I stayed at Northumberland's new hotel with possibly the best view in the North East

But it’s not an overstatement to say that the setting of Northumberland’s new hotel is truly majestic.

Bailiffgate Hotel is one of the region’s biggest hospitality openings this summer - and it’s a real showstopper.

It’s been a long-awaited addition to Alnwick with many delays, but it’s been no mean feat to take an original Georgian structure and extend it with a modern, yet sympathetic, five-storey extension that blends in with the historic market town to create a 48-bed hotel.

Owned by Northumberland Estates, the business representing the interests of the Duke of Northumberland and the Percy family, it overlooks their grand family home, the mighty Alnwick Castle.

And as you’d expect from the estate, the hotel has been beautifully executed.

Here’s what to expect from the newest gem in Alnwick’s crown:

The history

The original honey-coloured Georgian building section of the hotel has a long and rich history and has been in the Percy family for centuries.

The first Duke of Northumberland acquired Derwentwater House, which overlooks the Barbican entrance to the castle, from the Commissioners and Governors of Greenwich Hospital in 1780.

He demolished the existing structure and built Bailiffgate House in its place for James Dormer, the Duke’s commissioner. The house then continued to be used as the home of the Estate Commissioners until the death of the third Duke in 1847.

In 1888 the house was taken over by the Duchess’s School, a school founded by Duchess Julia in 1808. It was a private school until 1903 when it was recognised by Northumberland County Council as a County Secondary School. The school continued to expand and Bailiffgate House remained part of the school until 2016.

It’s a long history which flows through the building with plenty of nods to the past with portraits of past figures associated with the building looming large, including the well-known formidable first headmistress, Mrs Bowmaker. Even the hotel’s general manager, Bernard Bloodworth, is a former pupil at the school.

History also informs the aesthetic with a heritage colour scheme of deep greens and blues, plush fabrics depicting pastoral scenes and many of the windows overlooking the grand castle.

The rooms

There’s 48 rooms in total at the new hotel, which are spread across the original structure and the extension.

Many have views of the castle and pastures. Even if your room doesn’t overlook the ancestral seat of the Percys, the views on the other side aren’t half bad either, looking onto the new courtyard area, a real sun trap with log burners and plenty of spots to unwind with a glass of wine after a day of exploring the town.

For an extra luxe stay, there’s 14 suites and we stayed in the Denwick suite, named after the nearby village.

It’s a truly sumptuous place to stay, from the huge plump bed and high thread count cottons to the Jo Loves toiletries in the bathroom and turn down service.

Then, of course, there’s those views!

Each room has its own character and the USP at the Denwick is undoubtedly its terrace, a large sun trapper of a space with the castle so close you can almost touch it. Sort of.

On a balmy July night, we loved heading back to our terrace for the night to enjoy a glass of wine as the sun made its last glow in the sky against the sounds of dusk birdsong. Bliss!

Other features of the room are bathrobes and slippers, a Lavazza coffee machine, writing desk, safe, lounge area, smart TV and large wardrobe with plenty of space for those making a holiday of it.

For those with mobility requirements, there are four fully accessible bedrooms with wet rooms, grab bars and safety equipment.

The food & drink offering

As you’d expect from a Northumbrian food menu, it’s made of hearty stuff and isn’t overly fussy to appeal to all.

In keeping with the history flavour of the hotel, its on site restaurant is named Motte & Bailey after the Norman-style of castle that came in two parts.

It’s a sleek restaurant, natural light pouring through the large windows overlooking the courtyard, chain mail curtains that are an eye-catching effective touch that works well with the trendy black hardware and well spaced out tables so you’re not unintentionally earwigging on fellow diners.

There’s great attention to detail, including perfectly polished cutlery, so shiny you could do your makeup in the reflection and dinner sets emblazoned with the hotel’s bronze lion insignia.

There’s some solid chances on the menu, devised by Head Chef Paul Blakey.

Starters start from £8 and include options such as wild mushrooms, crispy poached egg, hollandaise sauce, homemade hash brown as well as slow cooked pork cheek, caramelised apple purée, crisp pork crackling.

I had the seared scallops, curried brown shrimp, onion bhaji, lime yoghurt, a great medley of Anglo-Indian cuisine.

Artfully presented, the perfectly plump scallops worked well with the hint of spice in the onion bhaji, the humble shrimp given a bit of oomph in the curry and the zing of yoghurt.

The mains section, starting from £20, is made up of crowd pleasers like chowder, lamb and grills.

I had the 8oz fillet which comes with tomato, mushroom, salad and chips - the proper kind that really mean business.

My knife slid through the lean slab of meat with ease, with a perfectly blush pink centre. They’re using locally-sourced beef in the kitchen and you can tell. It was a great cut, which held its own flavour wise and probably didn’t need the peppercorn sauce but I doused it nonetheless.

The breakfast menu is also sturdy stuff, with a continental buffet followed by cooked breakfasts to fuel you for a day exploring Alnwick like Craster kipper hash.

I enjoyed my eggs Benedict served with plenty of satisfyingly chunky bacon with just the right amount of fat and given a sweet twist by being served on brioche.

We battled the wasps and took ours outside to soak up the morning sun in The Courtyard garden.

The restaurant is open for breakfast through to afternoon tea and lunch through to evening meals and Sunday dinners for non-hotel residents as well as residents.

Other hospitality areas of the hotel include the very classy Commissioner’s Bar; all navy hues, snug tartan high back chairs and leather studded stools that make you feel as though you’re stepping into the bar of a Baronial country pile.

Does it have free parking?

Yes, the hotel has free spaces for guests on the bank running past the castle. There’s also accessible parking bays and EV charging spaces.

There’s also free parking in the in town using the Northumberland County Council parking disc.

The price

Room rates vary but start from around £150 per night/ Winter rates (off-peak) start at £167 per night for bed & breakfast in a standard double . Summer rates (peak season) typically begin at £185 per night for a B&B Castle‑view double

The hotel is dog-friendly, with a charge of £30 for your dog’s first night, and £25 for each additional night with dog facilities provided, including a bespoke welcome box.

You can book direct via https://bailiffgatehotel.com/