The Pickled Parson of Sedgefield

The bedroom had everything we needed, with more well-placed sockets than I've ever seen in a room. My main complaint was the bathroom sink, which was ridiculously small. Washing my face or cleaning my teeth sent water all over the floor. The shared areas felt a bit tired, and as a busy pub it lacked the attention you'd get at a B&B or hotel. Breakfast was good and there was plenty of it.

The meal was mediocre. The beef was pink, the green beans were hard, and I got only one slice of parsnip. Then, as we were leaving and waiting for a small child and his family to come in, a woman from the establishment accused my wife and me of not paying, in front of other guests. I was shocked. My wife is having open-heart surgery on Thursday, and the accusation upset her physically. I told the woman I'd paid when I placed the order. She checked, came back and said there'd been a misunderstanding, confirming the bill was paid. We left embarrassed and angry. Why accuse customers of stealing before checking with the staff? My wife and I had Sunday lunch here today.

The rooms were okay, but the decor needs work. The website photos clearly seem to be from a few years ago. Paint was peeling and there were cobwebs in the bathroom. The website said there would be toiletries, but all we found was hand and bath wash on the wall. I mentioned on arrival that the bedside lamp wasn't working, but nobody fixed it.

We went for a family meal to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday, then got charged £20 for bringing in a cake because we hadn't ordered desserts. What a joke. The service was very poor and slow, and the food wasn't the best either. We're very dissatisfied and definitely won't be back or recommending it.