A HISTORIC County Durham hay barn looks set to become a tourist hotspot thanks to a new television series.

For around 300 years, the Old Barn, has overlooked the village of Westgate, near Stanhope.

But now its owners have received requests from TV fans keen to visit the set of TV series Beowulf, which is being filmed nearby.

ITV’s big budget, Game of Thrones-style drama, has used the area to represent the poem’s Scandinavian setting, and will follow Beowulf’s battles with a monster and a dragon.

And, although the 13-part drama is not scheduled to air until next year, it looks set to put the village, within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the map.

Originally built in the 1800s to provide shelter for cattle and dry storage for hay, the barn has been converted into a two bedroom cottage.

“Being such a rural and unspoilt area, you can see why it makes a great location for something like Beowulf,” said the barn’s owner, Beverley Warden.

“However, it’s also a good base for anyone wanting to visit Hadrian’s Wall or Raby Castle – even the Lake District is only an hour’s drive away.

“It’s also a super spot for nature lovers as it sits in six acres of countryside and fields and is surrounded by animals.”