This wasn’t our first stay in Northumberland but it was our first encounter with Newbiggin-By-the-Sea and it certainly won’t be our last - what a relaxing, and friendly little town it is.
Sandpiper Cottage was clean and spacious, and equipped with dishwasher, fridge, separate freezer and washing machine. We had an issue with the washing machine and kettle but John was very responsive and quickly replaced the kettle. He offered to replace the washing machine but we chose to let him deal with that after our departure.
The hob and oven was an ‘all in one’ combo (as opposed to gas hob and electric oven per the description), and we were surprised that the hob and oven required matches, as the automatic ignition was inoperable. There was a minimal number of cooking pots and pans but enough to make a simple meal. We would have found oven gloves helpful as well as coasters (only 2 supplied), and some place mats for the table. The kitchen has lots of storage, and like the bathroom, the decor is rather ‘tired’ but functional and both extremely spacious.
We found the cottage comfortable and clean. A number of dishwasher tabs, and bottle of washing up liquid were left for our use. There were plenty of towels, and good linen. That said, we were a tad disconcerted in these Covid times that no cleaning products had been left for our use, but luckily we had brought some of our own.
The WiFi was good and strong and what an added bonus to have a smart TV so we could use our Netflix/Amazon accounts. The owner had also left us a bottle of milk, a cake and tea & coffee bags for our arrival, which was also appreciated.
We had no trouble parking right outside the cottage. During our stay, the pub opposite - The Queens Head - was closed due to renovations but we heard no noise from the builders.
As an aside to the cottage, we found the fish & chips from Ladhars, and the Indian meal from Shaj Tandoori, to be excellent. Both are a quick walk from the house.
All in all, we found the cottage comfortable and Newbiggin was a big hit for us and we hope to return.