Mark Close Farmhouse & Mark Close Milking Parlour

- self catering holiday cottages -

Alston, North Pennines National Landscape

About us

Mark Close is two self-catering holiday cottages; the Farmhouse which sleeps up to twenty guests in nine bedrooms, and the Milking Parlour which is a cosy cottage for two with a hot tub. Both cottages have their own gardens and are next door to our friendly alpacas.

The name ‘Mark Close’ is thought to have derived from the medieval ‘Mark’ meaning where ‘people met in folk moot’. The Farmhouse was built around 1760 and can be seen on the first edition OS map in 1860 as both a working farm and toll house. The house has been a holiday cottage for large groups to get together and celebrate for over 30 years, we’ve even got some groups who’ve been coming back every year during that time! In the 2000s the Milking Parlour was converted in to a cosy cottage for two which can be rented along-side the Farmhouse or separately.

Sorry neither of us are called Mark! We are Emily & Alun Jones and we’ve owned Mark Close since 2020 and have enjoyed refurbishing the cottages since then. We feel lucky to own such a beautiful place and live in Alston, and we love sharing the cottages and local area with guests. We live next door in Mark Close Barn with our baby boy, dog, cats and hens and will be available during your stay if there’s anything you need but we won’t be intrusive.

Guest Reviews -

Mark Close Farmhouse

4.8

Elinor Newall

18:04 06 Aug 24

We took a group of five adult pals and thirteen teens to Mark Close for a weekend. We had an absolutely amazing time. The house was superb, comfortable, really well equipped (loads more cups, glasses, crockery, pots, pans etc than needed). The kids loved hanging out in the garden and the extra living area let us have separate kid and adult spaces. Alston is a gorgeous wee place to visit. Emily and Alun answered all my queries really promptly and gave loads local info which was really helpful. We went to Weardale Watersports on their advice and had a fab afternoon canoeing and paddle boarding. Very highly recommend!

Christine Earlam

13:12 01 Jul 24

Stayed in the Milking Parlour for 3 nights this weekend. This property is fitted to a very high standard and has everything needed. Emily even provides unexpected extras which were very welcome. The accommodation welcomes dogs although we didn’t bring one. It is also suitable for anyone with mobility problems though that doesn’t apply to us. We had a private garden area looking out over open countryside to sit in and relax.Just outside the centre of Alston and close to the Penine Way it is perfectly positioned for walkers or cyclists. The owners provide a very detailed information pack on local ammenities, activities and attractions which we found very useful. We can’t praise it enough.

Morgan Lewis

15:55 28 Feb 24

We stayed here in Feb half term, 2024. A large group, 5 families, 10 kids. We had a fantastic time. The house is great, lots of space, everything you would need, really nice.There is a big garden for the kids to play in, Alpacas next door, lots of little walks nearby. Could not fault it. We will definitely book again, highly recommend.

Beth McMorrow

07:43 30 Jun 23

Had an amazing weekend, plenty of space for the 17 of us and house was huge and spotlessHosts were great and recommended lots of catering options which were perfect for usWill definitely stay again

Janet Gorry

14:51 18 Jun 23

Absolutely beautiful.

Capt Nadeem Ansari

17:38 01 May 23

Big thanks to Emily and Alun for a fantastic stay at the Milking Parlour.Ideal break for two.Awesome hosts, lovely & cosy place.Patio and HOT TUB with amazing views. Plenty of sheep, lambs, alpacas, and birds.Hot tub was frequently checked for water quality and performance.The whole place was immaculate, furnished to the highest standards. The hosts have thought of everything. Attention to detail such as welcome chocolates, fresh flowers, local jams, and even a bottle of milk in the fridge.Under floor heating and a log burner in the living room.Smart TV with two free HDMI ports.Spar and Co-op only 3 minutes away in the car.We highly recommend this place and will definitely be visiting again.

Rebecca Stevens

20:39 25 Mar 23

We’ve stayed at both the Farmhouse and the Milking Parlour and can honestly say they are two of the best holiday lets we’ve ever stayed in.In our most recent stay in the Parlour, every detail was thought of, from the local jams and chutneys in the kitchen on arrival (plus a handy bottle of milk ready to go in the fridge!), to the dog blankets and treats put out for our pooch. We felt so at home straight away. For a winter stay there’s a gorgeous little log burner which makes it feel so, so cosy. We discussed how in the summer the big french windows would be great for opening out onto the patio and the stunning views of the hills. The decorating and furnishings are fantastic, we especially loved the heated floor in the bathroom! It was very welcome on our snowy stay.We also loved our stay in the farmhouse a little while ago – it’s so well decorated and fabulous for a large group. Huge kitchen, which is really well equipped, plus a long table for big groups to enjoy dinner together. The garden at the front is enclosed and our dog loved having a run round, plus we weren’t worried about him getting out and worrying the alpacas in the field next door!Emily and Alun are amazing hosts, and we hugely recommend a stay at Mark Close if you’re looking for a memorable stay in an incredible part of the country.

Pat F

16:20 11 Jun 22

We booked Mark Close Farmhouse for our first full family get together in several years.We were really impressed with the accommodation, the amount of garden space, the quality of the interior, the friendliness of the hosts, the ease of booking and the comprehensively kitted out kitchens and bathrooms.Everything we needed was supplied along with lovely extra touches such as a happy birthday message left in the house for my Mum.I would definitely recommend the farmhouse. We were a group of 21 with a dog and the house coped well with that many people.

Jennifer we Gray

15:16 07 Mar 22

Another great stay at Mark Close. This time we stayed in the large Farmhouse with a group of friends (10 adults, 4 kids and a dog). Beautiful accommodation with lovely decor, plenty of toilets, bathrooms and showers, everything was spotlessly clean. The owners have put in lots of lovely little extra touches like dog biscuits and even a box of chocolates for us on arrival! They were very welcoming and approachable and gave us extra firewood at no extra cost. The kitchen was really well kitted out and we had no problem catering for 14 people! I will definitely be recommending this accommodation to all my friends and family and plan on booking us in again very soon. Thanks Em and Al for a great stay x