St. Cruz | Embleton | North Fm | Northumbria | Self Catering Holiday Cottage

Customer rating

4.2★

2 Guests
1 Bedroom
1 Bathroom
Pets No
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Features

Swimming pool
Off road parking
Pub/shop < 1 mile
Seaside
Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing

Cleanliness

Comfort

Facilities and Maintenance

* Based on a combined average customer score

29 Customer Review(s)

Lydia
July 2026

“We had a wonderful 4 night stay in St Cruz.”

The apartment had everything we needed and was very comfortable (once we got used to the sloping ceilings!). Having access to a pool was a real treat, the booking system worked well and it was great to have the pool all to ourselves during our booked slot. It was about a 15-20min walk over fields to a beautiful beach, and access to the England Coast Path, a bird hide and Dunstanburgh Castle.

The apartment had everything we needed and was very comfortable (once we got used to the sloping ceilings!). Having access to a pool was a real treat, the booking system worked well and it was great to have the pool all to ourselves during our booked slot. It was about a 15-20min walk over fields to a beautiful beach, and access to the England Coast Path, a bird hide and Dunstanburgh Castle.

- Lydia, July 2026
Nanette July 2026

“Beautiful place to stay with fantastic views and the added bonus of the swimming pool.”

Perfect location for us and a very well thought out development. Nice touches like milk and bread and butter for you arrival was brilliant. Small note I always over pack (1 rather large bag) and the last set of stairs are quite narrow up to the top floor but I would stay again as I now know about it so would pack in a couple of smaller bags.

- Nanette, July 2026

Thank you so much for your feedback We are pleased you enjoyed your holiday I’m glad to hear that you would come back Property Owner
Jane June 2026

“Although we have no particular disabilities, in our late 70's we found the second set of steps to the attic a bit of a struggle.”

We missed the facility of a conventional oven and also banged our heads many many times on the low ceiling .We had to roll over onto our knees to get out of bed as the mattress was virtually on the floor probably because of the low ceiling! Love the location and the pool, having been here any times with the whole family, but will choose the first floor instead of the attic when we come again.

- Jane, June 2026
Jerry January 2026

“Overall I really enjoyed my stay and would definitely go again.”

Staff were very friendly and helpful. Room facilities were excellent although I had one issue: the fridge was notably noisy at night times as you are effectively sleeping in one large room which includes the kitchen. The location is great.

- Jerry, January 2026
Jean July 2025

“Location was perfect for visiting friends and family in Seahouses and Amble.”

Grounds are very well maintained and we had great coastal views from our room.

- Jean, July 2025

We appreciate your feedback and pleased you enjoyed your holiday in Northumberland Property Owner
Paul July 2025

“Lovely property, lovely surroundings, view to die for.”

Great position for launching off along the coast in either direction. Impressed with the setup re footpaths created in the crop for guests to move about with ease. Also, for accessing the village in the evening. A little coffee table instead of the poufe thingie for the seating area would be good. And something to put your accoutrements on whilst in the shower would be useful. But that is being pickie and you get that everywhere you stay. I don't know why you always have to juggle in the shower to keep your soap and sponge off the floor while shampooing or vice versa. Thanks for a great stay. Sure to come again.

- Paul, July 2025

Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate it and I will take everything you’ve said in a consideration. We hope to see you back at North Farm soon so you can enjoy the beaches. Property Owner
Alison October 2024

“Another great stay at North Farm Cottages.”

This is our fourth visit and yet again everything was perfect. Each time we have stayed in a different property and all have been exceptional. St. Cruz is a compact and comfortable studio apartment with all you could want for a short break. Individual sessions in the beautiful swimming pool are wonderful. Love the location. Staff all friendly and helpful. Booked for next summer.

- Alison, October 2024

We appreciate your feedback, thank you very much Property Owner
Margaret September 2024

“Everything was great.”

Apartment Views Clean an modern Pool Weather Parking

- Margaret, September 2024

Thank you for your review we appreciate it. We hope to see you again at North Farm cottages. Property Owner
Margaret August 2024

“Too small. Due to the sloping slings very little of the space was usable.”

Kept bumping head although only 5 3” tall. Wide angle lense used for photographs deceiving re the actual size. No wardrobe space only cupboard with a few hooks which had shelves full of books at the back of it. Very few drawers just small ones in bedside cabinets. No oven. Assumed obviously mistakenly that self catering would include an oven. Poor value for money.

- Margaret, August 2024

Thank you for your feedback. Regarding the oven, this is not listed within our property description - however we do provide an electric hob and microwave for any cooking needs. I'm sorry you felt the ceiling was too low, this is a small property but we feel it accommodates everybody. We take onboard your concerns regarding limited space for storage, but we think the photographs are an accurate representation of the property and its size and what it caters for. We hope this addresses your concerns. Property Owner
Caroline July 2024

“We were pleased to read the review by 'Duncan' prior to our visit because he positively addressed some of our concerns from previous reviews.”

We didn't find the low bed to be a problem (and we are of retirement age! ) in fact, it was very comfortable and we slept well. We soon learned to watch out for the sloping ceilings, and yes, hanging clothes was a bit of an issue. The selection of provisions left was both thoughtful and appreciated. We enjoyed our visits to the pool - what a treat to have such a fantastic, clean space all to ourselves! This is a lovely, quiet development amongst farmland with the sea beyond: we loved exploring this beautiful area and so we would definitely stay here again.

- Caroline, July 2024
Duncan June 2024

“I had read reviews before staying in the flat, and had been slightly worried.”

However the flat was much nicer than the reviews indicated. I had no problems with the low bed, the hob or the low ceilings. The flat was clean and comfortable, and good for a couple. The swimming pool is large, clean and the decor is nice - much better than a hotel we recently went to - and we swam every day. The holiday cottages are in a good location with a lovely view of Dunstanbrough Castle, well located for coastal paths and walks to pubs. They are also well located for visits to Alnwick and Alnmouth. We took bikes and there is bike storage at the cottages. There is a good village food shop in Embleton which we only discovered on the way home. Some food was provided by the owners- the butter was absolutely delicious, but we weren't too keen on the white sliced loaf! It was a nice touch though.

- Duncan, June 2024
Kevin March 2024

“Spot on lovely people”

- Kevin, March 2024

We appreciate your 5* review Property Owner
Donald June 2023

“The heat in the apartment when we arrived was stifling, we opened the window to get fresh air, we kept the window open for several hours to cool the room, the temperature hardly dropped.”

When had to close the window on the first night due to the rain, this made sleeping very difficult. The heat from the pool hall will have added to the overall heat. A seating area one the east side of the building would be a nice to area to sit and relax.

- Donald, June 2023

Thank you for your review. The window and velux have small vents in them that you can open. Property Owner
Sheila May 2023

“Great base, superb views across to coast.”

Facilities and equipment very good, but a low bed and sloping ceilings made comfort less good. The pool was a huge attraction but the "no lone swimming" advice made its use difficult, and it would have been good to be able to use it earlier in the mornings.

- Sheila, May 2023

We appreciate your feedback. We have changed the rota for the pool you pick your own slots so you can pick a variety of slots during your stay as we don’t allow guests to have the same slots every time as it’s unfair to other guests Property Owner
Susie September 2022

“Perfect for a UK mini break”

- Susie, September 2022

Thank you for your feedback Property Owner
Susan July 2022

“This was my fifth stay but the first in a studio.”

My husband died recently so I needed somewhere small. If you are young, fit, small and out all day, it is fine. I constantly hit my head on the roof and found it difficult to carry my bags up two flights of stairs, but that was noted in the description. It is nice being in the same building as the pool. I like the change to rules regarding the pool and I was fortunate to find someone who would accept me in the pool with them. My main problem was the fact that the hob didn’t work even though there is a booklet. I had to buy some microwave meals to solve the problem. There is a strange bed with no legs which is difficult to access and the bedding has seen better days. The bucket chairs are very low and uncomfortable but the view is amazing. This studio is only suitable for a weekend and not a weeks holiday. It is very over priced.

- Susan, July 2022
Susan June 2022

“Couldn't get the hang of the electric hob apart from that every thing else was perfect”

- Susan, June 2022
Micheal November 2021

“Time you are able to access late at this time of the year.”

The room was quite small with loft type slanting roof at both sides which I continually banged my head on. Kitchen was basic with no oven. The seating was not relaxing and comfortable. Floor around the dining table was quite dusty. The hair drying facility for my wife was inadequate as no mirror near a plug for the dryer. The allowance for a three night stay in the pool was two slots and except for The last slots in the evening were already booked on our arrival however we noticed on a few occasions there was know body using it.

- Micheal, November 2021
Paul September 2021

“The swimming pool arrangements are completely inadequate and miss leading.”

Our stay was for four nights. Of these we could only use the pool once, the first day our allocation was 6:00pm to 7:00pm, we arrived at 6:00pm as we couldnt check in until 5:30!!. One day we were not allocated any session, another day we were allocated 8:00pm tom 9:00pm not really feasible if you have eaten, and one day 6:00pm to 7:00pm. When examining the the pool log in book, the pool was very rarely used but we were unable to contact/find anyone at the site to see if we could use a different session/use an unused session. No welcome pack at all so remember to take everything you need as there are no shops open nearby after your 5;30pm check in. We rented a studio there was no shelf in the shower or in the bathroom to store things apart from a stool, very little storage for clothes, TV should be on a flexible bracket to be able to watch from a different angle as the roof line intrudes and you can not sit in front of the TV without cricking your neck. Ceiling needs to be painted in a slightly different colour from white to warn about banging your head, my wife and I are not very tall and this was still a an issue.

- Paul, September 2021
Rachel August 2021

“Beautiful location, and the properties are all lovely.”

Loved the swimming pool. We were in the apartments, in St Cruz, which is on the second floor, we loved it and it had a beautiful view, but struggled with the ceilings as the room was in the eaves and banged our heads a few times. We would love to go again but would book one of the apartments on the floor below next time (or one of the cottages). Would definitely recommend North Farm Cottages and apartments, but don’t stay on the top floor if you’re tall!

- Rachel, August 2021
D July 2021

“Microwave not much use too low power for most foods”

- D, July 2021
Tony July 2021

“The only down side at our accommodation was the bed.”

You need to let people know it is low & it is not a substantial mattress. Not a problem for my wife & I but some people would struggle with the bed. Besides that a very good experience & the staff were very friendly. A great location if you want to get away from it all

- Tony, July 2021
Helena June 2021

“It was a lovely studio but not really suitable for taller people due to sloping ceiling!”

Quite a few head bangs! We found armchairs very uncomfortable!! Shame tv didn’t swivel to watch from bed! Friendly staff. Only managed one swim as times didn’t coincide with other things we were doing. Lovely pool.

- Helena, June 2021
Hannah May 2021

“This accommodation was absolutely perfect for exploring Northumberland.”

The walk down to the beach with the perfectly situated picnic table for birdwatching and landscape gazing was idyllic. The apartment was fantastic, a great location, good car parking facilities and the swimming pool was a real bonus. The pub and shop within walking distance were ideal. Couldn't fault our stay. It would be worth adding to the listing that there's a microwave as we didn't realise and shopped for food accordingly. Even better if the television could have been on a tilting bracket so we could more easily watch in the bed.

- Hannah, May 2021
June October 2020

“Lovely apartment ideal for 3 nights as space available was restrictive and therefore no room for comfy furniture, but all the basics were there and were as we expected from the description.”

We did find the accommodation too warm, even for October, and couldn't seem to cool it down even with the radiators turned off. First impressions were excellent, clean and uncluttered with a good sized bathroom. Ideal location too. We will definitely book again :-)

- June, October 2020
Margaret August 2020

“This was a lovely place to stay.”

Very clean and comfortable and in a beautiful location.

- Margaret, August 2020
M August 2020

“Really comfy appartment, very clean and high spec, loved the place and would definitely stay here again !”

!! Enjoyed the 5 x 1 hour swimming slots in the pool as well !!

- M, August 2020
Helen March 2020

“The accommodation photographs were deceptive.”

The studio was much small than it appeared and sloping ceilings meant regularly bumping heads when using the bedside drawers and fridge. The 'easy chairs' tucked in under the sloping ceiling made watching the television uncomfortable. Bed comfortable but a waterproof mattress protector irritating. As was the strong smell of fabric conditioner. There was no oven or microwave. Cafetiere was for one person. The beach was more than the 400m away as stated in the description. The situation excellent. The bathroom and shower very good. The pool was wonderful. Maintenance service was efficient and friendly.

- Helen, March 2020
Chris July 2019

“Fantastic property, with amazing views and only a 30 minute stroll from the sea.”

Swimming pool was a real bonus. Accommodation was really excellent, but could have done with a microwave. It was a 400 mile drive from home to the property but well worth it. Lovely walk from the property to Craster for kippers. Would definitely stay at the property again.

- Chris, July 2019

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Summary

All second floor, this property is on the second floor and is accessed by stairs only, the second set of stairs are quite steep and therefore not suitable for those less mobile
Open-plan studio accommodation: 1 x king size, kitchen area, dining area and sitting area
Shower room with shower cubicle, wash basin, toilet.
LPG central heating
Small 2 ring electric hob, microwave, fridge with ice box, TV, WiFi
Fuel and power inc. in rent
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
EV charger onsite, Ample off road parking
Sorry, no children and no pets
Shop and pub 20 minute walk
Note: The swimming pool is available for all guests staying in our 13 cottages and 4 apartments, guests must go to the pool entrance area to sign up for the swimming slots they would like to use, using their property name, each stay is allocated a number of slots, 7 night stay - 5 slots, 5 night stay - 3 slots,3 night stay - 2 slots, the same time slot is not available to each property each day, swimming pool bookings cannot be made in advance of your stay, and your time slot includes access to the changing rooms

The property

St Cruz is a glorious second floor apartment overlooking the picturesque Embleton Bay in Northumberland.

With the Northumberland Coast AONB on your doorstep, this fresh and spacious accommodation provides a homely base for exploring the area.

Note: This property can be booked alongside Refs. 917240, 924725, 930497, 930498, 936518, 947951, 949760, 970049, 970137, 970138, 1040639, 1040640, 1040642, 1112310, 1120842, 1122318, 1122319, 1122320, and 1122321, together sleeping a total of 87 guests.

North Farm Cottages

A group of tastefully decorated, luxury cottages with panoramic views towards Embleton Bay. Each cottage at North Farm has been individually styled with great attention to detail; with dining tables for those celebratory meals, sleek kitchens and large living areas to accommodate you and your loved ones, spacious bedrooms with soft beds and bathroom facilities, all of which help to provide a superb base for touring this beautiful county. Relax on the peaceful patio area or perhaps enjoy a dip in the newly-built swimming pool. North Farm was once a busy working farm and is still surrounded by lush green fields. A safe, gently sloping farm track leads from the farm down to stunning Embleton Bay, with little extras along the way to make the walk more exciting. Guests can say hello to the three deer, stop off at the old pill box for a rest or relax on the beach and spend the day making sandcastles and paddling. From the beach, turn left and take a stroll to the Ship at Low Newton, famous for its microbrewery and scrumptious food, or for a more ambitious walk, turn right and take in Dunstanburgh Castle. Head to Craster, where you can sample the delights of a crab sandwich in the Jolly Fisherman, or pick up some kippers from Robson's famous smokery. There is so much to see and do in Northumberland, with Alnwick Castle and Gardens, Holy Island, Bamburgh, Warkworth and Berwick all within easy reach. These delightful cottages are perfect for a beachside Northumberland break.

Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £100.

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About the location

EMBLETON

Craster 3 miles; Beadnell 4 miles; Alnwick 7 miles.

The pretty village of Embleton is ideally placed for exploring one of the most attractive stretches of Northumberland's Heritage Coastline. A beautiful grassy path runs from the village to neighbouring Craster, alongside the sea and past Dunstanburgh Castle - the largest ruined castle in Northumberland. Embleton itself has a village pub and a local hotel, and there is an excellent range of amenities in nearby Alnwick. The gardens at nearby Howick Hall are open during the summer and are noted for their beauty, whilst Alnwick Castle and Garden are a 'must-see' when visiting the area. For the keen golfer, Dunstanburgh Links Course is about 1 mile away - just one of several excellent courses in the vicinity.

Check in is 4pm and check out is 930am

Please Note: This property will only accept a check in on a Thursday.

Swimming pool bookings cannot be made in advance of your stay, and your time slot includes access to the changing rooms

Please note: The swimming pool will be closed from the 6th till the 22nd of January 2027

Note: Caravans/ motor homes/ commercial vehicles (eg vans) are not permitted to be parked outside the properties, there is alternative parking opposite the properties, just off the main site (it is still covered by our CCTV) This is available by prior arrangement at a cost of £20.

Please Note: This property will only accept a check in on a Thursday.

This property has a good housekeeping bond of £100.

This apartment is above the swimming pool, there may be some associated noise

This property offers the following short breaks:

Off-season
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Features

Reviews & Ratings

“We had a wonderful 4 night stay in St Cruz.”

“Beautiful place to stay with fantastic views and the added bonus of the swimming pool.”

“Although we have no particular disabilities, in our late 70's we found the second set of steps to the attic a bit of a struggle.”

“Overall I really enjoyed my stay and would definitely go again.”

“Location was perfect for visiting friends and family in Seahouses and Amble.”

“Lovely property, lovely surroundings, view to die for.”

“Another great stay at North Farm Cottages.”

“Everything was great.”

“Too small. Due to the sloping slings very little of the space was usable.”

“We were pleased to read the review by 'Duncan' prior to our visit because he positively addressed some of our concerns from previous reviews.”

“I had read reviews before staying in the flat, and had been slightly worried.”

“Spot on lovely people”

“The heat in the apartment when we arrived was stifling, we opened the window to get fresh air, we kept the window open for several hours to cool the room, the temperature hardly dropped.”

“Great base, superb views across to coast.”

“Perfect for a UK mini break”

“This was my fifth stay but the first in a studio.”

“Couldn't get the hang of the electric hob apart from that every thing else was perfect”

“Time you are able to access late at this time of the year.”

“The swimming pool arrangements are completely inadequate and miss leading.”

“Beautiful location, and the properties are all lovely.”

“Microwave not much use too low power for most foods”

“The only down side at our accommodation was the bed.”

“It was a lovely studio but not really suitable for taller people due to sloping ceiling!”

“This accommodation was absolutely perfect for exploring Northumberland.”

“Lovely apartment ideal for 3 nights as space available was restrictive and therefore no room for comfy furniture, but all the basics were there and were as we expected from the description.”

“This was a lovely place to stay.”

“Really comfy appartment, very clean and high spec, loved the place and would definitely stay here again !”

“The accommodation photographs were deceptive.”