A DISUSED hotel which once resembled a house of horrors is now at the heart of a tourism drive in the Allen Valleys.

The imposing Dale Hotel stood empty for more than 10 years, with ivy creeping all the way up its neglected walls.

Now, almost two years after it was purchased by husband and wife team Tony and Linda Beck, the Dale is making a significant contribution to the local economy.

Part of the building, known as the Bunkhouse, re-opened in October 2014 as accommodation offering 36 beds for walking trips, youth ventures, and other groups.

Within its first year, the Bunkhouse had welcomed more than 3,000 guests, complementing the outdoor activities and conference facilities provided at nearby Deneholme.

This week, Mrs Beck revealed that two further projects for the Dale will be rolled out during 2016.

Refurbishment of the Dale‘s west side, known as Dale Cottage, is ongoing, with holiday accommodation for up to six people soon to be made available.

In addition, the Becks are preparing to renovate the heart of the building, known as the Townhouse, into a three-bedroom family house, which is set to become a long-term rental home.

Planning permission for both of the new projects has already been secured, and Mrs Beck is pleased with the progress that has been made.

She said: “The Dale had been empty for a long time and required a lot of attention.

”The potential of the building was clear, and the Bunkhouse is already bringing a lot of people into the community.

“While this is our family business, we want to support other businesses in the area, and its good to be able to accommodate so many people who want to visit the Allen Valleys for what we have here.”

The Becks are busy people. They took on the Dale to complement their other venture, Becks Training, based at Deneholme, which is owned by Allendale‘s community charity Fawside.

At Deneholme, the Becks run outdoor activities such as fell walking, mine and ghyll scrambling, fishing, orienteering, archery and bushcraft.

Deneholme also supports school and youth organisations, and offers conference and workshop facilities, which have attracted high profile businesses to Allendale, such as Nissan.

While Deneholme can also sleep 36 people, that number has now doubled since the Bunkhouse opened at the Dale Hotel.

The Bunkhouse also accommodates groups who visit the area for birthdays and other celebrations.

In addition, school groups have booked stays at the Bunkhouse and the facility is growing in popularity.

Even when the latest projects have been completed, the expansive Dale Hotel building will still have capacity for further enhancements.

But German-born Mrs Beck insists the family will be focusing on one project at a time.

The couple met back in 2003 when Mr Beck attended an outdoor activity residential at Otterburn, where her future husband was working as an instructor.

After Mrs Beck moved to the UK in 2005, the couple began running outdoor activities at different venues, putting to good use her background in business, human resources and marketing.

However, Beck’s Training has been based at Deneholme since 2009.

Mrs Beck added: “Everyone is fascinated by the Dale Hotel. We stripped back the creeper and even now, if we do work outside, people stop to ask about the building and the beautiful stonework which has been hidden away.”