This is an advert for January 2023. Any reshares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. Thanks to our writer Gaia for this post.
Coquet Cottages manage over 150 holiday cottages and lets in Northumberland. They pride themselves on their attention to detail, signature concierge service and luxury touches.
Many of their properties are dog-friendly and they offer everything from cosy cottages for two up to larger properties sleeping up to 18 guests. In this review, Gaia stayed at Prudhoe Villa which is in a premium location overlooking Alnmouth Beach. You can discover more about Coquet Cottages and book here.
An Alnmouth Staycation with Coquet Cottages
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On a chilly weekend in January we headed to the Northumberland coast for a staycation in the pretty little village of Alnmouth.
Our family of four and dog Charlie stayed in Prudhoe Villa, a 4 bedroom apartment right on the beach. We had a great time and were really lucky with the weather!
Northumberland really does have the best beaches so we didn’t do very much other than walk, play, explore and chill in our lovely holiday home.
As this house sleeps 8 and 2 dogs in large rooms it would be ideal for family or friends to get together. It’s set in the perfect location to explore and enjoy the beautiful coastal village of Alnmouth.
Key Points:
- You get a guidebook app full of local advice and info about the property (accessible offline once you’ve added it to your phone’s home screen)
- Incredible views out your window - we watched swans and geese fly over the water and the tide going in and out
- Really comfy beds, we all slept so well which isn't always the case in a strange bed!
- Lots of stairs in this property, may not suit elderly/toddlers (although stairgates can be provided)
- Alnmouth playpark is right across the road from the apartment and the kids loved it
- Dogs are welcome, the company was set up to offer dog owners with accommodation that doesn't compromise on comfort and style
- Free off-street parking for two cars
- No garden but grassy area and beach are right outside your door
- Loads of board games for all ages are provided as well as lego, books, dvds and even an an Xbox
- Brand new kitchen with all mod cons including a Nespresso machine
- Big balcony (which was a bit chilly in January!) but it was still worth wrapping up with a blanket to have a cuppa and watch the tide come in
- A fantastic range of optional extras to ensure a super special stay including a Northumbrian Breakfast Hamper, 'Night In' Hamper and even a private chef which can easily be added to your booking
Check in/parking
We drove up to Alnmouth on Friday evening and the beauty of a staycation in Northumberland is how quickly the holiday can start!
It was easy to find Prudhoe Villa using sat nav, we had no trouble locating the property which is opposite Aln Estuary in the heart of Alnmouth.
We arrived at 6pm and as we’d been emailed info on how to access the property we used the torch on our phone to find the keysafe, then opened the big wooden door with a sign on it saying ‘please enter’ which my 8 year old who is just getting into fantasy fiction thought was brilliant!
We climbed the stairs, ready to see what this beautiful house looked like on the inside.You get a guidebook of the holiday home which is accessible offline once you’ve added it to your phone’s home screen, which is really handy to refer back to as it has loads of local info and recommendations as well as info about the property.
Coquet Cottages provides this for all of their properties.
Bedrooms at Prudhoe Villa
This 4 bedroom apartment is absolutely beautiful, spacious and very comfortable. It’s a Victorian building but has been tastefully decorated and has all the modern features you’d expect.
It can sleep up to 8 guests (there’s also a travel cot provided, three of the bedrooms are more than big enough to fit a travel cot) and you can bring up to 2 dogs.
One bedroom is on the same level as the living room and has an en-suite and a super king size bed (6ft wide) that can split into two single beds if you prefer (useful for kids).
We all slept really well, which isn't always the case in a strange bed! The beds are super comfy with crisp white sheets.
Living Areas at Prudhoe Villa
There's a big comfortable living room with plenty of comfy sofas and a big TV, open fireplace andy favourite spot - the window seat.
There's a separate dining room which has a big oak table and chairs, and there's lots of tasteful artwork on the walls around the property which was interesting to look at.
This property is an upper floor maisonette so there are a lot of stairs, which was fine for us as our kids are old enough (4 & 8) to run up and down them.
If you have toddlers or elderly relatives it might not be ideal though! There are plenty of other properties to choose from on Coquet Cottages website though. You can also request a stairgate or bring your own and fit it to a bedroom doorway.
Kitchen at Prudhoe Villa
I don’t know about you but I always check out the kitchen first! The kitchen in Prudhoe Villa has been recently refurbished and is perfectly appointed.
It has a breakfast bar and stools, which had a welcome hamper and flowers on it. All Coquet Cottages come with a hamper of locally sourced treats - ours had a local newspaper, freshly baked fruit scones, local bread, jam, chutney, milk, biscuits, chocolate and tea & coffee.
I was pleased to find out that there was a Nespresso machine with some pods provided as well as a cafetiere and ground coffee.
As it was getting late we stuck the oven on, heated up some pizzas and ate them in the dining room. There’s loads of crockery provided and even baking tins and electric whisks if you fancy doing some baking while you’re there! There were no plastic kids plates, bowls etc so bring your own if you have toddlers.
Outdoor area at Prudhoe Villa
There is a balcony on the same level as the living area - you access it from a door in the dining room. There is a table and chairs for four and it has the most amazing views across the Aln Estuary.
We watched the sun come up and the tide come in, but it would also be an amazing place to watch the sunset with a glass of something in the warmer months.
There is parking for 2 cars in the front yard but no garden - if you want to let the dog out there is a grassy area opposite the house and also the beach. There’s no enclosed area to let your dog run around in. There is no barbeque but the playpark across the road has a communal BBQ that you can use.
Dog Friendly
Prudhoe Villa is dog friendly so we brought our pooch Charlie with us.
Most of the Coquet Cottages allow dogs, as the owners wanted to provide comfortable, luxury holiday lets that you can bring the whole family to (pets included).
Technology and Games at Prudhoe Villa
There are lots of thoughtful extras provided which we loved. There’s a big TV in the living room with Netflix (they have their own account, you don't have to log in), Prime Video and other streaming services.
The cupboards are full of board games to suit all ages, LEGO and books (adults and kids books).
The ensuite has a TV too and there is an Xbox with lots of games, which my 8 year old was delighted with.
There are Amazon Alexas in the hallway and living room and the WiFi was good throughout. The heating is controlled by a thermostat which you can easily turn up or down if you want.
Places we Visited in Alnmouth
The beach
The main attraction in Alnmouth has got to be the beautiful beaches. From our holiday cottage we could step our the front door and straight onto the beach which was fantastic.
There’s a little boatyard too with several boats which look moored on the sand until the tide comes in.
On our first day in Alnmouth we headed to the beach after breakfast and spent a couple hours throwing the ball for the dog, playing football, collecting shells and building sandcastles.
There are lots of walks that start and finish at the beach if you want to explore further.
Alnmouth playground
Directly opposite Prudhoe Villa is a lovely playground with views across the estuary.
There are plenty of swings, climbing frames, and other play equipment to suit toddlers up to kids about age 10 (no SEN equipment unfortunately).
There are picnic benches and a commonual barbeque, it would be lovely to spend a couple hours there in the warmer months.
FYI no dogs are allowed inside this playground.
Village shop and post office
This is a great little shop with loads of fresh local produce, essentials and souvenirs.
On the first morning I picked up some breakfast things as well as buckets, spades and fishing nets and we popped in later for bread and icecream. The staff are really friendly and welcoming.
The Old School Gallery
We had a look around this gallery which has a cafe and pizza van outside but it was a little cold to sit outside (there’s no indoor seating.)
It looked great and would be a lovely place to have a coffee and cake or pizza in the warmer months (see photos below from a previous visit).
There was a nice selection of local artwork and a piano to play on.
The Ferryman’s Hut Museum
This is apparently the smallest museum in England and as the name suggests used to be the ferryman’s hut.
It’s filled with photos and memorabilia and the man and his dog who run it are very friendly and he can tell you stories or leave you to read them for yourself.
Other ideas for places to visit:
- Alnmouth is just along the road from Warkworth which is a fantastic place to visit and super dog/child friendly. Read our guide to visiting Warkworth here.
- The harbour village of Amble is also close by. Here you will find a super interesting lobster hatchery, popular sunday market, beach huts and ice cream parlours.
- Head North and you can enjoy Howick Hall (don't miss their snowdrop festival) or visit Craster. The walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle is one of the best coastal walks to enjoy with kids.
Where to eat in Alnmouth
Hope and Anchor pub
One night we ate at the Hope and Anchor pub on the main street. It's got a dog friendly area with a cosy fire and fairy lights as well as a restaurant section.
The menu is mainly Italian, and they have a wood fired pizza oven. We had fish and chips (£19 adults portion), mussels in white wine & onion cream sauce (£16 main course) with a portion of chips on the side and the kids had fish bites, chips and peas (£9) and pepperoni pizza (£8).
The food was decent quality, nice homemade chips and the portion sizes were good. I thought kids meals were expensive but this seemed to be the norm for Alnmouth. The staff were very friendly and we were made to feel welcome.
The Whittling House
We had Sunday dinner at this pub with rooms, sister restaurant to the Potted Lobster in Bamburgh. It had a lovely cosy vibe with log burners on and gorgeous decor and is dog friendly.
I went for roast sirloin of border beef and Andy had roast leg of local lamb (both £20.50). It came with lots of sides, including cauliflower cheese and some creamy cabbage with mushrooms and bacon which was delicious.
My meal wasn’t very hot and came well done when I’d requested medium which was a little disappointing but it tasted good. Everyone else was happy - the kids had fish, chips and peas (£9) which they enjoyed.
Scotts of Alnmouth
This deli was closed for January so we didn’t manage to check it out but it re-opens February onwards and looks like a great place for delicious coffee, sandwiches, cakes and cheeses - next time we’re in Alnmouth we’ll get one of their takeaway brunch dishes to take to the beach.
Pricing & Special Offers
Prudhoe Villa is available from £45 per person per night (based on 8 sharing). Find out more and check prices and dates here. There is a 2 night minimum stay. Hopefully this review will give you an idea of the top quality you can expect from Coquet Cottages. If this one isn't for you, there is a large selection of 157 cottages to choose from on their website. Make sure you sign up to their newsletter here to be the first to find out about last minute special deals and offers.
We had a fantastic time staying in Alnmouth. Prudhoe Villa was a lovely home from home to base ourselves in and we loved how close it was to the beach and village centre. We would definitely recommend as somewhere to enjoy some quality time together with friends or family.
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