St Valery, Alnmouth is a small boutique B&B located in a picturesque village on the Northumberland coastline.This grand Victorian property has been lovingly renovated, retaining many of the original features such as beautiful wood burning fireplaces.With a beautiful interior and little touches of luxury it is the perfect place to retreat for the weekend.
A home away from home
St Valery, Alnmouth has a welcoming charm and with only four rooms available, there are never more than eight guests staying, giving the B&B a relaxed vibe.During the afternoon there is home baking on offer at St Valery’s including cake and unusual flavoured popcorn. There is complimentary red wine, yes, you read that correctly – complimentary wine and a fully stocked honesty bar if you want something stronger.When staying here, you will definitely start your day well with a fantastic selection at breakfast – I sampled the breakfast burrito and smashed avocado with poached eggs and both were substantial and delicious. There was also locally produced coffee ‘Holy Grail’ sourced from Holy Island.
The Room
Our room was located on the ground floor which was perfect for our puppy with little legs!The room was impeccably decorated with a grand fireplace, sleigh bed and a sleek modern bathroom.When we arrived we were treated by a gift from Roxy, a toy and treats for Count Nikolai. I thought this was such a sweet touch!The drinks facilities in the room are excellent, a wide selection of tea and fresh locally roasted coffee aptly dubbed ‘holy grail’ with fresh milk and accompanying cookies – what more could you need to relax?Fluffy white dressing gowns and fragrant organic Neom products are a staple in the rooms, I especially love the relaxing oil left on the bed, perfect to ensure that you have a restful sleep.
Where to Eat
Hooked
Both evenings we dined at Hooked, a local sea food restaurant only a few steps from our lovely B&B. This was by pure coincidence, as we found them to be very dog friendly and offer a great menu. We were seated in the snug, which is set further back from the main dining area and was much quieter.I tried the hake with sautéed baby gem lettuce and carrot puree. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the mixture of flavours created a really unique and tasty dish.Of course, we had to indulge in dessert, a huge serving of sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream – yum!
The Village Tea Rooms When you are treated to typical English weather aka rain, there is nothing better to do than sneak inside and enjoy afternoon tea. We found the tea rooms to be a lovely, albeit kitsch spot with some scrumptious homemade treats on offer.
A dog friendly village
From the doggy treats on arrival to dog sitting and dog walking services (if required), St Valery is in their own words dog-amazing.If it wasn’t already obvious, we brought our little puppy with us for this weekend away and everybody we encountered were very accommodating to this. It probably does help that he was the cutest little boy ever!Alnmouth offered an expansive beach which we enjoyed walking on and I think Niki enjoyed it even more. We encountered a lot of other people with their dogs, who stopped to say a friendly hello.If you are looking for a place to escape for the weekend and want to bring your four legged bestie with you – look no further, Alnmouth is the place to be!
The Verdict
The sumptuous surroundings, special touches and welcoming host really make St Valery stand out against other options.
If you have a canine friend feel free to bring them along knowing they will have an equally great stay. If not? Not to worry, I got a sneak peak of the two rooms which are dog free and they are incredible – offering large open plan rooms, free standing bath tubs and sunrise views!Explore the local area filled with historic ruins, charming villages and beautiful beaches before heading back to St Valery to unwind.
Disclaimer: We were graciously hosted by Harvey at St Valery. However, as always, all opinions and photography are my own.
This was a very difficult post for me to share, as we tragically lost our darling Niki due to irresponsible dog owners. I would like to use this opportunity to encourage everyone to be respectful and responsible when walking their dogs – ensure you have them under control at all times. Despite this, we had a wonderful time and great memories of our stay at St Valery, Alnmouth – I had to share this hidden gem of a B&B with you all!
You had me at dog-friendly! My dog recently passed and one of the hold ups of us getting another is that we have a lot of travel coming up and not too many places allow pets. This place looks great. Looks like they take care of both the humans and the pups! As a foodie, the food in particular looks fantastic. Thank you for putting this B&B on my radar!
Author
Hi Shannon,
Sorry to hear about your dog. I know, it can be super difficult to travel with animals, but I’m seeing a lot more pet friendly options out there now. I can definitely recommend St Valery for a relaxing break 🙂
Sounds like a great hotel for people with a dog. I sometimes travel with my dog and I love when he gets some extras etc. The surroundings seem great for a dog, too (the room s so pretty…I love that hotel)
Author
It’s so much better when you can bring along your puppy. I hope you have many more trips with him in tow!
Whether you have a dog or not, this place looks just awesome to stay at. Aside from the lovely atmosphere and amenities evident in the photos, what really impressed me were all the small touches that you mentioned and the fact that it is so small and intimate. I was really sorry to hear about Niki. That is so sad. However, I certainly appreciate you sharing this wonderful B&B.
Author
Yes, I totally agree, it’s a darling place to stay even if you don’t have a dog.
I would love to go here and I would have a very happy doggy! I loved the food…the pudding with ice cream…drool! The place looks so warm..perfect for a weekend getaway!
Sorry to hear about your lil doggy. We understand how painful it must be. This is nice rarely do we get to hear about dog-friendly bnbs. The buildings look beautiful with an old world charm we would definitely love to stay there.
Author
Thanks! Yes, there are not so many dog friendly B&Bs of this quality out there.
St Valery looks like the perfect boutique and the bonus is it’s dog friendly. I often struggle finding a hotel to go to with my Jack Russell, he’d love it here and would appreciate his gift too! The surrounding area looks perfect for a walk, he’d be crazy with all the new smells!
Author
I bet your Jack Russell would love this place. There are so many great walks in the area 🙂
The breakfast looks so delicious, especially the burrito. I like that they offer something different as well from the classic English breakfast. The room looks lovely and its such a nice touch that they left some treats for your four legged companion. I bet sitting by the fireplace in the evening, reading a book, would be wonderful.
Author
Totally, I love when you have different choices at breakfast, although the full English did also look delicious!
I am so sorry about what happened to Niki. Hope you have overcome his loss and I know what a difficult time it might be for you.
St Valery sounds like such an ideal village for people with dogs. Unusual flavoured popcorn sounds really intriguing.
Author
Thanks, Soumya. That’s very lovely to say. St Valery is actually the name of the B&B it’s located in Alnmouth – very dog friendly but beautiful in it’s own right 😉