Each review shows: source · star rating · date · guest comments. Reviews are grouped by traveler type. Persona ratings reflect the average score from guests in that category.
Really great property, very close to Alnwick in the car. Great local dog friendly pub in walking distance, plenty of places to visit. The house was the perfect size for us (5 adults, 1 baby and 2 dogs) with a lot of safe outdoor space for the dogs as well.
The Old Reading Room is in a lovely location, nice walk through to Alnmouth and the beach and other countryside walks. Also easy to commute to all areas of Northumberland as in a central location The house is nice a spacious, we were a party of 5 adults and 2 dogs and had plenty of room. The bedrooms and bathrooms were all spotless, however the living room did have a bit of a damp smell and the oven in the kitchen could have done with a good clean, as could some of the plates and cups left in the cupboards. One thing I would say needs attention is the path from the garden leading to the village, it is covered in moss and as we had a bit of damp weather was extremely slippery and quite dangerous to walk on as there isn’t much lighting either. Apart from that we really enjoyed our stay here
Loved the house. All good and very kind to let us have three dogs.
Really great location, enclosed garden for dogs to potter and for us to sit in the sun. Loved the big kitchen and living room for relaxing in. Bedrooms a fab size and comfortable. Would recommend to friends and stay again.
Lovely house, spotlessly clean. Lovely open space plenty of room to relax. quiet area Nice enclosed garden so felt safe with dogs. Easy access to all major routes for days out. Ideally located.
Had a really lovely weekend family get together staying at this great property that ticked all the boxes. Such a beautifully appointed house, fantastic kitchen, spotless linens and bathrooms and a great location for exploring the area. Being pet friendly meant our beloved 4 legged friend could also join the fun! Would highly recommend :)
Lovely spacious house. Clean and tidy. Great location for coastal walks and Alnwick
Great house, great location, will return again! Positive: Great location, very nice property, comfortable and had everything we needed Negative: Our first evening in Lesbury was ruined by the lack of support from Host & Stay, the company managing the property on behalf of the owners. When we arrived, the smoke alarms were sounding, and we couldn’t silence them for more than a few minutes. We contacted the help number and were asked to send photographs of the alarms, which we did. We received no further help and have heard nothing since. We spent around three hours trying to resolve the problem ourselves, while also looking for last-minute alternative accommodation. Thankfully, we eventually managed to sort it out, but we had to cancel our plans and were left anxious and frazzled. To be clear, our complaint is not with the property itself, or even the fact that the alarms went off (problems can happen). It is the complete lack of support and follow-up from Host & Stay when we needed help. Being left to deal with this ourselves, without so much as a check that the issue had been resolved, was unacceptable. I would strongly encourage the owners to consider a different management company - one that takes an active interest in its guests and provides practical help when something goes wrong.
It was a cosy and peaceful house in a fantastic location. It felt like staying in a friend’s/relative’s home, which suited our group, but we did notice some dirt on the hob and some leftover belongings from a previous group that the cleaners had missed. I would stay again.
A beautiful stone house in a lovely, quiet area. We could walk down to Alnmouth direct from the cottage, and there was a good local pub and fantastic Community Shop a few yards away. The cottage was very clean with comfy beds and plenty of space for 4 of us. The outside space was good with an enclosed grass area great for dogs. Communications with the agents were prompt and very courteous. We were very happy with the cottage, but we didn’t mark as excellent as there was no toaster, and some of the guidance was inconsistent or unclear.
Spacious, clean and well located for access to the local beaches. The house is well equipped and furnished beautifully.
The house was exactly as described on the website. It was spacious, comfortable, and well equipped and the kitchen had everything we needed. The bedrooms are lovely and the beds very comfortable and our family loved all of the shelves of books. Everything was exceptionally clean. The location is perfect for access to the coast and the Northumbrian countryside and only a few minutes walk from the local pub where we had a lovely meal. We had excellent communication from the property manager. Our family will definitely be coming back.
Lovely house in Lesbury. House is very clean and all amenities you need are provided. Good communication with the host.It's approximately a 25min walk along the river into Alnmouth. A great stay.
This is a lovely house. Homely, well set up and well equipped.
A very enjoyable stay at the Old Reading Room. A lovely house, very comfortable and with everything you need. Great location with village shop and pub a few minutes walk down the road, as well as Alnmouth and it's stunning beach / river setting a walkable distance or short drive away. Pizza from the Red Lion in Alnmouth and the deli are particularly recommended. Coastal villages up to Bamburgh are easily reachable, as well as Alnwick a short drive inland. Would recommend!
We had a wonderful stay at the Old Reading Room. The living and kitchen spaces are generous and brilliantly set up for groups, and the bedrooms and bathrooms were all very comfortable. Lesbury village has a lovely community shop and Alnmouth nearby was perfect for trips to the beach and a good pub or deli lunch.
This was our second visit to this house. We like the spacious lounge, kitchen and main bedroom. There is a garden. It is walking distance to the local pub and community shop/cafe. Alnmouth is a short drive or a pleasant walk away. Parking was a little challenging as we had two cars and there was a van parked in the way but it was moved later in our stay. There were no food provisions and only 1 small sachet of shower gel in each bathroom so remember to bring your own.
Nice house and good location! We did find that a couple of things could have done with a bit more TLC - dirty cutlery drawers, some dirty cutlery, and the bare minimum of things provided (e.g. the listing says there's tea and coffee but there were only 6 teabags for 6 people for three nights, it also says there's shampoo etc providef and there were only a couple of small sample sizes left for us to use). Very good size house for six people and you're close to a lot of good Northumberland spots, but make sure you pack your own shampoo and tea bags!
This is a lovely property and the location is excellent for both Alnmouth and Alnwick, whether coming by train or car. The property is very well equipped. There was a bit of a damp smell when it rained from an issue with the old walls but otherwise a very pleasant house.
Amazing house. Good location and very clean. Was exactly as described. Kids loved twin room and all toys/games provided. Master bedroom was huge and kitchen very well appointed. Would stay again.
Excellent property … spacious, clean, garden, lawn, private, quiet, parking - perfect! Positive: Excellent property … 4 of us had wonderful time at The Old Reading Room at Lesbury, Alnmouth, a beautiful village, quiet and peaceful with lovely volunteer run upmarket village shop/cafe, pretty garden (with handy lawn area for woofs) and just 20 min walk along a pretty footpath to coastal village of Alnmouth. Spacious property with everything we needed … and fabulous restaurants in Alnmouth Negative: ONLINE house manual - would much prefer a paper/ring binder ‘house manual’ than an online one … as nice to get away from phones! And easier for quick reference
Beautiful family house a home from home lots of extras. Spacious and characterful. Great position with lovely walks from the door especially into Alnmouth. Thank you we had a wonderful stay.
Very tidy and lovely kitchen and living room. Very social spots. Near to great places too.
Loved our break in the Old Reading Room, what a beautiful house and a great location. Weather was good and we were out and about in the local area. We will definitely be back.😊
Positive: Sunroom/porch was a beautiful place to sit in the evening and enjoy the lounge summer evening. House was very spacious and comfortable and well equipped. Great location. Loved village shop.
Great house, plenty of bathrooms, large rooms making it comfortabale for up to six people. Good loaction, close to pub & community shop with easy walk to Alnmouth. Overall a great stay.
Loved our stay at The Reading Room, everything was perfect. The location , ideal for getting around. What comfortable beds had the best sleep, thank you
Positive: We loved this cottage. It was perfect for our family of six - we were three adult couples and so thoroughly appreciated the three bathrooms. Everything felt spacious, clean and comfortable, and we had everything we needed. The local pub was excellent (so nice just to be able to pop along the road), and it was an easy drive to Alnmouth, Alnwick, Seahouses and Bamburgh (and lots of other places too, if only we'd had more time). Proximity to Alnmouth Station was also ideal, as some of our party came by train. Negative: Everything was great - there was nothing we didn't like. Slightly missed having no hardcopy information in the house - we enjoy a bit of a phone-detox when on holiday, so having to get straight onto a phone to access the info slightly thwarted that initial 'away from it all' feel. But that's a very minor point and in no way detracted from a wonderful stay.
We loved staying here - the house is beautiful and so much space. We felt right at home here. We would certainly book the Old Reading Room again when we’re next up in this area.
Large living room and kitchen which works really well and nice pub within walking distance with good food. Could do with some clothes storage in the 2 smaller bedrooms, even if just some hooks on the wall or a rail with hangers. Excellent location for Alnwick and the coast.
The Old Reading Room was superb. It is a beautiful cottage, extremely spacious and comfortable and very clean. The rooms are large and the bathrooms, bedrooms, and lounge and kitchen are all very clean and comfortable. The garden is so pretty and the location is excellent. Host and Stay are extremely helpful and informative and communicative. We loved the house and the area.
Great property! Highly recommend it. It had everything you needed for a wonderful stay. And a stunning location!
We had a fantastic stay: the house is very comfortable and spacious, with a lovely garden and a well-equipped kitchen. It was cosy and comfortable, and in a lovely area with plenty of walks and the pub just a couple minutes’ walk along the road. We would stay here again .
A lovely property with plenty of space. Felt like someone's home rather than a rental property.
Lovely clean place within walking distance to river Aln and the local pub. All the rooms and bathrooms are very spacious. Nice central position for visiting Alnwick and Alnmouth. We were very happy with our stay. Thank you.
lovely accommodation great communications with the host
The listing is inaccurate (still). It says there is an EV charger - there is not. We were told that it was a "plug" outside not an EV charger on the morning of arrival - this meant we had to spend several hours away from the property to charge the car. Beaing in mind this was a short weekend break this was a significant % of the stay. The pictures show an Aga. There is but with a label stuck to it saying it does not work. We felt we had to wash all the dishes before use - just a bit grimy. We asked about early check in. There was NO booking before us that week. only on the day did Host and Stay talk about outrageous fees for doing so. I did contact host and stay about the charger. They said sorry for "MY" misundertanding. It is still on the listing as such and frankly is mis-representation. Would have been approprite, to have some wood etc there to light the fire However the property is very pleasant and the location great, and the local pub and shop very friendly.
Great accomodation loads of space and in a really good location
Excellently furnished, fully equipped kitchen, wood-burner in the sitting room, close to the sea: The Old Reading Room was a beautiful place to stay.
Without doubt the worst place we have stayed. The property has significant damp issues which has resulted in black mould growing on the furniture and walls in the living rooms. The kitchen cupboards were filthy. There is no ventilation in the bathroom which has again resulted in a stagnant damp room which smells awful despite the hosts trying to mask this with room diffusers. The smell of the bathroom penetrates through to the bedroom. We raised the issue of the dampness and mould with the hosts who cleaned one cutlery drawer and one cupboard before they stopped responding to our concerns. The damp and mould are clearly a longstanding issue which the host has chosen not to address and instead to let the property despite this known issue. Further, the aga does not work.
We had a lovely stay. A great base to explore the area.
Lovely house, as described, nice quiet location. Kitchen well equipped, spacious living area.
It’s a lovely, spacious house, full of character in the pretty village of Lesbury. Walking distance to Alnmouth beach and short drive to Alnwick. We loved the house and the location.
The old reading room is spacious and very well equipped for enjoying the gorgeous Northumberland coastal area.
Lovely period house in quiet village
The place was spacious and tidy. Near to many places although the local pub isn't open Monday and Tuesdays. Lots of things to do nearby. lovely party of the country and will probably return sometime soon.
Well organised and clean and tidy. Property is starting to get a little tired and needs some TLC is minor area’s but overall really good
Nice property for exploring the local area. Positive: The house was excellent - very spacious and had everything we needed. Kitchen was well stocked with all the cooking equipment we needed. Bedrooms and bathrooms were clean and well kept. The rooms were huge, with the living room being perfect for relaxing movies nights. Negative: We couldn't enter the property until 15 mins after our agreed arrival time, as the maintenance guy was still doing final checks - not a major problem, but not a great start to our holiday.
Easy to find from directions given. Lock box for key took a while to find as it was on the side of the garage behind a post. Some issues in the property need to be looked at but hosts are desling with that. Great bathrooms and lovely big space. Great garden.
Great spacious property as described
A beautiful, spacious house in a quiet location. I would definitely stay here again.
Great spaces Spacious house, lovely kitchen and big, comfy sitting room. Bedrooms and bathrooms all high standard. Great area. We were disappointed that the Aga was out of order.
Fantastic stay would highly recommend. Everything perfect. Thanks again.
Great place, would recommend
Good location to explore the coast, Hadrian’s wall and Holy island. Well kept and comfortable stay.
Disappointed with property management 'Host and Stay' Negative: The booking site informed us that a £250 damage deposit was required and that after a couple of weeks it would be refunded in full if all was well. After a couple of weeks it was returned to us minus a £10 admin fee. Not happy. We also had to go off site to pay the £250 via a portal before the keys were released to us, something that the booking site is always asking guests not to do. There was thick dust under the bed I was sleeping in. I have a photo but can't find anywhere to upload it. I will never book to stay in a property managed by 'Host and Stay' again.
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