Matfen Hall Country Hotel, Spa & Golf Estate

Set in 300 acres of Northumberland parkland near Hadrian’s Wall, around 30 minutes west of Newcastle, Matfen Hall Country Hotel, Spa & Golf Estate is Northumberland’s first and only five-star country estate, with 27 holes of golf, a new spa and a beautifully restored Grade II-listed mansion.

Built in 1832, the hall has just completed a six-year, £50 million renovation, transforming the hotel, spa and golf facilities. With Newcastle, the Northumberland coast and the Roman sites of Hadrian’s Wall all within easy reach, it is a superb base for a golf trip to the North East.

The golf

The headline is The Douglas, Matfen Hall’s new 18-hole championship course, which opened in June 2026. Golf course architect James Edwards redesigned nine green complexes, creating eight new greens on the original Douglas nine and one on the Standing Stone, and the two loops have been combined into a single championship layout, with a brand-new irrigation system. Dry-stone walls, natural water hazards and the fast-flowing River Pont all come into play, and The Douglas has already been ranked 39th in National Club Golfer’s Top 100 GB&I Resorts 2026.

The nine-hole Dewlaw course, added in 2007, offers a third loop for longer stays, and there is also a nine-hole par-3 course. New practice facilities include the oversized Himalayas putting green beside the hall, an all-weather 18-hole putting course designed by James Edwards, a 15-bay Toptracer driving range and a golf academy with simulator and teaching bay. A woodland path now links the hall to the par-3 course and driving range, and The Keepers lodge provides a restaurant, bar and golf shop overlooking the course.

Stay and relax

The renovated hotel now has 63 bedrooms and suites, many with marble bathrooms and free-standing baths, alongside new restaurants, bars and lounges, including the Emerald Restaurant. The Retreat spa, opened in September 2026, features an 18-metre indoor pool, saunas, a steam room, cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers, six treatment rooms, a gym and a pilates and yoga studio – ideal for non-golfers and post-round recovery.