusual building, not typical of the area, and thinks its grand appearance may be connected with the development of lead mining on the estate. Visits are on selected dates and only by arrangement in advance with the tenant, by phone or email; what is shown is the stone-flagged entrance hall, the Drawing Room with its oak panelling and 17th-century fireplaces, and the carved oak staircase. The Trust asks visitors to respect the tenant's privacy by taking no photographs inside. Only assistance dogs are admitted, there are steps into and within the building, and there is no toilet. The tenants also offer bed and breakfast, and reviewers who have stayed praise the warm welcome, the breakfasts made with local produce and the views over the dale. The Trust warns that the approach road is narrow.