monopodia
August 2015
This is a very sensibly renovated cottage with accommodation ideal for a couple who want to explore the very beautiful and unspoilt North Pennines AONB - well deserving of the acronym.
The cottage is situated in the middle of Alston, a small market town. The town is charming, could have been used for the Hovis ad, cobbled streets etc. Plenty of very good pubs serving excellent beer and pub grub (we liked "The Angel", a stone's throw from the cottage).
The accommodation comprises a large open plan sitting room and sensible galley kitchen on the ground floor, with a large double bedroom and a decent bathroom on the second floor.
All very clean,cosy and well equipped, can't fault it, would happily go back again.
The owner is happy for pets to stay (not in the bedroom), and we went with our dog (who also apparently much enjoyed the fresh air and day long walks).
Thank you Mrs Duncan, we enjoyed our stay very much.
A few words to the wise - there is good mobile coverage in Alston, but not in the surrounding area. Outside term time there are no local buses - we took a very nice 11 mile ramble to the Lamley viaduct up the Pennine Way, picnic etc en route, with the intention of calling a cab for the return trip - but then lobster potted with no signal for my mobile provider ("3"), so had to walk home again... Better for such prospective 1-way walks to get the cab out and to then walk home ... cab numbers are posted outside the town hall/tourist information centre.