The Reading Rooms

232 reviews

• M

  Madeleine

  GB · solo_traveller · Oct 2026

  4/10

  I have been in touch with Northumberland Council about the disabled bay

  Spacious room, good kitchen facilities and good to be right near the bridge. Lovely fluffy towels, nice toiletries. Decent bedding, no bath mat so i used the small towel. Net curtains were a bit grubby.

  A damp smell in room. The reception was very cold & abrupt as if I was causing an inconvenience to the owner. I'd already been vilified for parking in the disabled space on the street (as a disabled person which was nothing to do with the proprietor yet he made it his business to tell me I was in the wrong). Brian had assumed I'd just parked there, telling me "I can't park there without a badge"- I'm a blue badge holder thank you, which is why I parked there. The assumption that I'd done this as a non-disabled person was quite the unwelcome I didn't need. Exhausted from my drive & in pain,I'd already been ushered out of the space by the resident who told me that the disabled bay was reserved as exclusive use for her daughter. I wasn't prepared to play a game of top trumps of disability in the street, degrading myself, so politely agreed to move as she hawk-watched me, as a space had become available over the other side. To add insult to injury, Brian then explained to me that he was also a blue badge user & that he thought bays were time limited to 3 hours. I informed him of the rules that they are supposed to be there for the disabled person in need who needs them at the time, which I clearly was, & not time limited. It's double yellows that are limited to 3 hours. So, perhaps as a disabled person yourself too Brian, you might help a fellow user out by providing details about this around the parking debacle in your listing. I'm absolutely dumbfounded at both of these people's behaviour & attitude towards another person with a disability. It's disgusting. I've never felt so unwelcome. So, for anyone wishing to visit here who lives with disability, you wont be able to use this disabled bay on the street further up without being bullied off it by the resident there. I'd also filled out the extra information too&given ID via booking.

• K

  Kees

  NL · extended_group · Sep 2026

  8/10

  Prima adres

  Mooi comfortabel huis

  Alles prima

• A

  Ali

  GB · solo_traveller · Sep 2026

  7/10

  located ideally for my travel

  lovely communal breakfast area, friendly greeting, great location for what i wanted

  the carpet in the bedroom, i’m well able to look over things but the carpet could really benefit from replacement, apart from that, great overnight stay

• P

  Paul

  GB · solo_traveller · Sep 2026

  10/10

  Superb value for money - large room, clean, comfy and a top class host.

  A large, clean room with all the facilities you could ask for. A good self service breakfast with everything you need. The location was central to the shops, pubs, restaurants and the river, so spot on. Brian as a host was superb, helpful and informative. He arranged an evening meal at a recommended restaurant that had told me they were full! I was touring by motorbike and he even lent me a large lock and chain to add to the security on my bike whilst parked on street. As for value for money, it’s right up there with the best I’ve ever had in this country.

  Only two small things: on street parking is a not ideal if you’re on an expensive motorbike, but the area is low crime and with the extra security Brian lent me, no big deal. Secondly, I stayed on a Saturday night and the Railway Inn right opposite was playing music until quite late.

• G

  Grzegorz

  PL · family_with_children · Sep 2026

  10/10