Post Office House Bed and Breakfast Belford Northumberland

Simon and Claire welcome you to their home at Post Office House in Belford, a AA Four-Star Gold Bed and Breakfast. Post Office House was extensively refurbished into a high quality accommodation establishment in 2016, where guests can experience comfort and relaxation in our elegant Grade II Listed Victorian home.

Simon, a former Assistant Chef, prepares and cooks our delicious breakfasts whilst Claire looks after front-of-house, together with all administration, marketing and our social media platforms. We offer guests a personal `home-from-home’ experience with excellent hospitality to match and have a combination of 50 years’ hospitality and food experience between us. Prior to re-locating and founding Post Office House Bed and Breakfast, Simon was previously a Quality Assurance Manager for a Chilled Food manufacturers who made and supplied ready meals for Booths, M&S and Waitrose. Claire worked for a London-based Fine Art Auctioneers for 12 years’ and then at a four-star luxury castle hotel in Yorkshire, as well as gaining a 1st Class BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management in 2014.

We are ideally located between Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed, a couple of minutes off the A1. The stunning coastline and sandy beaches of Bamburgh and Budle Bay are within a 10-minute drive. The award-winning Embleton beach and Dunstanburgh Castle are a short jaunt down the coast.  Belford is perfectly situated to explore the extensive and diverse range of attractions Northumberland has to offer, including Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Farne Islands, Cheviot Hills and the many famous castles such as Alnwick, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh and Chillingham.  The Scottish Borders are only 15 miles away and Edinburgh a 40-minute journey by train.

Our guests are welcome to use the quiet secluded garden, to relax with a book or a glass of wine in the summer months, overlooking open fields, and our lovely resident sheep with their brood of gambolling lambs in the Spring.  There are two seating areas and a picnic table where a take-away fish and chip supper can be enjoyed alfresco under the gazebo.

Motorcyclists, Vintage, Sports and Classic Car owner and enthusiasts are very welcome at Post Office House. We have many motor rally events throughout our region and the Scottish Borders, including our very own one in Belford every April. We have our own private on-site parking, together with a garage where we have room for a couple of motorcycles, storage for helmets and bike washing facilities. There are areas to hang up biking gear and pannier storage.  Motorcycles can also park safely in our car park.

Northumberland has some fantastic roads for motorcyclists and car enthusiasts alike. Take the A697 from A1 at Morpeth, through Wooler, Cornhill-on-Tweed and into the Borders to join up with the A68 at Lauder.  It is a beautifully picturesque run.  The coastal route from Bamburgh all the way down to Druridge Bay which takes in Embleton, Craster, Warkworth and Amble – an interesting route with some gorgeous beaches to meander along.

We have three parking spaces where you can park your vintage/classic or sports car and specialist garage, Cheviot Classics in Belford can assist if you need any parts or repairs.  We have an excellent valeting service in Belford who can clean your car in situ at Post Office House.  Also a must-visit for motor racing enthusiasts is the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum at Duns on the Scottish Borders

We are members of Petrolheads Welcome, an organisation dedicated to all vintage, classic, sports and Supercar fans and motorcycle/bicycle travel website, Ride and Rest.

We are walker and cyclist-friendly, each room is equipped with boot trays and there is a boot brush at the guest entrance door. We have a wide range of walking and cycling maps for guests to borrow. There is secure storage for bicycles including drying area/facilities, with areas to store helmets and to dry out any wet waterproofs!

For those planning a holiday on foot, St Cuthbert’s and St Oswald’s Way routes are close by and part of the Northumberland Coastal Path goes through Belford.  St Cuthbert’s Cave is under the National Trust and it is a beautiful five mile walk from us across the countryside. Northumberland Coast is home to many different bird and wildlife species and is a mecca for bird and wildlife enthusiasts, where many rare and unique species are seen around this coastline.  There are also excellent guided walks with a diverse range of different tours, such as the Pilgrims Way to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. If you would prefer to be shown Northumberland with excellent knowledge with one of our Walking Guides, please let us know and we will forward some details.

For those planning to explore the area on foot, we have an excellent bus service in Belford, serving our villages, market towns and cities, with direct services to Alnwick, Berwick, Morpeth and Newcastle.  The X18 travels the scenic route with spectacular views of North Northumberland’s stunning coastline and quaint fishing villages, whilst the more direct X15 will take you straight into Alnwick, Berwick and Newcastle. The bus stop points; both north and south are within seconds of our front door.  Buses also go to Holy Island which run alongside the Arriva X18, interchange point at Beal Services. The Lindisfarne Hopper is a daily small bus shuttle from the mainland to Holy Island running from April to October.

If you love a bit retail therapy, we are within easy reach of the cultural, cosmopolitan city of Edinburgh. We are only 40-minutes by rail, with direct trains from Berwick. The beautiful, historical city of Newcastle-upon–Tyne with the Baltic and Laing Art Galleries, Museums and famous quayside landmarks such as The Sage and iconic Tyne Bridge, are an hours’ drive. Newcastle is also accessible by bus from Belford and by train from Alnmouth or Berwick-upon-Tweed. Please ask us for further details and timetables. For air travel, our nearest airports are Newcastle International (45 minutes by car/taxi) or Edinburgh (75 miles).   UK Airports Taxi Service are available at both airports or there are several car hire firms such as Avis. If travelling by train to Berwick and need to hire a car, contact East Coast Rental on 01289 307611 or email them here

Timetables for Arriva X18/X15 routes and Holy Island Shuttle Bus can be found by clicking on the following links:

Arriva Information
Arriva X18
Arriva X15
Holy Island Bus/Taxi Services

Reservations can be made securely online or by telephoning us. Likewise, if you have an availability or reservation enquiry, we pick up all telephone messages, emails and enquiries via our contact form below. We also have access to all messages away from the premises and will answer any enquiries as quickly as possible, usually within a couple of hours.

We kindly ask that you do not telephone after 9.00 pm (we need down-time too!) or before 11.00 am as we are busy preparing, serving breakfasts and then checking-out any departing guests.

A polite request please… we clearly state that we do not accept dogs/pets of any description and adult only at Post Office House, therefore ask that the booking information is read BEFORE making an enquiry about such or committing to making a reservation.  It is a waste of both your time and ours – thank you!

Our cosy, welcoming Breakfast Room was the kitchen in Victorian times. The focal point is the characteristic, original sandstone surround for the former cooking range where our guests can warm up in front of our lovely Jøtul wood-burning stove, lit in the colder months. Cheery, colourful post box fabric is dotted around as a nod toward the buildings’ previous role.

Our award-winning breakfasts include a diverse range to suit all palates including vegetarians. We use quality, locally sourced Northumbrian produce on our menu including `Bamburgh Bangers’ and the world-famous Craster kippers. In addition to the cooked variety, we provide freshly prepared fruit, natural yoghurt or homemade muesli/cereal. There is freshly toasted bread from our local, family bakers, together with our own homemade Seville marmalade and preserves to accompany.  In addition we have a wide selection of Ringtons specialist teas or `Daily Bread’ freshly ground coffee from Pilgrims Coffee of Holy Island, all served to you as well.  We grow most of our own herbs and nasturtiums; these colourful flowers and peppery leaves are used to decorate our breakfast dishes (when in season) and are edible too!

We will continue to carry out staggered breakfast times for each set of guests, but now with two sittings at 8 am and 9 am.  This is essential as we only have two tables in our breakfast room and if we have three sets of guests staying, one table has to be cleaned, disinfected and re-laid for the third guests. We are happy to still offer 9.30 am, as pre-Covid,  if you wish a relaxing start to your day.  We are sorry but cooked breakfasts are not served earlier than 7.30 am. If you require an early start, then please discuss this with us prior to when making a reservation where we can arrange alternative options.