Accommodation review
I started to plan this walk
at least 6 months before and booked my accommodation well in
advance. This of course means that I have to pay the full
whack, but it's a price I'm willing to pay to secure my
choice. I always plan my long walks around the accommodation
stops, which can be awkward, but I like a pint in the
evenings. I don't think I could do backpacking - mainly due
to my knees not being able to stand the extra weight, I
prefer to socialise a bit of an evening and thankfully I can
afford B&B's or hotels. Some of the places were a bit
quirky, and some superb value - but the worldwide web can
make a
silk purse out of a pigs ear. But overall my
choices were ok and gave me everything I needed. I was lucky
enough to be chauffeured around the Lake District and stayed
at a friends house - that made life very easy, but I could
have got accommodation if I needed it. One thing to note
though is that most B&B's \ hotels in the Lake District like
you to book two nights at the weekends which can make
planning difficult.
Budle Hall - about 3 miles on from
Bamburgh Castle -
http://www.budlehall.co.uk/
Originally I had made a booking in Bamburgh itself, but
thanks to a snooty owner, they double booked my room. So I
ended up at Buddle Hall - a delightful shabby chic sort of
place. Very grand, with a slightly faded facade. But the
welcome was marvellous, a make yourself at home sort of
place. The room was huge and comfortable, with a smattering
of antiques. The bathroom was OK and the plumbing typical of
an old hall. I was served up a couple of beers in the garden
while I wrote up my blog - I'm sure the owner thought I was
a journalist or something. Breakfast was good and plentiful,
and also a bit quirky - I was sat at a long table and my
place was set aside from the other guests by a strip of
astro-turf (complete with Daisies) across the table. A
thumbs up for me, but probably a tenner more than it should
be for a single. I ate in Bamburgh at The Olive Tree - a
nice little Italian restaurant - good walking food.

The Grand entrance hall

The impressive stairwell
Wooler-
http://www.rockliffehouse.co.uk
I've stayed here three times now, and the owner Rachel
is very welcoming. So welcoming that she left me a note on
the front door telling me she had to go out and leaving the keys
inside - great that there isn't any crime up there - a theme
I'd found in quite a few rural areas. The room was a good
size double, with great touches like a box of fudge and some
chocolate, as well as the usual. A very tasty breakfast and
altogether great value - high on the list of my favourite
places on the walk. I ate at the local restaurant - Milan
and had a good nosh of pasta for the next day.
Barrowburn (down from the
Pennine Way) -
http://www.barrowburn.com
This farmhouse was the only place for me to stay on my
route across over The Cheviot
from Wooler. I had a nice down to earth welcome from
the hosts in the tea room - 'you don't look like the normal
walkers we have here. Most of them are knackered'. That
remark puts them up the rankings straight away, along with
the pot of tea and choccy biscuit I was served with. I had
my tea served up outside, with a can of Boddingtons, sitting
in the sun looking over the meadows and watching the
Swallows flit in and out of the eaves. The accommodation
wasn't the Ritz but it was fine, clean, and very quiet. They
also have a bunkhouse and a holiday cottage to rent out as
well. Good value, and a packed lunch thrown in as well.

Nestled down in the valleys - amongst rolling hills
Rothbury (for 2 days) -
http://www.orchardhouserothbury.com
I really splashed out on this one - well I do consider
my long walks a holiday, and if I find somewhere I really
like I book it. A massive suite of lounge, bedroom and
bathroom worked out at £60 per person B&B - the same
price as some other lesser places to stay. It's a lovely
small town, and was relatively unknown to most of the
general public until this summer when the mad gunman shot
himself on the village river bank. We were welcomed
with a glass of fizz and a hot towel - very welcome for me
to freshen up. The whole place was superb and in my eyes
value for the money I paid - the service was exceptional. I
ate down in the town at the local Italian restaurant - 3
pasta based meals out of the first four days.

It doesn't look much from the street - but it's
very, very nice and pricey
Bellingham -
www.thecheviothotel.co.uk/
Bellingham (prounounced Bellingcham) is a
small linear village with a few stores and a couple of pubs,
B&B's etc. This one was a bit of a disappointment really -
the room was small - true I'd booked a single, but it wasn't
great. I'd say very basic, as was the food. The beer was OK,
but I think the hotel was struggling to keep up. Overall I
would look elsewhere for better value - probably the worse
one of the whole trip - but somebody has to be last, and to
be fair to them I did ask for a quiet room and it was.

The Hotel is right on the main road - see the
yellow sign
Burnhead - directly on Hadrian's Wall
near the Milecastle Inn
-
www.burnheadbedandbreakfast.co.uk/
Probably the best stay of the trip and marvellous
value. Everything was good about here and I couldn't find a
single thing to say bad about this place. It's about half a
mile away from the pub - uphill, but it's downhill all the
way back. The owners - Christine and David give a great
welcome, a fresh pot of tea and cake in the room. Despite
going on holiday the next day Christine took time to wash my
smelly clothes for me - all included in the price of B&B and
a packed lunch. To top it all off they had an archaeologist
staying while he worked at Vindolanda - great conversation
at breakfast.

Burnhead B&B - a little jewel
Alston -
www.alstonhouse.co.uk
Quite an expensive stop, but the room was big clean and
newly refurbished. The bar area was quiet, full of big
tables and a big TV for the football. Very friendly and good
service. The food was basically pub grub, but expensive pub
grub. OK but overpriced.
On the main road, but it wasn't too busy
Dufton - Hall Croft B&B
As I was walking over the Pennines the owner phoned me to
ask when I would be arriving. About 10 minutes after, he
naffed off to go singing in the local choir, leaving us in
the house. On the plus side I sat out in the garden, in the
sunshine having a beer. No keys, no crime - a nice peaceful
village. If you like the smell of dogs then this is the
place for you!. The room was fine, the bathroom a bit pokey,
and the breakfast was good. The owner didn't know when to
leave the room though and kept blathering away over
breakfast. It was ok though and adequate for what I needed.
A short walk up the road was the local pub which served good
beer, good food and attractive barmaids! - (they didn't
actually serve barmaids)
The B&B had lovely gardens to sit out in
Days Nine to Eleven - a
friends house in Stanton - the cheapest stay of the trip -
perfect - I had to cut the grass though.
Ennerdale Bridge -
http://www.foxandhoundsinn.org.uk/
A bit of an enigma this. The owner has a
monopoly in the village as he owns the hotel as well. Why he
is in the hotel business is beyond me as he has all the
charm of a wet lettuce, and doesn't give a monkeys about his
guests - which strikes me as odd as they pay the bills. But
anyway the Fox and Hounds was my choice and I struck lucky
as it was the nicer of the two places to stay. I arrived a
bit wet and was greeted by the lady who was single handed
running the place (the chef had left as he hadn't been
paid!). She did her best and was very good. The room was
fine, freshly decorated and comfortable. No drying
facilities, despite having a boiler room the owner doesn't
let anyone use it. Someone had run amok with the silicon gun
in the bathroom as well. The food was ok, but the atmosphere
was flat as the place was made over to be a restaurant with
rooms - but it doesn't work. None of the locals will drink
in the village as the owner has alienated all of them! But
the saving grace was the packed lunch the next day - a warm
veggie pasty - very tasty. The stay was OK but they could do
so much more, and it's expensive for what it is.
....and that is the end of that - I hope
you enjoyed the walk. Now I have to plan the next one.
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