★★★★·Bishop Auckland·8.5
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or just type it — “around the 20th, three nights”
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Historic 12th‑century manor on the A1, reputed Henry VIII hunting lodge, offers secret passages and a friendly ghost. Set amid landscaped gardens, it features multi‑functional rooms, a dog‑friendly bar/lounge, and a £20 spa package with sauna, steam, pool, and jacuzzi. Ideal for exploring Durham Cathedral, Castle, Dales, and nearby towns.
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How guests rate the property, aspect by aspect.
Even though the reception staff had to juggle many issues, they stayed cheerful and bright, treating us politely, professionally, respectfully, and cheerfully; the breakfast was superb, and we can't think of anything negative.
Robert·2 weeks ago
The room was beautiful, had everything you need, and the welcome pack for the dog was a real plus; the bathroom was old, the breakfast wasn’t tasty to us, so we stopped at a Greggs for a donut; if you want to eat breakfast with a dog you have to use a separate room, which is very cozy but staff (a handyman, etc.) kept shouting that people were eating there, making us feel uneasy and finish our breakfast faster than we wanted; if you want a glass of orange juice with a coffee cake from the buffet you have to walk through two doors from that separate room, which is inconvenient because you have a plate in one hand and a glass in the other and can’t open the doors; this was given little attention, and while I understand the separate room for the zen dog, it seemed like it shouldn’t be used; the room wasn’t marked anywhere, so it took a while to find it because no staff member pointed it out.
Debby·3 weeks ago
I arrived quite late but still managed to order dinner on time, the food was hot and very tasty, and the staff were very polite and cheery; however, between 3.00 and 4.00 there was an awful lot of banging, like workmen.
Ruth·3 weeks ago
It was private, but I expected the room to be downstairs, as they said courtyard, and instead I had to climb stairs with my crutches; there was no welcome at the desk or any help.
Karin·3 weeks ago
The building is a beautiful historic structure that once served as a hunting lodge for Henry VIII; the Tudor building had many interesting quirks, such as a staircase with long, low steps and a real suit of armour halfway up; the room was very comfortable with a great bed and a massive bathroom, though the bath itself was deep and very narrow, making it difficult to get out, but the shower and handbasin were magnificent; the floors are uneven throughout, so caution is needed, but the charm of the building made up for that; the restaurant was good—think high‑end pub food—and the chicken liver pate was the best I’ve ever had; what really stood out was the staff—they could not have done more to make our stay better, welcoming, friendly, and went out of their way to assist with every request; it suffers from an identity issue, being unsure if it is a hotel, restaurant, wedding venue, or spa, which shows in the layout focus but did not affect us; the other issue is that it looks tired, with stained carpets and scuffs that could use a little love.
Andrew·3 weeks ago