It’s no secret that over the last few years I’ve been spending a lot more time up in Northumberland. Hasn’t everyone?! It certainly seems like it when you look at the surge in popularity of people staycationing in the North East, from not just us Northerners but by people from across the UK. Seahouses was somewhere I’d only really passed through as a quick stop off, most recently last summer, so I was really chuffed to be invited to stay at The Seahouse, a luxury holiday home through Northumberland Cottage Breaks.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary 2 night stay in The Seahouse, for the purposes of this review. All activities, and food were paid for by us except the welcome hamper.

I was actually offered the choice of two properties owned by the same person, and both let through Northumberland Cottage Breaks. The Seahouse was one of them and the one where dates worked the best, but next door is also The Harbour House, and they can both be let together if you were looking for a big group break for up to twelve people. For us though, it was The Seahouse, recently converted and done up, located right in the historic Seahouses harbour.

The Seahouse

When I say it’s right in the harbour, I mean you can literally see it from the house, and it’s about a 30 second walk away. Despite this, the Seahouse is tucked away among the tiny streets giving a peaceful stay. The house has allocated parking, so we pulled up and got the keys out of the keypad lock on the front of the house. Full, detailed directions and instructions were sent ahead of our stay, which we really relied on because Seahouses may be small, but it’s a maze of streets.

Entering the house you find a small porch area, and then the second door opens into a fabulous living, entertaining and eating space with a big open plan kitchen, dining area and living area. There is so much space, so it would be ideal from anyone visiting as a family or group of friends. The kitchen is probably the most equipped kitchen I’ve ever seen in a self catering holiday home. It had literally everything, you could whip up anything including baking or a full dinner if you like to eat in.

There is also a downstairs bathroom tucked away round the corner, and a little reading corner with comfy chair and bookshelf.

The living area has a big flat screen TV that can be adjusted, ideal for lying on the big corner sofa and watching TV if that’s how you relax when you’re away. I’m not going to lie, our first day up there we were a bit worse for wear after a wedding the previous day and night, so it was a very welcoming spot when we got there.

Upstairs the cottage’s three bedrooms are spread over two floors, each one with an en suite bathroom – again ideal for families and groups. The twin bedroom was the first you come to, with a big double shower in the en suite and some lovely sky lights in the ceiling.

The second king size double on the first floor was the one we chose as the master, as it was huge, had a big wardrobe, an en suite with shower over the bath and a juliet balcony that looked straight over to the harbour. It was by far my favourite room.

Finally, the top floor was also a king double room, with a nice seating space and was probably a bit bigger than our room, but the bathroom en suite didn’t have a shower it was a bath in there. So that’s how we made our choice. All bedrooms were provided with towels, a mirror, storage to unpack and a TV on the wall. They were very homely with soft plush carpets, and spotless modern bathrooms.

Being right up North and right by the sea you might be concerned about the temperature, but it was such a cosy house that warmed up very quickly. If anything we were turning it down more than up for the duration of our stay. We had lovely weather the full weekend we were there but there was a storm overnight one night and it was fab being cosy inside listening to it howl outside.

We were welcomed by a fabulous hamper waiting for us on the kitchen bench, from The Northumbrian Hamper which is a local shop in Seahouses town centre that is an absolute treasure trove of locally sourced or made products. It was fabulous (the hamper and the shop!) and was filled with cheese, chutneys, local ales and gin, fudge, biscuits, and all sorts of other treats. I think you could do an entire shop for your stay there, as well as pick up some great souvenirs. We got some for our dog sitter, and it’s also a good place to get an ice cream away from the crowds – they have a counter by Doddington Dairy.

Your Stay In Seahouses

Often topping travel lists for it’s beautiful coastline, Northumberland really is a beautiful place to visit, and for a seaside trip ‘The Seahouse’ is the perfect base from which to enjoy it. Like I said before the cottage is right among the harbour, which is just a minute or so walk away and the end of the road gives a beautiful view across the harbour and over to Bamburgh in the distance.

Within steps of the front door, you can find yourself on the harbour itself taking in the views, at The Schooner pub which is where we went for the Newcastle match on the Sunday afternoon – they play all the sport and were very friendly locals, and shopping for fresh fish, crab, lobster and other seafood at Swallows Fish Smokery.

This place was amazing if you like seafood, as it was the original smokehouses dating back to 1843, and is one of the places where smoked kipper was originated. You can see the history inside with the old fashioned machinery, and photographs along the wall. I picked up a fresh dressed crab to take back for my dad, but there was so much on offer and a queue outside waiting for their turn. Just note it is closed on Sundays.

Five minutes walk from the Seahouse, and into the town centre and you have plenty more shops, places to eat and things to do. The Olde Ship was a popular pub just up from the harbour, which was always busy, and showcases the local fishing history on the walls. Boat trips run from the harbour itself and although we didn’t do one ourselves, we were recommended Billy Shiels Boat Trips to the Farne Islands to see the wildlife and puffins.

Two shops you absolutely must visit in Seahouses are Drift, a gorgeous coastal themed gift shop with some beautiful artwork, photography, crafts and handmade decorations. A lot of the decor and artwork in The Seahouse has been bought from this shop and it’s well worth a visit. I mentioned The Northumbrian Hamper before, and that shop was another one you shouldn’t miss.

You can’t miss out on fish n chips when visiting the coast, and there are three to choose from, including Lewis’s fish restaurant, Neptune or Hook Fish n Chips. Based on a quick google review search we went for Lewis’s, and they were delicious.

There are a few other restaurants such as Insiene Italians, a Chinese takeaway and an Indian. We got a chinese (told you we were hungover) and it was very nice. There are a collection of takeaway menus and details in The Seahouse for you to browse.

For more things to do in Seahouses have a read of this blog post next!

Exploring Beyond Seahouses

One of the best bits about The Seahouse is it’s proximity to other coastal towns on the Northumberland coast. Less than a ten minute drive up the coast is Bamburgh, a beautiful historic town with the famous Bamburgh Castle looming above, and the incredible beach.

We went for a walk along to blow the cobwebs away, and had coffee and cake at the Copper Kettle. We’ve previously ate at the Potted Lobster which I can’t recommend enough, but we were too late to book in for this visit. I really would have liked to go to the Lord Crewe for Sunday lunch, but unfortunately they were still closed for their annual maintenance and refurb.

Instead we went to Beadnell, which is again less than a ten minute drive in the other direction from Seahouses. We went to the Beadnell Arms for Sunday lunch, and it was delicious but it definitely wasn’t cheap. I shared some more pics and info on it on Instagram earlier this week.

On our final day we also went to Craster, where we walked along the coastal path to Dunstanburgh Castle, pottered around the village there (another place to pick up a smoked Craster kipper!), and had lunch at the Jolly Fisherman. I really enjoyed our food here, and we had a lovely table overlooking the Dunstanburgh ruins. The beer garden here is very good if you’re visiting in the summer, and so is the beer garden at the Craster Arms in Beadnell too.

All of these gorgeous Northumberlan coastal towns make for a lovely day out, with beautiful beaches, exceptional food and plenty of activities to see and do, especially if you’re the outdoorsy type and enjoy the scenery, walks on the beach and good hearty Northumbrian food.

But The Seahouse is such a lovely place if you just want to get away and enjoy a weekend of peace and quiet too. If you want a pamper day then Beau Monde Spa in Lucker is about a fifteen minute drive away and I’ve really enjoyed a couple of day spas there myself.

Slightly further away but easily doable as day trips from The Seahouse include places like Alnwick, Alnmouth, Warkworth and Amble. I’ve previously written a blog on things to do in Warkworth & Amble by the locals here, if you’d like some more inspiration.

Food wise, I’ve shared my favourite Northumberland food spots all together in one blog post here, but I’ve already mentioned most of them.

You absolutely won’t be lost for things to do if you stay here, and it’s so comfortable and homely it’s ideal for a place to recharge and enjoy the fresh air and good food.

Practical Info For The Seahouse

Most of the information you need before your visit is available on the Northumberland Cottage Breaks website, and will be emailed to you before your stay. Some useful bits:

There is a notice board in the kitchen which has local and emergency telephone numbers

The house is fully equipped with literally everything, including high chairs, iron and ironing board, a washer, dishwasher, cleaning equipment, a hoover etc. I can’t think of anything it didn’t have.

Check in was from 10am but this was because nobody was staying there the night before, usual time is I think 4pm. Check out time was 11am

The Seahouse does have free, good Wi-Fi

The TV has Freeview and Netflix

Towels are provided

Unfortunately it isn’t dog friendly, but some other cottages on Northumberland Cottage Breaks are

If you’re looking for a place to stay for up to 6 people, or 12 if you can get the Harbour House next door too then they’re both ideal for a group or family trip. I’d absolutely go back, it was one of my favourite weekends enjoying the local area in a long time.

Find out more on The Seahouse, including rates, available dates and more information on the Northumberland Cottage Breaks website here.

Other posts you might like:

Where to eat on the Northumberland Coast

A walk from Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle

Things to do in Warkworth and Amble – by the locals

My picks for Sunday lunch in the North East

Local Northumberland Seafood at the Potted Lobster

A boutique spa day at Beau Monde

Visiting the snow leopards at Northumberland zoo