4 Night Introduction to Watercolours in Northumberland

With the countryside or coastline as an inspiring backdrop, this holiday caters for all ability levels; from absolute beginners to more experienced artists hoping to shake up their style. Led by expert tutors in groups of no more than 15, you’ll learn how to get comfortable using watercolour paints - and try out new ideas. You’ll also have ample time to practise in peaceful surroundings.

What you’ll love

Learning how to work with watercolour paints
Taking advice and guidance from an expert tutor
Expressing yourself through art
Gaining confidence by using various techniques
A more personalised experience thanks to small group sizes (maximum 15 people)

What’s included

Expert tuition
Loan of wooden A3 art boards
Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
Cream tea on arrival day
Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
Daily packed lunches
Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
Easy-to-follow routes, maps, and information available in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently

Trip Notes

Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Please click below to find the trip notes for your departure date.

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

Day 1: Arrival Day

Check-in at the hotel is available from 4pm. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea on arrival.

Day 2: Brush Control & Colour Mixing

We’ll start with the basics on our first day. Learn about the materials involved in watercolour painting and how to use them. We will talk through the various elements of the watercolour artist’s kit and build a solid foundation on which to develop our skills.

Day 3: Wet-on-Wet Blending Techniques

Following on from yesterday’s introduction, we’ll experiment with traditional watercolour techniques, with a particular focus on wet-on-wet painting. Creating paintings in this way means we can take full advantage of the medium to produce soft yet complex effects in our work.

Day 4: Pen & Wash

Today, we’ll build upon our work so far and push into the world of pen and wash. This method combines basic watercolour techniques with ink. By mixing the two mediums, we’ll create more detailed and expressive artworks which contrast the sharper ink with softer watercolours.

Day 5: Departure Day

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.

Nether Grange

You can tell that you’re in for something special at this former 18th century granary in the heart of Alnmouth – the postcard-pretty coastal village treasured for its colourful cottages, superb walking routes, and peaceful beach where the River Aln meets the North Sea (in its heyday, it was a working river-port, exporting grain, wool, coal, and even the odd pipe of Madeira wine). Not only will you be a 40-minute drive from Northumberland National Park, but also within easy travelling distance of several visit-worthy castles, including Alnwick, Lindisfarne, Dunstanburgh, and Warkworth. If the weather’s nice, a boat trip to the Farne Islands that lie just offshore midway between the villages of Seahouses and Bamburgh rewards with sightings of England's largest grey seal colonies.

10673_0083 - Nether Grange - Lounge Old Cafe

10673_0043 - Nether Grange - Dining Room

Rooms

Designed with your comfort in mind, Nether Grange has 36 well-appointed guest rooms available in two categories: Classic and Premium.

Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.

Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

We love: The sea-facing rooms are especially lovely.

The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.

Room supplements

Premium single	Premium double/twin	Choose your room
£20 pppn	£20 pppn	£30 per room

*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location

About your stay

A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).

Evening entertainment

While evening entertainment varies from house to house, HF Holidays Inter-House Quiz night held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided waking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

Walks talks
Our HF Holidays walk leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on guided walking holiday arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s guided walks (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.

The walking day
Prior to setting off on guided walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.

Food & drink

Seasonal dining, tailored for you

Our team of skilled chefs design our dinner menus to showcase the best of each season, from warming winter comfort food to vibrant summer dishes, including vegetarian, vegan and high-protein options. We also source fruit and vegetables within a 40-mile radius of each house, open every break with a Chef’s Special menu inspired by dishes and flavours of the local area, and are able to adapt dishes to suit special dietary requirements.

Welcome Cream Tea

What better way to start your stay than with a cream tea, served fresh on arrival to make you feel instantly at home. A quintessentially English tradition, our scones are baked in-house and served with preserves and clotted cream, providing the perfect opportunity to meet fellow walkers.

A hearty breakfast to start the day

Start the day with a freshly-prepared cooked breakfast and a wide choice from our continental buffet, including hot drinks, juices and fresh fruit. Our team offer a quick and friendly service, leaving you fuelled and ready for your day’s adventures.

Our famous picnic lunch

Our personalised picnic lunches are perfect for a day out walking, ready to enjoy when hunger strikes. Choose from a large selection of fresh sandwiches and salads, freshly baked cakes and snacks, including the ever-popular Freddos chocolate bar! Everything is designed to fit neatly into your rucksack, and all of the packaging we provide is recyclable or compostable.

3-course evening meals

Our à la carte evening menus feature a wide choice of starters, mains, and desserts, made with seasonal ingredients and, wherever possible, herbs and vegetables from our own gardens. Shared around sociable tables, dinners are relaxed occasions, with drinks available to order at the table or from the bar, and a traditional Sunday roast to round off the week.

Accessibility

For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Nether Grange

Getting to Nether Grange

Find out more about this location including travel details and room types.

More Information

Travel Details

Address

Nether Grange
Alnmouth
Alnwick
Northumberland NE66 2RZ

Tel: +44 (0)1665 830431

By train

The nearest station is Alnmouth, on the main east coast line between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

The station is 1.3miles from Nether Grange. Approximately 30minutes walk, with footpath all the way.

Check National Rail for train times and routes.

By taxi

The 1.5-mile journey from Alnmouth railway station to Nether Grange is about five minutes by taxi. Taxis are in limited supply in Alnmouth, so we recommend pre-booking as early as possible.

For pricing, please contact the taxi company directly.

Taxi companies in the area include:

Sovereign Taxis*
Tel: +44 (0)7553 360662

Wizard Taxis*
Tel: +44 (0)1665 663709

AA Taxis*
Tel: +44 (0)1665 606060

Some taxi companies have school runs so taxis may be in short supply between 9:00am and 10:00am. It is advisable to book your return taxi when you book your arrival taxi.

*HF Holidays does not own or manage any of the above taxi companies.

By car

Before travelling by car, note that there is no car park at Nether Grange and there’s very limited on-street parking.

Exit the A1 onto the A1068 towards Alnwick. At the roundabout turn right (it’s not well signposted), following the A1068 towards Alnmouth. Go straight ahead at the first roundabout then left at the second roundabout onto the B1338.

As you approach Alnmouth, turn right at the next roundabout, then left into The Wynd. Follow to Marine Road into Northumberland Street. After 100 yards turn right into Pease’s Lane. You’ll find Nether Grange on the left.

By air

The nearest airport is Newcastle International Airport. Take the metro to Newcastle Central station, then the train to Alnmouth - a straightforward journey taking just over an hour.

Packing List

For introductory art holidays, all guests will require the following materials and tools, to be purchased before the start of your holiday. The listed items should be available from all good art supply shops, and we recommend that you try to purchase the best quality that you can afford. Well-known brands, such as Daler Rowney or Winsor & Newton have ‘student’ quality ranges which are ideal for our exercises.

Paints & Pencils

Watercolour paints in tubes or dry pan sets, in the following colours:

Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue & Cerulean Blue
Cadmium Red & Alizarin Crimson
Lemon Yellow, Yellow Ochre & Cadmium Yellow
Sap Green
Burnt Umber & Burnt Sienna
Payne’s Grey

Plus, Designers Permanent White Gouache in a tube

Surfaces

10” x 14” 300gm watercolour book or pre-glued pad (cold pressed/not, surfaced), 10-12 sheets
A4 Cartridge Sketch Pad

Tools

Watercolour brushes: No. 10, No. 6 & No. 3
Small Rigger brush
2B & 4B pencils
Pencil eraser

Other

Black/Sepia-coloured fibre-tipped drawing pens (waterproof ink, in fine and medium thickness)
Mixing palette (can be a white dinner plate!)
Small craft knife or pencil sharpener
Water pot
Kitchen roll x 1
Bulldog clips x 6

Nether Grange Calendar

Guided Walking
Self-Guided Walking
Special Interests
Unavailable to Book

Carl March

A qualified art teacher with over 25 years of experience, Carl enjoys experimenting with different mediums and helping people explore their creative side. He’s worked as a guest art lecturer on premium cruises worldwide and his many travels have inspired his work. Whether you’re a regular at the easel or have never picked up a paintbrush before, Carl’s patience as an expert tutor will help you create a piece of art of which you can be proud.

Guest reviews

All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.

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All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take an alternative route, or vary the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.