The Ancient Unicorn

The welcome was amazing the room was clean and well decorated. The food was outstanding the steak and ale pie was to die for great pub food. A very down to earth relaxed atmosphere.some lovely walks around Bowes castle and barnyard castle. You must try it outstanding

Went for drinks on Saturday with wife then next day for Sunday lunch, and it was fantastic, all the staff made you more than welcome, and also fun, will definitely be back😄, also allow motorhome stopovers if meal purchased , so might look at that

What an absolute disgrace from start to finish! My three sons had kindly gifted my husband and me a Buyagift voucher for our anniversary, allowing us to select a hotel for a two-night stay. We chose this particular hotel as a treat, intending to explore Durham and enjoy a relaxing break. Unfortunately, our experience was anything but pleasant. After a three-hour drive, we arrived at the hotel, only to discover that we had been allocated a twin room with a shared bathroom. This was completely unacceptable, as we had specifically booked a double room with a private bathroom. The sight of two single beds and the prospect of sharing a bathroom with strangers was appalling. Immediately, I approached the gentleman at reception, who then contacted the owner. To my disbelief, the owner disrespectfully claimed that we had not paid for the booking. I explained that we had used a Buyagift voucher, which had been paid for in February. She then stated that the payment had been made to the previous owner and that she had not received the money. As a result, she insisted that we pay for the two nights ourselves. Furthermore, if we wanted a double room, she said it would incur an additional charge. I outright refused to pay again, given that the stay had already been covered by the voucher. Despite my explanation, she refused to acknowledge the payment, leaving us with no choice but to leave. This meant another exhausting three-hour drive back home, not only wasting our vouchers but also the travel expenses incurred. This experience was nothing short of disgraceful. The level of customer service was appalling, and the lack of professionalism was shocking. We were left out of pocket and utterly disappointed. I strongly urge others to avoid this hotel at all costs. A special occasion was ruined due to their incompetence and unwillingness to honor a legitimate booking.

Quality accommodation/ disappointing dinner. Charming olde world inn. Beautiful room and nice original features. Very friendly staff. Superb breakfast (even did me porridge as can't manage a full english). Lovely views from our second floor room which was very spacious. Evening meal disappointed. Steak was too well-done - no pink in the middle/ sticky toffee pudding was very dry.

Excellent staff and well positioned for a stop over.

We were only staying for one night and it was a fantastic place to stay and the staff are very friendly and cant do enough for you. we had our evening meal there and also breakfast. The evening menu was varied a lot and the portions very generous as was breakfast. The cooked breakfast was cooked as you ordered and the cold cereals etc were varied as well. Would highly recommend a stay here if you are in the part of the country. 5 Stars