The Redesdale

We had the steaks, and they were the best we’d had in a long time. The meal was excellent, and the staff were all friendly and helpful, especially the general manager. We stayed one night; the room was well appointed and a high standard, with parking right outside. The old hotel has lots of history and original features, including a lovely open fireplace in the restaurant. Moreton-in-the-marsh is a lovely town to look around, and it made for a weekend we’ll both remember.

The dark skies event was brilliant. Dan was really knowledgeable, and we got to see Jupiter with its four moons and take a photo of the moon through his telescope. We even caught a lovely sunset from the front car park, which also had plenty of spaces. This was our second visit to the hotel and restaurant. We first dropped in after a camping trip and liked it so much that we booked the dark skies package and stayed over. The room was beautiful and cosy, and the characterful building was very well maintained. Our room had a coffee machine, local bottled water, shampoo and conditioner, and a hair dryer. The included three-course meal was lovely, and the Northumbrian breakfast the next morning was a wow. Breakfast comes with the stay, with plenty of cooked choices plus pastries, fruit, cereal and yoghurt. The bar was well stocked too, with drinks you wouldn’t expect to find in such a rural spot. I especially liked the Marlish raspberry sparkling water, made on a local farm in Northumberland. What really stood out was the customer service. Everyone made us feel welcome and was lovely. The breakfast service was particularly attentive, and made sure we had more fresh coffee to take outside while we enjoyed the last of the views. After future camping trips, we’ll definitely call in again for a well-earned Sunday lunch. A real hidden gem in Northumberland.

We spent Christmas here and had a very good stay: a nice room, a good Christmas lunch, a cosy restaurant and bar area, friendly and helpful staff, and easy parking. The disappointment was that the bar closed at 6:30pm on Christmas Day, so we had to go back to our room. They did tell us on arrival it would close early, but we expected we could find somewhere else for a few drinks. Nearby hotels were only open to their own residents. It was a shame, since staff were on site all evening for a staff do, and it would only have taken one person to run a residents’ bar.

The food was the highlight. We had half a peri chicken, cooked perfectly and served with fries and coleslaw. The welcome cookies were delicious too. The room was spacious and comfortable, and we had a lovely stay.