Housesit UK - A Grand year of adventure

It may surprise you to know, those who know meas founder of HouseSit Match, that my housesit UK year of adventure has delivered more remarkable discoveries than a few blogs could ever possibly describe. However, in the spirit of wanting to share the delight in my experiences I offer this article to give any would be housesitters a few glimpses of the possible joys of a housesit UK.

My Housesit UK Experience Offered a Year of Discovery

My first housesit UK early in the year was in Northumberland

Recovering the business after a couple of years of Covid travel restrictions proved harder than expected for our small business. However, this challenge afforded me and my family a huge opportunity to discover our own country, so to speak. Instead of gallivanting around the world for housesitting in totally new locations we all focused on housesit UK opportunities. And what a delight this proved to be, for me especially.

Moreover, we now feel we are back stronger than ever with new homeowner and pet friends all over the place.

Our first outing for the year was in Northumberland, where we help to get a rural cottage ready for a few months of lettings. The cottage is set in a beautiful bucolic landscape. We arrived in February and left in March, and the weather was as cold on departure as it was on arrival.

Places to visit in Northumberland

Amble by the Sea is a fabulous working port with great fish restaurants at the water’s edge

Among the many places that are remarkable and worth the visit in this North Eastern county is the town of Amble by the Sea. It is an active port and the fish is unloaded on the dock and within minutes it hits this fishmongers slabs and sometimes goes straight to a restaurateurs pan.

The town is incredibly uncommercial, with very affordable cafes and places to eat, and a High Street that gives you a sense of stepping back in time. The town is unique in that it offers a wonderful expansive walkway over a pier that stretches into the bay and back around to the town park.

man holding chopped wood near a pile of wood — The cottage had an open fire so we needed to chop and manage wood to keep warm

A Northern Housesit UK with Solid Fuel

Keeping the cottage supplied with solid fuel is important especially in the cooler months. And we stock up the wood and coal store ahead of the rental season.

I became very attached not only to the sheep but also to Percy one of the dogs who visits the cottage, Sharron his owner also cares for the cottage so we get to meet.

Saying goodbye to our friend Percy was hard

A warm cat sitter welcome to Nottingham

I went straight from a housesit UK in Northumberland to a catsit in Nottinghamshire, in fact in a small and charming village called Thrumpton. It sounds like something out of a folk tale doesn’t it! I did this catsit on my own my other half David and driven off to meet some commitments he had down South.

Well the village proved not only charming by name, but absolutely charming by nature. Small characterful Victorian cottages everywhere I looked. In fact I was catsitting in what had been a local Post Office and General Store. On arrival my wonderful hostess, Julia, whom I had known as a client for years welcomed me like a long lost friend. And most importantly she introduced me to her four Burmese cats.

Unfortunately, her booked cat sitter had been unable to make the sit so I stepped in last minute.

meeting the catowner in Nottingham in my next housesit UK — Julia and Lossit one of ‘The Boys’ her Burmese cats, gave me a very warm welcome as I arrived

A Very Entertaining Catsit

I can honestly say I have never been more entertained by cats in my life. Julia’s pets were all really rather remarkable, each with their own personality.

a Burmese cat looking at a laptop — Talisker in his regular post poised by my laptop to assess my work

Lossit, pictured earlier, would drape himself over my shoulders as I worked, like a stole scarf. Talisker had the habit of watching my every key stroke as I worked on the computer, as if he was trying to memorise my keystrokes.

cat sitting on shelf of dining room dresser — Monty would get into the oddest of observation points, he like looking in the mirror and so preferred this shelf

Walking the neighbours dogs on my housesit UK

While I was at my housesit UK in Thrumpton I would walk the neighbours’ dogs while they were out at work in the day. While walking one day I spied Thrumpton Hall which was a beautiful manor house with a notable history and garden. I found the owner’s email address listed online and emailed her about a visit to the garden.

Remarkably, she kindly answered the same day and gave me instructions to come for a tour of the garden with the gardener! “Just give him £ 5 for garden seeds she said, he’ll be delighted”.

External view of Thrumpton Hall in Nottinghamshire — The village boasted the presence of Thrumpton Hall which was once Byron’s family estate, and who’s daughter Ida Lovelace visited

Thrumpton is a small village and not ideal for pedestrians. I really needed a car to get to any public transport and the nearest town. However, I could walk to a cafe in the next hamlet. And the neighbours who’s dogs I walked kindly took me to Nottingham one evening for spot of site seeing!

pretty English village of Thrumpton — This charming and sleepy hamlet revealed held a delightful surprise

Housesit UK hopping to Gloucestershire

The following month I drove to Newent in Gloucestershire for another housesit UK. I had never really visited this county so I was thrilled to discover such a beautiful lush landscape and a wonderful town with an unexpected history.

three young children walking their pet ferret in the park — Waking Tilly around the local lake we met all kinds of people including a young family walking their pet ferret

My housesit responsibility in a very warm and sunny May was to care for Tilly a young black Labrador in the town of Newent. Tilly was a delight, easy going, rather clever and always wanting to play. We would go on long walks at least once a day. Over beautiful fields, some near agricultural land growing all kinds of produce including strawberries and raspberries.

Tilly the black labrador with her dogsitter — Tilly was a great walking partner and companion

Housesitting and the Joy of Unexpected Discoveries

At least once a day we would walk around the lake at Newent, set in a beautiful park crammed with natural and managed planting. Each day there would be a new discovery with either extensive patches of headily scented blue bells, or long pavements fringed by wild garlic.

Church in the Gloucestershire town of Newent — Newent Church c 1080 is a beautiful example of Norman architecture, a short walk from my housesit

Walking through the town I came across many delightful surprises, like a pub called the Cobblers, a shopping area called The Shambles, and a statue dedicated to Dick Whittington (folklore says he was a poor orphan who walked to London and became Lord Mayor or London) a local dignitary ironically from a wealthy and influential family. Why do the Brits love an underdog so!

table loaded with berries and berry cordials from a farm shop — A local berry farm offered many edible products from locally grown harvests

Other walks led me to May Hill with a peak that gives views over Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Wales. Tilly and I also walked to a strawberry and raspberry farm where the farm shop was an automated dispensing unit offering that day’s fresh pickings. This was quite a modern day contrast to the otherwise pastoral scene reminiscent of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex.

Back to Buckinghamshire

David my husband had returned to Buckinghamshire to undertake a dog sit for one of our homeowners.

dogsitter kneeling on grass to pose with two spaniels for photos — A couple of working Spaniels that needed a lot of exercise every day

Located in another pretty village in the South East of England in a newly built architect designed home David was able to keep very fit during this housesit UK. the two dogs were working dogs and needed long energetic walks twice a day. Another advantage he said was the short walk to the local pub in the village of Fingest, where he met a fun crowd and shared a meal every evening.

Housesit UK in Berkshire

My next port of call was near the market town of Hungerford in Berkshire a neighbouring home county to where we usually live. Emma the owner welcomed me and immediately said let’s go to the Tally Ho, the local pub. She was off very early the next morning and wanted to chat to me over a meal. So we wondered down the road to the hostelry.

Caring for elderly pets

She explained that the two dogs were very close. “Jonty is very old and may pass while I am away”, she said. “Please call the vet as soon as you think there is an issue, and ask the vet to come to the house, I want Benji to have the opportunity to say goodbye.” She reassured me by saying I was not to worry if he did pass while I was caring for him. “He is very elderly and has had a wonderful life. So please, don’t fret! I know you’ll do the right thing.”

This made caring for both Jonty and Benji a little easier, but it also meant I was constantly on the look out for signs of ill health following Jonty round listening to his breathing, watching for unusual behaviour. Thankfully he survived my housesitter stint. Though sadly he did pass shortly thereafter, so his owner knew his time was coming to an end. You have to listen to the petowner.

Grand Designs for this housesit UK

Some of the properties we housesat were quite grand. This year we have cared for small cottages with solid fuel heating, and large manor type properties with wildflower meadows and natural swimming ponds. It’s been a voyage of discovery in my own country.

Black spaniel walking in the and wildflower meadow — Walking the estate with the dogs every day was a wonderful experience especially the wild flower meadow

Emma lent me her car, because the dogs were used to it and would feel more comfortable. She also suggested I drove them to one of their favourite nearby parks at Littlecote House. The parks, are beautiful and open to visitors even though Littlecote is now a hotel. Though it dates from the 12 Century the main structure is an Elizabethan Manor, reputedly where Henry VIII courted Jane Seymore his third wife.

Also on the grounds I discovered is a wonderful and rather ancient Roman mosaic which had belonged to a Roman villa from 360 AD. The dogs and I walked all over the estate, the hayfields surrounding the hotel, along the river running through the estate and so on. It is a very beautiful landscape.

the Littlecote Roman mosaic — The Littlecote Roman Mosaic dating from AD 360

Discovering My Country Through one Housesit UK After Another

This year also included housesits in Bristol, Surrey and London. I think this is the greatest number of counties I have lived in during the space of one year! And the year isn’t over yet.

Housesitting around the country has been fantastic this year and gave me a wonderful taste of a number of different landscapes, counties, I have enjoyed many different pets, and given me a hunger to discover more! Perhaps yours will be my next housesit UK. Register now as a home and pet owner and I’ll get in touch!

By Lamia Walker

Founder and CEO of HouseSit Match