See inside stylish new Coach House rooms at Northumberland's Beadnell Towers

Beadnell Towers has stood guard over the former fishing village of Beadnell since 1723 when it served as a granary. Since then it’s undergone a number of guises before the listed building reopened, following a total 18-month transformation, as an 18-bed boutique hotel in 2019.

During that time, despite having to navigate the varying lockdown restrictions, the hotel and its bar and restaurant has managed to create a real buzz, becoming a popular haunt for locals, and their four-legged friends, whilst also drawing in tourists to this tranquil corner of the county.

Now, to meet demand, it’s increased its rooms from 18 to 22 by converting a former storage building in the hotel’s grounds.

We took a look inside the Coach House rooms, which have been given plenty of character by interior designer Julie Chambers, who’s blended practicality with some quirky features.

Beadnell Towers general manager Dale Messenger says the new rooms, whilst complementing the general theme of the hotel, also help to add something different.

"These rooms are a little different to the others, so will appeal to a different market, with features such as the bunk beds in one room,” he explained. "There’s a flow to all our rooms, but each has their own individual features too.”

He added: "We have really good occupancy and it’s very rare that we have more than a couple of rooms free per night, so the demand was definitely there.”

The major £3million renovation of the site in 2019 has proved a hit and, even during restrictions, the hotel managed to cater for visitors by creating an al fresco dining area in the carpark, which has since been converted back.

Now restrictions have been lifted, Dale says they’re enjoying welcoming even more people through the doors.

“There’s been different visions for the hotel over the years, but back in the day it used to have a great tradition and people would make an effort to come here, so it’s great to bring that back,” he explained.

Dale added: “The reception to the new rooms has been great and we are still full most nights in the restaurant from walk-in trade, even though the caravan parks are now closed.

"After the lockdowns people have really started to appreciate staycation areas such as Northumberland, North Yorkshire and North Wales and I think, even when international travel becomes easier, that UK boom will continue.”

Another new addition to Beadnell Towers is head chef Paul Johnson.

"Paul is really grabbing customers’ attention with his dishes,” said Dale. “Locally-sourced produce is a really important part of what we do and Paul has a great relationship with suppliers, talking daily to the fishmongers for example to see what they have in and what’s good, which means the specials menu is always changing.”

*Room prices at the Coach House start from £159 bed and breakfast.

Food at Beadnell

Much like the decor, a strong Northumbrian flavour flows through the menu at Beadnell Towers.

With the North Sea and rolling farmland on its doorstep, the kitchen staff have a wealth of local produce at their fingertips, from Lindisfarne oysters and smoked Northumberland cheese to steaks from locally-reared cattle and dishes infused with county tipples such as Alnwick rum and Lindisfarne mead.

After a brisk walk on the nearby beach, we warmed up with a hearty evening meal. To start, my choice of smoked cod roe dip with paprika and dill (£6.50) packed a real punch flavour-wise and I couldn’t enough of this velvety dip, with every last salty morsel mopped up with the accompanying flatbread.

I stuck with seafood for mains, although there is plenty of other meatier choices on there, as well as a couple of vegetarian options, all of which change seasonally.

I really enjoyed my choice of baked fillet of hake with roasted celeriac and potted shrimp butter (£19.50).

It’s a more delicate fish than most, flavour wise, but its natural mild taste was heightened with the heavier shrimp butter while the celeriac brought a nutty, earthier depth to the dish.

Breakfast (£18.50) is also proudly Northumbrian. There’s a continental buffet bar to whet your appetite, but make sure to order one of the cooked breakfasts which will get your day off to a flying start, whether it be with Craster kippers (surely one of the best places for kippers in the country) to a full Northumbrian breakfast complete with local black pudding and award-winning rare breed sausage.

Note: the restaurant is open for both hotel residents and non-residents, and also welcomes four-legged friends.

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