Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa

About Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa

Doxford Hall stands in ten acres of private grounds at Chathill, roughly midway between Alnwick and Bamburgh and only a few miles inland from the coast. The house dates from the early 19th century and has been extended carefully, so the older rooms keep their proportions and cornices while the newer wing carries the spa and a good number of the bedrooms. It carries four AA red stars, a distinction the AA gives sparingly.

There are 41 bedrooms in total. Classic rooms are comfortable and well equipped without being large; the feature rooms and suites in the original house are considerably more generous, some with four-posters and roll-top baths. A handful of ground-floor rooms open onto the gardens. Decoration is country-house traditional, warm rather than showy, and beds and bathrooms are consistently good.

The Aqueous spa has an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, a small gym and a full treatment list, and spa days are sold to non-residents as well as guests. Dining takes place in the panelled restaurant, with a lounge and bar for lighter meals and afternoon tea. The gardens are worth walking, and the location makes it easy to reach Bamburgh Castle, the Farne Islands boats from Seahouses, Alnwick Castle and the Alnwick Garden, all within about half an hour.

It suits couples on a spa or coastal break and small groups celebrating something, and it handles families reasonably well out of the main wedding season. As with most Northumberland country houses, weddings are a real part of the trade, so ask when booking if you want a quiet weekend.