School Holidays 2017 Cottages In Alston

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Wendy - Verified booking

  Stayed at The Bothy as a women and her dog, wanting an escape from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

  Wow! Did this place deliver in spades. The cottage is amazing. Quirky. Packed with character. Very well equipped and immaculately clean. Mark and Jo are super hosts. Genuinely one of the nicest couples I’ve met. Whilst they live on site, I never saw them (except arrival and departure) but it was great to know they were there if needed. The scone and fresh eggs on arrival were very welcome too - thank you! Now location…. This cottage is on a hillside in heaven! The views from The Bothy are incredible but there are also so many walks straight from the door and a variety too! Whether you want 1 mile to 50 mile, riverside or moorland, the one thing you can be sure of, is the area has it all. I parked the car up on arrival and it didn’t move again til I left. I walked a total of over 45 miles during the week and never did the same walk twice! Not only that but I reckon I didn’t see more than a dozen people throughout the entire weeks walks!!! Having said that this has to be one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been. Every single person I met was absolutely lovely Nenthead (under a mile away) has a local shop and fabulous cafe (the Hive) and the mine is a great visit. Hopefully the local pub will reopen soon. Alston (3.8 miles) has a variety of shops with a couple of pubs/restaurants. Issac Tea Trail literally runs from The Bothy but honestly this whole area is a walkers paradise. For anyone who’s thinking of booking…. Do it! You won’t be disappointed!!! I can’t wait to return for New Year and this time I’m taking dog and hubby!

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• Wendy - Verified booking

  We all thoroughly enjoyed our four nights stay at Cross View Cottage, (two adults and two teenagers).

  We arrived in the village slightly earlier to park up (we always managed to find a parking space during our stay) and to look round Alston. The cottage is in a prominent position so it was easy to spot as we drove in and we couldn't wait to get inside and unpack. Collecting the key with the key code was easy. Once inside the cottage it was as good as the photos, beautifully presented and spotlessly clean. We loved all the original features, including the spiral stair cases. And having two bathrooms was definitely a plus! Even though we didn't really need to use it, we still lit the log burner in the living room on an evening. As it was a novelty, not having a real fire at home. Plenty of kindling and matches were provided, we just needed one bag of logs from the local Spar. A fruit/veg/plant stall appeared twice in the week under the Market Cross right outside the cottage, which we used. There are ample of shops for groceries etc in Alston so you don't need to bring lots of food with you! We even had one meal from The High Plaice Chippy close to the cottage, after completing the tree top challenge at Go Ape in Matfen, which went down well. We loved having this cottage as a base to visit places near by such as Penrith, Long Meg, Hadrians Wall and the High Force waterfall. We have since recommended Cross View Cottage to our family and friends. Thank you Shanthi and John for such a lovely stay in your cottage, it's a gem and we came home feeling truly revitalised.

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• Kevin - Verified booking

  Neither property or Alston suitable for us I'm afraid, we decided to cut our holiday short and come home after 4 days.

  We're seniors (50s/60s) with the aches, pains and mobility issues which comes with older age so the sofas were out of bounds as you are practically sitting on the floor, we ended up moving the little table into the middle of the room and sitting on dining chairs. The kitchen pictures show shelving on the walls but they aren't there anymore, crockery and glassware tucked away in a bottom cupboard hard to bend down to. The shower isn't powerful and the outside space is not inviting, a tiny concrete square between buildings at the back which means a 360 view of brick walls. Similarly, the view from the living room is also of a large brick wall and the upstairs tenants car which is parked a foot away from the living room window when he's in. Alston has several independent shops, a post office, a Co-op and a handful of pubs/eateries. Recommend Alston House, food & drink was great. Don't recommend the 'take-away' pizza was awful. Drove to Penrith one afternoon, travel time 30-40 minutes over the hills with wonderful views. We wanted to be much closer to the Lakes/larger town/decent views but the blame for not getting that in Alston is all ours as we didn't carry out the appropriate amount of research needed to source it. Cathy & Kevin, June 2023

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• Amanda - Verified booking

  Treetops is the most delightful place to stay, it is truly a home from home.

  It has generous sized bedrooms, with quality furnishings and the very comfortable beds. The bathroom has the most wonderful shower and bath, and again is fitted to a very good standard. The downstairs of the property is also of generous proportions and is very well thought out. The kitchen / dining space is huge and allows for everyone to be together whilst cooking and eating. Both the living room and dining room benefit from the log fire and it makes the place feel even more homely. There are lovely little touches such as a pint of fresh milk in the fridge along with some tea, coffee, biscuits, chocolates and even a few dog treats on arrival - which are very much appreciated. The outside space is also of a good size and is secure which is very useful when taking a dog. There's ample on street parking for two cars (possibly more) directly outside the property and access to the property is simple and straightforward. We had the best time here, it was lovely and peaceful but also only a short walk to the local shop and amenities. We genuinely can not find fault with anything. We had great communication with the owners, who were friendly and polite. Its safe to say we will be returning next year and we can't wait to do so!!

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• Angela - Verified booking

  We three ladies had a wonderful time staying at Cross View Cottage.

  The cottage was clean, comfortable, warm and perfect for our stay. The beds were extremely comfortable and we slept better than we have in ages. It is definitely not suitable for anyone with mobility issues but we found it really quaint. Alston has everything you might need on your doorstep. We visited the church, almost next door, the CoOp, handy for supplies, the takeaway, for delicious pizzas and fish and chips and most other shops for souvenirs and just to chat to the local people who were extremely friendly. The journey to Alston from Penrith took us across stunning moors to a height of nearly 2000 feet but what a view from the top!!! We caught the train from Penrith to Edinburgh, just an hour and a half away, and did the tour of the city on an open top bus, we also visited the Lake District and Barnard Castle, all definitely worth the trip. Finally, the best meals we had whilst in Alston were in the Cumberland Arms. The pub was not much to look at but the chef is a genius. If you enjoy walking, stay at Cross View cottage, you won’t regret it.

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