St Mary’s Inn – Morpeth, Northumberland

If you can remember our first visit to St Mary’s Inn back at the end of 2014, you’ll remember us saying how much we wanted to stay over. Given the creepy nature of the property and fact the rooms look beautiful, we booked up to stay in February as a very much needed relaxing weekend.

Our room, Sweethope Loughs, was £90 for bed and breakfast for us both. When booking, I specifically asked for a view of the now derelict hospital. Pretty odd, yes, but we do love Urbex sites like 28dayslater.co.uk.

Checking in for our stay was a quick and simple process at the bar and we were whisked upstairs and shown to our room. As we were staying at the back of the property we passed through the enclosed inner courtyard that will a top secret hideaway in the summer. A natural sun trap, I would love to see loungers and furniture up there for residents to take advantage of.

Our room was light and airy and so very welcoming. The light neutral colour scheme was complimented by seaside themed ceramic wall art, antique wooden dressers and wrought iron furniture. Despite being one of the smaller rooms available, the space was abundant and the bathroom was huge and well stocked with fluffy plush towels and Arran Aromatic toiletries.

Druridge Bay is a quick hop skip and a jump from St Mary’s so we enjoyed a long bracing walk along the beach. Our big wrought iron bed and bedding were so comfortable it felt like sleeping on a cloud. Just what we needed as we both slept soundly

The only downside to the room was some dodgy plumbing. Our toilet didn’t flush fully and every time it did, the bath plug would gurgle and spray water. During the night we also realised that every time our neighbour flushed their toilet, our bath gurgled too… and boy did someone in that room have a tiny bladder!

The Wifi in the room was pretty much non-existent despite there being a router outside our door. That was a shame as there isn’t any phone signal (EE) for the most part in the property so we were cut off… probably just what we needed to help us relax but a bit frustrating when you are a workaholic like me! I did get time to read a book and actually chat to my husband, a rarity in itself!

Despite these glitches, we felt rested and refreshed and ready to face the day. We sauntered down to find breakfast, which turned out to be the crown jewel of our stay.

The menu offered a plentiful selection to suit everyone as well as a selection of pastries, cereals, fruit and juices. The fruit platter wasn’t replenished as quickly as it could have been but it was certainly freshly prepared. The usual offerings of tea and toast were made and we settled down ready to eat.

Paul opted for the Full English and he was so thoroughly impressed, heralding it as the best hotel breakfast he had ever had. That’s some mighty fine praise as he works away from home and stays in hotels 5 days a week. All freshly cooked on ordering, the breakfast went down well and kept him full up for the rest of the day!

Avocado on toast with poached eggs were heading my way. Perfectly ripe avocado served on crisp fresh toasted sourdough bread with overflowing eggs, ah, perfect. The coriander in the mix was a fresh taste and not something I’d have thought to have added myself at home but I shall certainly be doing so now! When I tweeted the picture of breakfast my mentions went mad with people asking where they too could get it as it looked so good!

Checking out was simple and straightforward again and as I had paid in advance, we were quickly on our way.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at St Mary’s and feel it was well worth the £90 I paid. If you are looking for a romantic getaway or a base point to explore the Northumberland coast, this is the place for you.

I wish they opened just for breakfast – I need more of their avocado and eggs!

* This visit was paid for by myself.