Hi folks - yes I am back. No more traumas! Yipeeeeee! Thought for the day - It's never too late to b...
Hi folks - yes I am back. No more traumas! Yipeeeeee! Thought for the day - It's never too late to be what you might have been.
Member since:30.09.2004
Reviews:27
Members who trust:34
Lumley Castle is located just off the A1(M) at Chester-le-Street near Durham in the North East of England and is part of the 'No Ordinary Hotels' Group. I stayed here with my husband for two nights in July 2005 as his little sister was getting married and the reception was here. There is the option of actually getting married in this castle but for a more atmospheric wedding I would recommend Dalhousie Castle in Edinburgh.
Reservations ----------------
I made our reservation over the telephone and found it to be very friendly and helpful. I was told about all the room types and rates available. There is a facility to book over the Internet but as we were wedding guests we were entitled to a discount, which you cannot get on the web.
Arrival -------- Finding the Castle was not difficult
as the sign posting is very good. When you arrive and drive up to the Castle you will find parking located in the inner courtyard. To find this drive to the left hand side of the Castle and go through the archway.
Reception ------------
The reception area is also located in this inner courtyard and does not do the Castle justice. It is very dark, however as pointed out to me Castles don't usually have very grand entrances - the idea is to keep people out! The first thing that struck me was how ridiculous the staff looked in their period costumes. It was a very hot summers day when we arrived and they looked very hot in fully floor length gowns. Checking in was painless although we did have a small wait for someone to show us to our room. I did suggest that we were pointed in the right direction and we would find it ourselves. It was just as well we waited…..
Accommodation -----------------
We booked a Castle Feature room (£230 per night), which was located in the Castle itself. To find our room on our own would have been impossible. We were taken through a maze of corridors and shown to our room on the first floor. First impressions? Where was the bathroom? Thankfully the porter pointed out an oversized wardrobe where the door to the bathroom could be found in the central panel. The bathroom was impressive. A nice large corner bath dominated and luxurious toiletries abounded.
Back in the bedroom the huge four-poster bed was located high on a platform and neatly placed in the centre was the rooms resident teddy bear (you can buy your own from reception). Be warned about this platform - if you get up in the middle of the night or are a little fuzzy first thing watch out for the step! I completely forgot about this and ended up flat on my face. The bed is enormous and about double the height of a normal bed. A nice touch is the two spotlights in the canopy.
The room contained a couple of large armchairs, TV, dressing table, tea & coffee making facilities, hairdryer, hot water bottles but no mini bar. The décor is distinctly historical full or rich reds and golds. The only downside was that there was not enough lighting and once the sun went down it was dim.
Our room also overlooked the courtyard and secondary staircase. If you stay here ask for a room away from here. It was the middle of summer and the room did not have air-conditioning so we slept with the windows open. However I was woken both nights by revellers heading for their rooms in the courtyard and staff leaving.
Other room types include:
Courtyard rooms (£165) - these are located in the outer courtyard rather than in the castle itself. They are also decorated in rich colours.
Courtyard executive (£180) - as the courtyard rooms but slightly larger
Castle rooms (£195) - these are located inside the castle but without the four-poster beds.
King James Suite (£230)- where to start! This is a remarkable room filled with interest. The bed is a 20ft high four-poster and dominates the bedroom. There is a separate Jacuzzi and reception room. The toilet is located in a turret of the Castle. A perfect room for the wedding couple.
All rates are Monday to Thursday excluding breakfast, which costs £13.50 for a full English and £9.00 for continental. At weekends breakfast is included.
Bar & Restaurant --------------------
We dined in Black Knights restaurant on the first night of our stay. Reservations are highly recommended. We took our pre-dinner drinks in the bar which had a nice non-smoking section located in what looked like a library. Black Knights is an elegant restaurant with very subtle lighting and excellent service. Diners can chose for the set menu at £29.75 for four courses or go a la carte. Sample foods include:
- Roast rump of English Lamb on a bed of petit Ratatouille with a rosemary jus - Roast fillet of Monkfish - Roulade of Pork fillet
If you decide to dine in the restaurant do so early. We booked for 8pm and around about 9.30pm the restaurants location became apparent as the wedding in the function room above started their disco. The restaurant filled with the low thump that accompanies discos.
Also available are private dining rooms. These are more intimate and perfect for groups.
Breakfast is served in Black Knights and is a good continental buffet with traditional cooked breakfasts.
Elizabethan Banquet -------------------------
Another option is the Elizabethan Banquet and you are taken back to 1591 as you attend the feast of Sir Jon Lumley. Before the banquet starts the doors to the dungeon and guardroom are opened where wine, mead and ale can be purchased. What follows is a night of fun and merriment and a great place to let your hair down.
Overall -------- Perhaps the Castle tries too hard to be medieval with most of the staff in costume. That said it is an experience!
- pictures to follow shortly
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