A former cowshed near Barnard Castle has been recognised as one of the best new holiday lets in the country after scooping a national award. 

Martyn Pease is celebrating after his property The Old Byre, in Egglesburn, Durham, won gold in the Best Newcomer category at the national travel awards. 

The Northern Echo: The Old Byre, in Teesdale.

Run by "staycation specialist" Sykes Holiday Cottages, the award saw thousands of entries from across the UK and Ireland – with The Old Byre fending off tough competition to take home the trophy.

Martyn, from Darlington, inherited The Old Byre after his father passed away in 2021 and after "much encouragement" from his two children, Amelie, 14 and Joshua, 9, he decided to renovate the property to rent out as a holiday let.

The Northern Echo: The Old Byre, in Teesdale.

Originally a cowshed, the property had undergone extensive renovations after Martyn’s father developed the property to live in. Now, it has been finished to an even higher standard, complete with 50-inch HD TVs in every room, a wood-burning fire, underfloor heating, a games room and a hot tub.

The Northern Echo: The Old Byre, in Teesdale.

Since The Old Byre first became available to holidaymakers back in June 2022, Martyn has reaped the rewards of a surge in staycations to Durham and the property is nearly fully booked throughout the whole of 2023.

The Sykes Gems Awards first launched in 2017 and aim to celebrate the best people and properties in the UK’s holiday let sector - judged by a panel of industry experts including Sykes’ CEO Graham Donoghue and COO Bev Dumbleton, as well as The Sun’s Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski.

The Northern Echo: The Old Byre, in Teesdale.

Properties were judged using owner entries and guest feedback, alongside details like photos, occupancy figures and property amenities.

The judging panel were impressed by the style and facilities on offer at The Old Byre along with guest feedback on cleanliness, comfort and value for money.

The Northern Echo: The Old Byre, in Teesdale.

Most read: 

The Old Byre owner, Martyn Pease, said: “I’ve put so much into making The Old Byre a success, and constantly get great feedback from our visitors, but an award like this really does mean a lot.

“As a landlord to several buy-to-let properties, the weekly tasks of a holiday let were a new challenge. I’ve taken on all the work with the help of my family, and while it has been a steep learning curve, I’ve absolutely loved every minute.

The Northern Echo: The Old Byre, in Teesdale.

“I always engage with the guests a few days before their visit to see if there is anything, in particular, they’d like in their welcome hamper to make sure each stay is tailored to the individual. It’s little things like this that really make a difference to holidaymakers’ stays and has definitely helped generate lots of repeat bookings for us in 2024!”