Church View

Generally it is a lovely place, with excellent views from its first floor location.

However two adverse comments.There was an issue with the entry passcode on arrival which delayed access to the property. The other point was the shower which badly needs attention. It won't hold up in the socket so you have to hold it all the time and also the water heat sometimes changes of its own accord. Otherwise we were very happy with it and also had no problem parking outside. The equipment was excellent.

The property was spotless, with lovely soft carpet, and well equipped, as well as being very well located.

The kitchen table is quite large for the room and awkwardly sited so that when the dishwasher is open one has to climb across its door to reach the sink. I also felt that more and better mats and coasters might have been provided to protect the nice wooden furniture, The shower controls proved a bit difficult to achieve an even temperature - but then so many showers are a bit tricksy! Not a big complaint. Parking is obviously a problem everywhere in Bamburgh - one has to ‘box clever’ and be prepared to move one’s car to the most convenient location after the daytime pressure has been relieved by day-trippers going home. But overall in late June, we were pretty lucky. It was good to be so near ‘ The Walled Garden’ where excellent if expensive coffee is served and one can sit in the sunshine and read in the sensory garden, enjoying the scents. Another feature new to Bamburgh since we were last there was the well-explained ossuary at the church and the modern St Aidan shrine, complete wth contemplative music, in the chancel. Altogether, the church repays patient visiting - so much istory and spiritual significance - it was lovely to have the view of it from the flat.

Lovely little apartment.

Very clean and good amenities, in great location. Comfortable, quiet. We had a wonderful stay. It should be noted that there is no dedicated parking with this accommodation and at busy times (good weather, weekends, school holidays) it may not be possible to park anywhere near the property - including when you are loading/unloading. Only other slight issues were that the vacuum cleaner was completely clogged (my husband cleaned it out so it could be used), and the sofa is in very poor condition and could do with a refresh. Shower bracket also needs replacing as does not hold shower head up properly. Very small things in what is overall a good property.

Very disappointing.

Very overpriced.The property is manged by the external company. Coincidental furnitures, gathering of weird items/ objects. It is advertised as house but in fact it is a flat, moreover apparently dog friendly but no garden/ court yard. The flat is tired; needs TLC and urgent investment. Building itself if of putting. Unpleasant smell downstairs/ shower head keeps dropping while showering, one toilet roll left for 7 days, no laundry liquid but dishwater tablets appreciated. No telly in the bedroom. Below average standards- gives you the impression that people behind don’t care. Otherwise Northumberland is a wonderful destination.

A small bed side table in little bedroom would be useful.

A bigger washing up liquid useful too. We had a great stay in comfortable and fantastic location for beach and castle.

Generally an OK stay.

Heating was on, which was great as cold weather expected in March. Everything neceessary, provided for a short or long stay. Good location for village facilities. However, parking would be an issue when busy. Furniture could be updated as settee covering disintegrating. Bath plug does not seal well.

Perfect location and bigger than expected.

Seating in lounge not the most comfortable but sufficient. Loved the fully equipped kitchen with massive oven although took a while to work out how to switch it on! Welcome pack would have been nice even if just a pint of milk as shops are few and far between in Bamburgh. Couldn’t find bin bays as per instructions and only ones we found were full so unable to take rubbish out before we left. Very enjoyable stay for new year.

Ideal location next to Potted Lobster and Bamburgh's other pubs, restaurants, cafes and shops.

Plenty of parking on road or behind the property. Apartment very well maintained (even allowing for small cobwebs behind the bathroom door!), and washing up/ tea and coffee provisions provided in the good sized, modern kitchen. Hand wash not provided in the bathroom, which would be the only area for improvement. Would definitely stay there again when looking for another short break in Bamburgh.

The flat was just like being home from home bed very comfortable it had every thing you would need and more also it was spotless we had a lovely time beautiful country side and Bamburgh castle was amazing and beautiful sandy beaches would definitely use the flat again

Great location and on road parking very easy, good instructions regarding the key box and lovely welcome pack with tea coffee biscuits & milk Couple of things - dirty underwear/socks in top drawer in single bedroom Ceiling light in double bedroom didn’t work and only one bedside lamp in room on which the plug was held together with tape !

! Otherwise everything great. Thanks

Very basic accommodation, hard beds, no soap in bathroom or kitchen.

Water noises in the night.

My wife, daughter, Labrador and I had a terrific break at Church View in the week before Easter.

The apartment was very well equipped with everything we needed, and everything worked exactly as it should. The weather was variable but we made the best of it including trips to the historic church, castle, Holy Island and Seahouses for a boat trip to the Farne Islands. The only challenge was the parking, especially on a sunny weekend when Bamburgh was incredibly busy, so a good tip for anyone planning a visit is to research days out that do not need a car (so that you can leave your car parked up safely with no nightmare on your return if you use it to go somewhere). This could include walking south along the beach to Seahouses, walking north/west to Belford, catching the bus to Alnwick (best second hand bookshop in the World with a wonderful café) or the bus up to Berwick (lots of shopping and history). You can also get to Holy Island by bus but you do need to change so perhaps a car is preferable. Bamburgh beach is also stunning and walkable from the apartment. We dined one evening in the Victoria which we found to be friendly and not (quite) as expensive as the other hostelries within walking distance. If as is likely you are arriving by car, a good tip is to visit a big supermarket on the way because local options are few and far between (there is a co-op in Seahouses, but which also comes with awkward parking).

Had a wonderful stay and loved the flat and vicinity.

Would definitely go back and have recommended it to other people. Kath and Alex

Our second stay at Church View and would definitely stay again.

Two small areas to improve on would be new pans and sharper knives and the shower would definitely benefit from an increase in power. Everything else was perfect, its location is perfect for the village and beach access. Parking wasn’t too much of an issue. Overall we enjoyed our stay and would recommend this property.

Spacious cosy apartment.

We had everything we needed and more for our stay. Perfectly located in the centre of the village with plenty of on street free parking opposite the property. Would highly recommend.

Excellent flat, clean and tidy and right in the middle of Bamburgh

Excellent, thoroughly enjoyed, had not planned to cook all week but with great kitchen facilities ended up cooking a few evenings!

! Only prob was leak under kitchen sink discovered on second morning and had to empty some putrid water. All in all would return. Thank you. Kevin Golden

My friend and I were pleasantly surprised by this flat, being right in the village of Bamburgh.

I appreciated being able to bring my dog and not being charged for him. It offered everything we needed. I had the single bed which had noisy springs and wasn't the best, but I slept so not complaining. We would go back if we had the chance. It had the best location for touring Northumbria. Thank you

Great location and facilities.

Everything is well provided . The bath plug needs sorting though {it doesn't retain the water in the bath} Will be going back asap . ,

Great location apart from lack of parking which as many people have said is ok once you get used to using the road which is easy during off peak times.

Nice clean apartment with good kitchen. Only slight niggle was the bath wouldn't hold water so could only use shower only.

I returned (a day early) from my stay in Church View 7a Lucker Road, Bamburgh, and would like to register a complaint about the complete lack of any 'welcome' pack at the the property.

When I arrived there was not even a carton of milk in the fridge, let alone anything to eat, which, as the booking terms had expressly stated that no arrival before four pm would be allowed, and there were no shops open in Bamburgh after 2 pm, I found very 'unwelcoming' indeed. On my attempt to go out to LOOK for something to eat I found that I could not lock the front door either from inside or outside. I have to say at this point that your call centre staff were very good, as was the local manager, and that the locksmith arrived within half an hour to sort the problem for me - I was VERY grateful to him. He also told me that I could get a good breakfast in the Victoria Hotel the next morning (my worry since there was no food in the flat was what I would eat the next morning - it being Sunday). I took his advice and did have an excellent breakfast at the hotel (at a price!) but this was not what I'd expected to have to do at the start of a self catering holiday. Not only was there nothing to eat (unless you count a box of packet tea, coffee, milk sachets and biscuits which were on the kitchen windowsill), the sofas in the sitting room were old, saggy and uncomfortablle, and there wasn't even any soap in the bathroom. I'd expected to bring my own shampoo, but soap? I had to buy a pack of soap (and essential food) in Seahouses on the Monday morning, (I left an unused bar as I didn't want the next people to be in the position I was). The shower was VERY difficult to get in and out of, having a swinging glass pane that moved inwards, meaning I had to climb out of the sloping end of the bath - after one try I decided the risk of falling was too great and washed at the sink (hair included) to avoid it. I have stayed in two other cottages from your company, both in Seahouses (where there ARE shops) and both of which had milk in the fridge, a cake, or a basket of goodies to make you feel you were expected. It was just as well that Church View hadn't been my first experience of your company, or it would have been my last. I DID enjoy my holiday, I enjoyed Bamburgh very much, and the flat was actually very well located for what I wanted to do and see, but from a facilities point of view it was very disappointing. I decided on the Monday that I would leave on the Friday, as the idea of another evening in that uncomfortable sitting room was not appealing. It is a shame, I have had some lovely holiday accommodation from you, but this one was just a let down. Sorry. (ps this is a copy and paste of the complaint I submitted to NCCC on my return home on Friday)

The location of the property was excellent and local bars and restaurants were only yards away.

The property itself was comfortable overall but there were a few concerns which could easily be rectified. There was quite a large damp/mouldy patch in the living room in the top corner. There was also paint peeling from the ceiling in the bathroom. The water pressure was poor and therefore the shower was below standard. Also the plug didn't work properly so having a bath was also difficult with water gradually escaping. Water was also escaping from the bottom of the shower head. The apartment was generally clean but a deeper clean was needed in some areas such as the oven hob, the skirting boards and around the fireplace. Also no cleaning materials were supplied. The vacuum cleaner was also old and suction was poor. Therefore we did our best to clean at the end of the holiday with the materials we had. Overall we enjoyed our stay and would use the apartment again, particularly if the issues listed were resolved.

This is a lovely well located apartment, walking distance to Bamburgh castle, good pubs and an amazing beach, the only thing letting it down is the shower, it’s not powerful enough!

But immaculate, room enough for two people and a dog.

Well located, clean and comfortable.

Well equipped kitchen, comfortable bed in main bedroom but the bed in the second bedroom was anwful - soft and lumpy mattress. Ended up sleeping on the sofa! Parking on street outside not a problem in mid November. Bathroom has some staining in one corner of the ceiling. The bath is basically useless - you only get 10cm of water before the hot water runs out - a bit pointless having a bath. The shower is also very feeble.

The property is really well located, very clean with a good selection of everything you need in the kitchen.

Parking is easy to find outside on the street. We really enjoyed our stay. Couple of comments on the property condition: The bathroom has a leak due to a blocked gutter and I think a couple of roof tiles that have lifted, this is causing water to penetrate, staining of the plasterwork and flaking paint. This problem is easily solved, if left it will cost the owner more. The bulb has gone in the fire in the living room, again easily fixed.

Lovely setting and everything we could have wished for in the cottage.

Wi-Fi doesn’t work and although reported twice no one came to fix. Not a deal breaker but poor customer service on this occasion. In saying the above we will be rebooking for next year.

Great place to stay

We found the property to be as we expected.

Clean, fresh and well maintained despite previous comments in the visitors book. Nicely situated for walking round Bamburgh and the castle. Parking was not a problem. We would certainly go there again.

A lovely property, very cosy and clean.

Only downside was saying it had wi-fi when the wi-fi code didn’t work. This has also been mentioned in previous reviews.

Nice apartment let down by no Internet, was promised it would be back on after one day but off all week.

We recently stayed two nights at Church View Paying what we felt was a premium price.

(Almost £500) While we can not doubt the location of the apartment There were a few disappointing aspects: The WIFi did not work for the duration of our stay, despite three calls to the helpline and reassurances from the agent, it was not /could not be reconnected. The decor is tired and shabby in places The parking is off street, across the road., my car was ‘clipped’ overnight The loo was not as clean as it could be The sofa ‘pleather’ is cracked and broken in places Such a shame Bamburgh is such a beautiful place and what a wonderful asset the owners have .

Perfect 1st floor flat to visit Bamburgh and around.

The church view property was very clean and the facilities were adequate, on the down side the toilet seat didn’t fit and moved when used.

The parking situation was disappointing with the double yellow lines opposite the property, off road parking was a problem.

Overall the apartment was just what we wanted.

However there were a couple of things that let it down, the bathroom being the main source of the issue for us. The shower head was covered in orange and black mould and the seal on the glass screen of the bath was also mouldy. The pressure of the shower wasn't there either and could be improved. Also above the sink in the bathroom, I think there's damp on the ceiling as paint was flaking onto the window sill and sink. Minor things wise, I could imagine the parking may get busier in the summer so not having a designated space might be a potential problem. However there was parking outside the property during our stay. And it would have been good to have a smart TV, but like I say minor. The bed was really comfy, and the bedding and towels were all clean and soft. The location was really good. And overall the apartment is great, just the few issues in the bathroom let it down.

This is the 2nd time we have stayed at this property and it didn't disappoint Very clean and cosy, home from home feel with everything we needed for a lovely holiday.