Saxon Inn in County Durham

Friendly & accommodating, amazing breakfast, not for the faint hearted. Rooms are lovely well equipped & comfortable. Attached to a cracking pub in a cute little village. Interesting saxon church over the road for the history geeks amount us.

Stayed in Room 4 for an evening whilst in the area. Great find, room was spotless and very comfy. Bed (king size in this room) was also fantastic. Had evening meal with friends and this was great - chips to die for! Very reasonably priced. Yes, it (the room) was maybe laid out strangely but that didn't distract imo. All about the food and service which both first class. Pay the extra for the breakfast - you won't be disappointed! Lots of choice.

We stayed in a beautiful room, comfiest bed I've ever slept in. Very clean, spacious and well appointed. Our room looked over the Saxon church and graveyard, absolutely stunning. The evening meal was delicious and the staff were friendly and attentive. The breakfast was the best we've had, well cooked good produce. Absolutely can't fault this place.

Very smart lovely food and staff.

We went to see magical show 'Kynren' in the North-East and stayed at the Saxon Inn, which was a wonderful olde-worlde inn brought up-to-date without losing its character. Perfect location for Kynren and sight seeing in Durham. Wonderful, helpful, friendly staff. Lovely comfortable room in which to relax after being out travelling, Everywhere was spotless. Breakfast excellent. Thank you to Claire and her team for making our stay so enjoyable.

Wonderful place to stay lovely helpful staff, accomodation was exceptional and evening meal was perfect. Good beer and wine served in a decent glass thank you definitely recommended great walks around the village fishing at one of the most beautiful rivers 5 minutes walk away from the pub at the edge if the village if you get your permit before hand and rod licence

We booked for a meal and were very disappointed.Chicken was as tough as old boots. In fact the sole of my shoe would have tasted better! The battered fish was strange to say the least. As soon as you put it in your mouth it just turned to liquid. Only thing I can think of is either it was cheap fish or it had been cooked from frozen. Only reason I’ve given 2 stars is the place was clean and staff pleasant enough.

Had Grandson staying so decided to have a meal out.This place looked ice from the outside but inside was very disappointing. Very shabby decor and the dining area looked like a school canteen with basic tables and chairs. We asked for a quiet lounge area and sat in a small part of a room. When our meals arrived they looked ok but the presentation could have been better and the food warmer. There were no peas or salad with two of the meals and we had to ask for condiments a few times. Half way through our meal, a group of loud mouthed drunken idiots came in, they sat at a table near us and their obscene foul swearing was disgusting.It turned out that they are staff that work there on a day off, but the person in charge of the inn made no attempt to stop them.We are not prudes but these people are representing their work place and if they were my staff using obscene language in front of paying customers and children, they would now be sacked.

Lovely place lovely staff, service brilliant. The full breakfast is amazing you get to pick rather than a set breakfast and the evening meal is also nice. Thanks for a lovely stay see

Stayed for two nights, family of 4. The room was lovely, spacious and very clean. It had everything that we needed for the stay. Breakfast, drinks and meals are available, separate costs to the room of course. The food were amazing and delicious, well recommended. The overall stay was comfortable and value for money. The hosts and staff are also friendly. The location was ideal to attend local sites, such as Kynren, Auckland Castle and Gardens. Keep up the good work 👍🌟

Nicely located pub for visitors to the area and locals. We were a table of 5 adults and 2 children. We were visiting family who are local. Friendly staff. Tasty classic pub grub. Large portion sizes. Great prices (we have gotten used to Southern prices). Definitely worth a visit for lunch.

We enjoyed a lovely two nights at the Saxon Inn whilst visiting Auckland Palace and attending the nearby Kynren. The location is perfect, in a quiet residential area next to a wonderful Saxon church. There is an adequate car park. Kynren is less than 10 minutes drive, Bishop Auckland the same. Our room , no4,was well equipped, clean and quiet despite being on a corner by the road and above the outdoor seating area. Food was well priced, none of that service charge here, generously portioned and a varied menu. We ate here both evenings. You order breakfast from a tick sheet which you hand in each evening, everything is cooked to order and delivered to your table. No queuing and getting up from your table. Plenty of tea/coffee and toast also brought to the table. Everything was delicious. Staff are very hardworking and friendly. Everywhere is clean and well presented. At just £100 a night, in a King size bedded room with a seating area and bath/ shower, for bed and breakfast it felt very good value as they could so easily have increased prices during Kynren as it seemed every other guest was attending. Absolutely recommended.

I didn't stay in a room, we had a gathering of friends for a meal. The steak was nice and cooked as requested, what let this meal down was the onion ring which, when cut up looked like it had been fossilised. It had obviously been overcooked and the batter was burned, i suspect it had been cooked then warmed up for my order. The grilled tomato halves did not come with my steak as stated on the menu, I had to ask for them.

We were a large group of 19, including kids. Staff catered for our unannounced visit very well. Lovely food and selection of beers. Picturesque area, good for a walk to the river to build up an appetite.

Lovely pub with great location and fab food a must if your visiting escomb

I was travelling with my mum, and we immediately felt at ease, in this warm and friendly Inn , We were well looked after, and rooms a really nice size &. very comfortable and clean. The food is decent, and a real bonus that there's parking, and also a bit of historical interest with the Anglo-Saxon church opposite which is well worth a visit. Thanks to all the lovely staff at the Saxon Inn.

A lovely place to meet and enjoy good company and absolutely delicious food. The meals are really tasty and I recommend Sunday lunches and also the other menus. Staff are so friendly and go above and beyond. Set in the beautiful village of Escomb. Worth making this fabulous Pub a frequent place to dine.

I have just visited, a Bacon Cheese Smash Burger with onion rings and mushrooms and chips with an excellent pint of Coors lager. The chips are home made, the burger was just correct, served in a brioche bun, with a genuine tasty portion of bacon, beautiful cheese, there was not a drop of grease on the entire plate. My only gripe is that the staff were not as attentive, as I wished, but I'm the sort that wants an instant response, the young man was much more relaxed than me. The Saxon Inn is now a contemporary environment a mix of old and current age, I will revisit as it is only a couple of miles from my current home, as you'll notice from the collage my plate was clean at the end of the meal.

We trucked up today for a bit of lunch and got a very warm welcome. There is an extensive menu and a great range of drinks. I had sausage and chips and it was delicious.

We both had an excellent stay. Clean rooms, comfortable bed and friendly staff. The breakfast was excellent too.

We are staying local in Toft Hill and popped in today for lunch - make sure you stop here if you’re in the area. Service first class and friendly. Food awesome - chips - home cooked like your mum used to make, not your normal frozen chips!! All home cooked food. Highly recommended

Friendly staff and great selection of food

We stayed at The Saxon Inn as it was quite near Raby Castle where Hubby was doing a 10k run on the Sunday. It was a lovely sunny warm day and once checked in, we sat out in the patio area, it was lovely. Had a good few drinks and then went for our evening meal. The food was really lovely and plentiful, good choices on the menu. I even had a pudding which I normally do not! Our room was lovely, clean and the bed was so comfy! All the staff we came across were lovely and friendly. We would stay here again if in the area for anything.

Great little pub with friendly service and a lovely view of the church. Pool table and darts. Didn’t try the food but will do next time as I’m coming back. Little piece of heaven in God’s own country

Food was lovely and plenty of it at a reasonable price it is also a hotel but we just visited for food

Lovely Inn. Staff very friendly & service good. Rooms are clean & all you need for your time away. Good choice for breakfast & poached eggs were cooked to perfection. Had lovely evening meals & can recommend the curry. We will definitely visit again

Good food after a day walking around the local area. 2 toasties and chips and a lasagne between us all. Lovely staff. Fast service.

Very clean & nice rooms with everything you could want. Comfortable beds both times we stayed (different rooms). Excellent shower!! Our room was quite cool when we went up but didn't take long to warm up when I altered the thermostat. We did not eat there the last time we stayed but did this time & wow are we glad we did, my daughter and son inlaw came over with my grandkids (visiting them is why we were in the area) and all six of the meals were top notch, the service was good and all of the staff were very friendly. I can't praise this place enough. Thank you for another great stay.

Accommodation is new, so close to 4* plus, service is directed more to locals than tourists, and the bar was busy and noisy. Our supper was OK, good pub food but the breakfast was not good. It was only £10 per head but a lot was not eaten. It seemed that the plates of food had been under the lights for ages, everything was very dried up.

Amazing food and service to go with it.

Would have liked to have had a drink here on a Christmas week evening but didn't get served. No queue, but no one behind the bar either for at least the ten minutes we stood waiting to be served. Very odd.

Superb all round. The rooms are very comfy and clean, with a great shower. The staff are really friendly and are great. The shop is superb and excellent value you for money. This is my favourite hotel to stay in England. Perfect hotel and restaurant.

Ordered 4 take out Sunday lunches - 2 regular beef, 1 regular pork and a large chicken. All were the same size. Regular - £9.95. Large - £11.50. Im so disappointed as I love this place, their food is usually fantastic! I would be so disappointed if this had been put in front of me at a table in the pub. The portion sizes were all the same and ‘small’ would best describe them. They had ran out of tin foil for 2 of the dinners so covered it in kitchen roll and cling film, however all were only just warm by the time I drove 10 minutes back. There was only 1 piece of beef, 1 small Yorkshire, 2 roasties, loads of carrots, peas, a tsp of turnip mash, mash potato and cauliflower cheese. Overall 4/10. Would not have another Sunday lunch here.

You can park your car up the side of the inn or behind it or on the main road side. There ar about 8 car spaces on the side or behind the inn. We entered the inn at the back. Just through the door to the right is a lounge door. On entering the lounge there were numerous dining tables and a bar to th left. We stood at the bar but nobody seemed to be available to serve us. We had booked a table for three. Just past the bar there seemed to be another dining room. Eventually I saw a lady and she came to the bar. We ordered drinks and decided to sit in the first dining room. We were given menu lists. The lady returned and took our meal orders. She was very pleasant and helpful. Our meals arrived and the lady asked if we wanted any minor items. I ordered Sunday lunch. Luckily I poured the thick very tasty gravy on perfect roast chips at one side of my meal. I split the meal into gravy and chips then roast meat, roast potatoes and ample mixed vegetables. In my old age I only order a meal with no desserts. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals and we will definitely return. The wait at the bar slightly spoiled the day.

I had the fish not sure what the fish was but not cod won't have next time we go? The rest of the parties food was fine??

Walked in and stood qt the bar waiting ages to be served. After that didn't happen, we walked out again!

Wonderful and lovely bar maid but the food was dry but tasted ok with good flavours but wasn’t anything I couldn’t cook myself . Seeing the reviews I was expecting the food to be a lot better . But I must stress the bar maid was absolutely lovely .

Excellent quiet place overall very nice

Excellent staff & food was amazing comfy rooms

What can I say.....this place is amazing and the staff are unreal. So kind and friendly had a great laugh with them all. The food was fabulous breakfast to die for especially after a heavy night on the beer. The room was lovely and clean nice and modern. I can't say enough good things about the Saxon Inn, next time I travel up north this will be where I'm staying. Thank you so much to all the staff

a great place the food is lovely and the service is the best never been in a room so expecting its good. lovely eary with very nice people about

Stayed here for 1 night . Food was excellent and the room was spotless and comfortable. The staff were very welcoming and friendly. Would highly recommend and stay again .

Up here for a short course and happened up the Saxon Inn and glad we did. Great pub/restaurant/hotel. People are absolutely fantastic and the quality of the food and general character of the place is so good. Such a warm welcome when you arrive and nothing is too much trouble. Rooms are large and very comfortable and despite being above a pub very quiet - has two great nights of sleep

great place to stay. lovely food , very friendly locals just a great place . try it out 5*

Went for lunch waited a while but was cooked fresh 2 meals £24.90 2drinks £9.35 meal was good amount & home made chips see photos

Again, absolutely fabulous 😀 Great staff, very clean rooms and excellent food prepared and made by the talented Helen, (especially the homemade desserts) I can recommend the homemade Toffee Apple Crumble and Custard 😋 Definitely will be back😀

Great second stay. The team at the Saxon are a lovely bunch thank you all. Claire, on hearing we had exhaust problems, offered to take and pick us up from Bishop Auckland. Amazing. Planning a return visit in the spring.

Used for a two night stay to explore the beautiful area nearby. This is a very nice pub/hotel in a quiet location with the friendly staff demonstrating warm hospitality. Room was very comfortable, clean and with good facilities. Good food, especially the breakfast which was freshly cooked. Choice of beers was OK and so were the wines; conniesors may want wider choices but I'd ask them to consider the price of stay and location.

Opposite oldest Saxon Church. Did gluten free options . Nice food, big portions friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere, only us there on the lunchtime we visited.

I booked the Saxon Inn for my 60th birthday. Staff gave really good service. Food really good at reasonable prices they coped with 12 diners in our party. Drinks prices reasonable. I made a few additional requests which they did without any fuss and everyone from aged 13 to 85 had a great night!

Stayed here as it was close to Kynren , arrived a bit early as check in was 2pm , gave us a cup of tea on the house while waiting , fabulous touch , room was spacious, everything you would need for a pleasant stay , tea coffee biscuits water ear plugs mask even bath robes in the bathroom , excellent night's sleep very comfy, shower above bath which was a bonus .Had an evening meal here too , well what can I say chips were spot on , we both had gammon , well presented very generous portions , breakfast in the morning was in a lovely and bright room , stop on id say , if we were to stop over in bishop Auckland again we'd choose here again , well done .

Two night stay , visiting family & attending Kynren at Bishop Auckland. Bedroom , en-suite & public areas very clean, bright & modern. Evening meal & breakfast excellent. Staff very helpful & friendly. Would recommend .

Many thanks to everyone at the Saxon Inn. You went the extra mile for us. Much appreciated.

Worst Homemade Chips I have ever tasted. Soggy, overcooked, tasted like they were warmed up from yesterdays leftovers. Louisiana Pork Burger bland, dry and tasteless, just chucked into a dry bun. Took ages to arrive. Won’t be going back that’s for sure. Very disappointed.

Staff very friendly, room was very comfortable, area was beautiful.

Very friendly inn. Lovely food. Very handy for Kynren. Facilities in room excellent. Visited saxon church directly opposite too.

A very special ancient church... worth a detour into Escomb.

Great location for visiting Beamish, Durham, and Kynren. Comfortable, modern clean rooms with better quality furniture and facilities compared to most hotels of the same price. Staff are fantastic and Vicky was great! Had a great evening meal. Breakfast has plenty of choice ordered the night before. Has on-site parking.

Lovely meal , felt welcomed by friendly staff and were quickly seated , good menu and not too long to wait for piping hot food which was lovely , fresh and homemade chips , who doesn’t give an extra star for home made chips , happily recommend

I've been working locally in Bishop Auckland and stumbled across an absolute Gem! The Rooms are contemporary and stylish & the staff are polite and professional in their approach. Dining is reasonably priced and of good quality, I will be going back 🙂

Very welcoming, the food was excellent, great service provided by the lovely Helen, would definitely recommend The Saxon Inn and would certainly stay again in the future

We stayed here as a stop over on our way to Scotland, we were allocated room 9, this had everything we could possibly need and more, the room was clean and modern, we had a great night sleep, it was very quiet and great value for money.

Great little hotel, only stayed the one night, for a wedding in the area. Super staff, nothing was too much trouble. Charming old building but very modern and clean facilities. Very well equipped rooms. There was a little chaos around checkin time but all managed with good spirit and humour. Lovely place to stay, would definitely recommend. Hearty breakfast, cooked to perfection, a little light on healthy options but otherwise delicious!

Lovely little place , friendly and room was fantastic will visit again

Great village pub - good range of beers, and a warm welcome

2 night break seeing friends nearby. Lovely village pub. Great food. Fab cosy bedroom. Comfy bed. Free Wifi good shower. Hairdryer. Tea coffee chocolate. biscuits plentiful. would recommend to anyone. Plus car parking 5☆.Thankyou

Great 2 night stay. Visiting a friend nearby. Breakfast fab evening meal lovely. Bedroom cosy bed comfortable. Everything oerfect. We will stay again

Quiet location opposite a lovely saxon church. Rooms were spacious, modern clean and well appointed. Really central for visiting places of interest in County Durham. We had a problem with our door lock and within a few minutes it was fixed. Breakfast was ordered the night before selecting from a menu sheet and selecting the time you would like to eat. Next morning in the sunny Breakfast room you had a warm welcome from Shaun and your hot beverages and hot food and drinks were bought to your table for the time you selected. A good assortment of cereals, juices, spreads, yoghurts and fruit also available as you entered. We also had an evening meal which was lovely. Thanks to Claire the Manager, Julie and Shaun for a great stay! All the other staff were great also but didn't get there names.

Lovely little village pub with meals. Very nice flowering entrance and quite a chilled out restaurant with plenty of space between tables.

Great value and lovely staff. Room was clean, modern and bright. Breakfast was excellent and the breakfast room was bright, sunny and welcoming. A great find and good base for exploring the surrounding area. The saxon Church opposite the Inn was a serene, lovely building.

Lovely atmosphere what a pleasant place.

We visited this place twice for our tea as we were staying for the weekend nearby, the food is very nice and a generous size portion..! The staff were very friendly and helpful.

The Saxon Inn is set in a lovely quiet location. It is perfectly situated to visited lots of places of interest. The staff are lovely, so helpful and friendly. The rooms are beautifully furnished and spotlessly clean. It is really great value for money as well. I would highly recommend The Saxon Inn.

Lovely Hotel, friendly staff. Will be back

Came to have a drink last weekend and the lady at the bar was lovely! Nice drinks, we sat outside and decided to book in for Sunday lunch as it was a lovely quiet place. Sunday was however a different story. We found our table...

Xlent hotel. Xlent food, staff was very welcoming

Only an overnight stay on our way to Scotland. So glad we did. Great welcome. Food and bar very good. Lovely helpful staff. Our room was comfortable. We booked a deluxe room as needed the kingsize bed for my husband who is 6ft5. We both...

Me and my partner Had lunch here Sunday me a Cumberland ring her a pork baguette and a trio of yorkies we ate outside food was perfect staff were 10/10.... I returned Thursday for a family treat my recommendation to try somthing different sat indoors very nice fishtank 1 got a cumberland ring, I tried 2 diffrent burgers with chips, the 3rd tried the burger menu also we tried diffrent deserts and again did not dissapoint will be a regular every thing down to the personalised establishment napkins, shiny clean cutlery and clean glasses was noticed wich is a massive bonus GREAT JOB KEEP IT UP :-) 2 tastey burgers and chips for under £8 tell me where you can get that value for money

Fantastic little gem. I stayed in Room 1, great size room, very comfortable bed. Perfect. Will definitely stay here again when in this area. Staff very friendly. I had the breakfast, not disappointed. Excellent.

Had a wonderful stay, room was wonderful with lots of lovely little touches. Staff were so nice and helpful and the breakfast kept us going for lots of cycling. Nice short walk down to the river. Would highly recommend

Lovely area with nice walks of the river and huge lake lots of wildlife. Standard room had every facility needed. Bed comfy but was just a normal double size could have done with at least a king size. Nice quiet area. Staff friendly and helpful. Large portions For meals if eating in the huge restaurant. Whole pub/rooms were extremely clean and looked freshly decorated. Would definitely stay again if we were in the area but probably ask for a larger bed next Time.

The staff are extremely friendly, and the hotel rooms are to a very good standard. The hotel is in a perfect location being not too far from a river and amazing countryside

We stayed here whilst travelling and can highly recommend The Saxon Inn. It looks like the room has been recently refurbished (either that or very well maintained). Comfy bed, lovely views and a top notch cooked breakfast. Very friendly staff here too.

Excellent place to stay lovely hosts and staff. The food was also excellent big portions. The room was lovely cannot fault anything at all.

Absolutely amazing stay the staff are lovely and always chatty and nothing was too much trouble for them. The food was superb the chefs are incredible we decided to eat in every evening because it was so good. The rooms are lovely and clean and quiet we had a lovely nights sleep. I highly recommend a stay at the Saxon inn and we will definitely be returning soon.

Lovely clean hotel in excellent surroundings very friendly

Would have given all 5 stars if it wasn't for the local kids in the outside seating area. There was about 6 of them jumping up and down off the tables and seat, shouting and swearing.

Didn't stay at the hotel, so I don't know what the rooms are like.

bed&breakfast stay was great,,nice clean room and a very good breakfast in a lovely breakfast room,we had an evening meal on the night we arrived very good the tomato soup was home made and excellent.

As usual food and service was spot on. Thanks very much. 😀

We stayed for 2 nights. Comfortable clean room. Well fitted out. Staff all friendly. Breakfast ordered the evening before. Cooked individually not buffet. Also had an evening meal on both evenings. Good fare.

Best food ever and booze is cheaper than anywhere

Food was good. Really busy on night we went and found the tables a bit too close, especially for personal conversations. If you don't mind driving a distance it's a really nice pub.

Service was very poor but food was really good.

Food and service always excellent. Nice atmosphere. Staff are friendly and helpful

I generally end up working on Christmas Day and have booked here the last couple of years for our family Christmas lunch. To describe the service and enthusiasm with which Vicky and all of the team were able to meet all my requests for a...

Had Christmas lunch from the Saxon yesterday and it was absolutely superb 👌🏻 staff were amazing, lovely feel and atmosphere and the food was lovely and fresh and tasted amazing. Was really busy but food came out hot and service was great. would 100% reccomend...

We had to arrange a one-night stay at 9.15p.m. because the place we had originally booked caused my partner a severe allergic reaction because of dust or dog hair.The receptionist who I believe was the manager found and made up a room immediately and waited...

We had a four night stay at The Saxon Inn as we had a wedding close by. The rooms were lovely and clean with comfy beds. The breakfast was very nice and huge. The evening meals were delicious and myself and my partner had different...

The Saxon inn is a lovely little hotel, we stayed for 1 night with our daughter n granddaughter. The room was really clean and plenty big enough and had lots of tea, coffee hot chocolate etc. The check in was very quick, Staff was really...