Guests say
Two Castles in Bamburgh offers a stunning location with breathtaking views and comfortable, well-appointed accommodation. Guests appreciate the proximity to local amenities and the beach, as well as the relaxing atmosphere. While the property has received praise for its comfort and aesthetics, some guests have noted issues with maintenance and facilities that could enhance the overall experience.
The property generally appears to be clean, with only minor housekeeping issues noted, such as books found in a bed and empty hand-wash bottles. These instances seem to be exceptions rather than the rule.
The location is consistently praised for its spectacular views and convenience to shops, restaurants, the beach, and local attractions, making it an ideal spot for guests.
Guests find the beds comfortable and the property well-appointed, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable stay. Some minor issues with light and noise have been mentioned but do not significantly detract from the overall comfort.
While the property boasts a well-equipped kitchen and good basic appliances, guests have reported insufficient kitchen utensils, non-stick coating worn off pans, and mismatched glassware. Maintenance issues like a stiff keysafe and a broken travel cot were also mentioned.
There is no mention of gifts or special thoughtful touches provided by the hosts in the reviews, so it is not possible to assess this category.
About this property
Set over two floors, Two Castles in Bamburgh, Northumberland, offers simply stunning views and boasts splendid accommodation, which is ideal for a family on holiday or a small group of friends travelling together. The apartment forms part of an impressive Arts and Crafts house and a number of original features have been lovingly preserved whilst still offering all the home comforts any discerning visitor would expect. The open-plan living space is warm and inviting with extensive seating and a gorgeous woodburning stove helping to create a welcoming vibe. The stylish kitchen is all set up ready to go for the keen chef to be able to produce wholesome food for the holiday party with a breakfast island, a stylish finishing touch, where guests can pull up a stool, pour themselves a drink and enjoy keeping the chef company. Guests can choose informal dining at the breakfast island or step into the elegant dining area, which is designed for long, leisurely meals and is somewhere you can imagine spending many happy holiday hours. If the sun is shining, then there are ample communal grounds to explore, the ideal spot for spending time alfresco. All that fresh air will have tired you out, so take your pick from any of the three immaculately presented bedrooms, which offer a relaxing sanctuary after a hard day of being out and about exploring. Talking of exploring, Two Castles is in the perfect location for discovering the delights of the region. Bamburgh is within a short walk and has a good selection of shops and amenities as well as its infamous castle. You must check out the castle at Lindisfarne too which can be seen from the property. Head off from here and carry on along the Heritage Coastline where you will find miles of sandy beaches, quaint fishing villages and breath-takingly beautiful castles. Other towns worth visiting in the region include Alnwick, Seahouses (just a few miles away) and you can even head to the border and visit the ever-popular town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Activities to look forward to in the area include golf, sailing (from Seahouses to the Farne Islands), birdwatching, hiking, cycle rides and horse-riding. Two Castles lives up to its name and offers sublime castle views together with wonderfully presented accommodation, so you are sure to have a truly memorably holiday here.
The village’s sweeping sandy beaches and dramatic fortress - Bamburgh Castle - make Bamburgh one of Northumberland’s major visitor attractions. The castle can be seen for miles and dominates this part of the county’s coastline. Today it remains home to the family of the great Victorian industrialist Lord Armstrong, and is open to the public on a daily basis. Although overshadowed by the great castle, Bamburgh village is picturesque with neat grey stone cottages facing a manicured village green. There are excellent pubs, hotels with restaurants and a small selection of village shops. There are golf courses in Bamburgh and nearby Seahouses, and within easy reach are more wide sandy beaches, lovely fishing villages, stunning castles and coastal islands to explore along the dramatic Heritage Coast. There are numerous other attractions also a short drive away, including the famous Alnwick Castle and Gardens and the historic walled border town, Berwick-upon-Tweed. A superb base for exploring Northumberland.
Accommodation
Split-level apartment.
Three bedrooms: 1 x first-floor twin with Jack and Jill bathroom with bath, shower over, basin, heated towel rail and WC, 1 x second-floor double with, en-suite with bath, shower over, basin and WC, 1 x second-floor super-king-size (zip/link, can be twin on request) with en-suite with walk-in shower, basin, heated towel rail and WC.
First-floor kitchen.
Utility.
Open-plan living space with dining area and sitting area with woodburning stove
Electric storage heating with woodburning stove.
Electric oven, grill and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher.
Smart TV, TV, WiFi.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Highchair available on request.
Private parking for 1 car.
Communal gardens.
Sorry, no pets and no smoking.
Shop 0.1 miles, pub 0.1 miles, beach 0.3 miles.
Note: Starter pack for woodburning stove provided.
Note: If you wish the super-king-size to be made up as a twin please us know
Nearby points of interest
- Bamburgh Castle
- Haggerston Castle
- Alnwick Castle
Reviews (8)
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Peter
It was very comfortable, spacious andwell furnished and equipped. The heating system was needed at night and was efficient and easy to use There were a number of minor maintenance issues in particular the bath plug in the first floor bathroom which would not open. In addition information about the extractor fans and heated towel rails provided in the information book and a sign in the kitchen conflicted with each other and caused confusion. There were insufficient pans for cooking and a couple of more pans would have helped. Overall we had a very enjoyable stay in the apartment and would certainly return in the future. Communication with NCCC was problematic. We asked for further information about the property prior to arrival and still await reply three days after departure . The website appears to have been designed to avoid contact. Local staff in Seahouse friendly and helpful.
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Alexandra
Perfect location. The views are breathtaking and the rooms are large and comfortable. A truly incredible place to stay. The management of the property could be improved, however. The promised travel cot for our baby was broken and missing a mattress - very grateful that this was resolved quickly but shouldn't have happened and it is concerning that this wasn't noticed before our stay. There were other small housekeeping issues too - we found books (presumably left by the previous visitors?) wedged inside our "freshly" made bed on arrival, the hand-wash bottles in two of the three bathrooms were empty. Information about the property online and in the ring binder was inaccurate - no second TV in a bedroom as promised, the manual for the dishwasher was for a completely different brand and model, info about using the towel rails and extractor fans contradicted that on stickers in the apartment. All these things could be addressed very quickly for future guests. Overall we loved it and would like to return. Hope the small issues can be fixed.
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David
Bamburgh is in a magical part of the world. All of these are great ingredients for a wonderful stay. We have stayed in this property before and it is clear that the owners/Sykes Cottages never act on any feedback, so what follows is purely for the benefit of those who may be considering renting the property (caveat emptor). The grounds were unmaintained and untidy on arrival. The team of four (!) who arrived on Day 3 said that nothing had been done all year. They spent all day restoring the grounds to their former splendour, inevitably making a fair amount of noise for a prolonged period in the process. The result was great but the situation was very disappointing. The bathroom in the 2nd floor castle-facing bedroom had a defective (dangerously so) shower screen, a non-working bath plug mechanism, an unfixed toilet roll holder and a door that jammed on the tiled floor. One of the (cheap) window blinds does not work properly. The maintenance visit on Day 3 fixed some of these issues but I would still not recommend opening the shower screen, especially with small children. The same screen in the first floor bathroom shows how it should work. Unacceptable. The keysafe mechanism is very stiff (dare I suggest some WD40 may be required?). Having only one set of keys for a 3-bedroom property is hugely frustrating, especially with a challenging keysafe. Irritating in the extreme. The kitchen looks well equipped and has good basic appliances, until you actually try a use it. For example, there is one huge drawer filled with saucepan lids but only 2 mis-matched saucepans. The water glass collection is a joke - some are plastIc and some are freebies. There is no set of six matching glasses of any description - the 3 standard wineglasses are of 2 different styles and the other 5 decorative ones do not even fit in the dishwasher. Most of the water glasses would be declined by our local charity shop, who could easily provide a better offering with which to equip this apartment. Basically, the kitchen is both disappointing and frustrating - but on issues that would be of trivial cost to fix, if only someone cared enough to act on them. Could only do better. The coat hook rack in the laundry area falls off the wall if used, so best not to. One of the under-cabinet lights in the kitchen does not work. Basic maintenance issues. The bedroom on the first floor has pretty curtains but with zero light-blocking characteristics, so waking up early is no challenge (and there is no alternative!). The light above the bathroom mirror does not work and the bedroom door (still, 3 years on) jams in its frame. Self explanatory. The summary is that this is a lovely property that is let down by lack of attention to details that are important if you are actually trying to live in it. The feeling is that it is simply rolled week-to-week by the cleaning team, but with no attention to, or review of, the contents. Given the rental fee, asking me to strip the beds on departure is just the final bit of grit in what should already be a pearly oyster. The property has fantastic promise but currently punches below its weight on easily addressed issues. Despite our love for the location over many decades, sadly, we are unlikely to be back any time soon. â¹ï¸