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The Hayloft, Alston

Visitor Rating
Rating
★★★★★★
Exceptional
Cumbria » Alston
4
1
2
1
Mostly first floor. Two bedrooms: 1 x super king-size double (zip/link, can be twin on request), 1 x double. Ground floor walk in shower, basin and WC. First floor open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with open fire.
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At Sykes Cottages
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About The Hayloft

Mostly first floor. Two bedrooms: 1 x super king-size double (zip/link, can be twin on request), 1 x double. Ground floor walk in shower, basin and WC. First floor open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with open fire.
Check Prices & Availability »
At Sykes Cottages

Need To Know

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Local Insights: The Hayloft

Unique information you won't find on booking sites

Alston, Cumbria

Weather & Local Conditions

11Β°C

Partly cloudy

Updated: 14 Jul 2026, 2:48am

🌑️
10.60Β°C
Temperature
πŸ’¨
5 km/h
Wind Speed
πŸ’§
94%
Humidity
🧳
Packing Tip: UK weather can turn quickly, so pack layers whatever the forecast. A waterproof and sturdy shoes mean the whole group can head out whatever July throws at you.

What to Expect Through the Year

  • βœ“ May - September: Warmest, longest days - ideal for long days out, gardens and BBQs
  • βœ“ October - November: Crisp autumn colour, cosy evenings by the fire, quieter attractions
  • βœ“ December - February: Perfect for a snug winter escape - great for Christmas and New Year gatherings
  • βœ“ March - April: Spring blooms, longer evenings returning, wildlife becoming active
🌧️
Rainy Day Tip: A pet friendly cottage comes into its own on wet days - board games, a long lunch and a film beats a cramped hotel any day. Check the tabs here for nearby pubs and attractions with indoor options.

Dark Skies & Stargazing

The Hayloft sits in a location with genuinely dark skies - a real treat for a group, and something you rarely get at home in town.

Bortle Scale Rating

The Bortle scale measures night sky darkness from 1 (darkest) to 9 (brightest urban):

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
🌌
Class 4 - Rural/suburban transition
This location's dark sky rating

What You Can See From the Cottage

The Milky Way is visible overhead, though light domes may be visible on the horizon towards larger towns.

The Milky Way is visible on clear, moonless nights.

Best Stargazing Conditions

  • βœ“ New Moon periods: Darkest skies, best Milky Way visibility
  • βœ“ Winter months: Earlier darkness, crisper skies, Orion constellation prominent
  • βœ“ After 11pm: Neighbouring lights typically switched off
  • βœ“ Allow 20 minutes: Let your eyes adjust to darkness before looking up
πŸ“±
Pro Tip: Download a stargazing app like "Sky Map" or "Star Walk" before arrival. Mobile signal can be limited, and these apps work offline - a fun activity to share of an evening.

Location & Elevation

309m

(1,014 feet above sea level)

The Hayloft sits in a peaceful Cumbria setting - space to spread out and the perfect base for a pet friendly escape.

πŸ”οΈ
309m
Elevation
πŸ“
Alston
Nearest Village
🌲
Rural
Setting

What the Elevation Means for Your Stay

  • βœ“ Fresher air: Expect it a touch cooler than coastal areas - bracing walks and restful sleep
  • βœ“ Clearer air: Less pollution and haze, better views and stargazing
  • βœ“ Morning mists: Valley fog sometimes forms below, creating magical sunrise views
  • βœ“ Walking access: Higher starting point means shorter climbs to hilltops and summits
πŸš—
Driving Note: The roads to Alston are typical Cumbria lanes - narrow in places with passing spots. If the group is arriving in several cars, share the postcode and a meeting point in advance.

Coordinates

Latitude: 54.8185973Β° N | Longitude: 2.4551147Β° W

Sunrise & Sunset Times

Today's sun times for Alston (Tuesday, 14 July 2026):

3:48am

Sunrise

7:42pm

Golden Hour

8:42pm

Sunset

πŸŒ…
3:48am
Sunrise
πŸŒ‡
8:42pm
Sunset
πŸ“Έ
7:42pm
Golden Hour

Planning Your Days by Season

  • βœ“ Summer (Jun-Aug): Sunset around 9:30-10pm - long days for group walks, days out and late alfresco dinners
  • βœ“ Autumn (Sep-Nov): Sunset 5-7pm - perfect timing for an after-dinner drink as the stars come out
  • βœ“ Winter (Dec-Feb): Sunset around 4pm - cosy early evenings by the fire, ideal for stargazing
  • βœ“ Spring (Mar-May): Sunset 6-9pm - watch the evenings grow longer each day
πŸŒ™
Golden Hour: For the best light, plan your group photo or evening walk around golden hour (7:42pm). The warm colours make for lovely holiday photos before you head back in for dinner.

July Daylight

This month in Alston, you have approximately 16.90 hours of daylight. The long summer days mean plenty of time for group adventures before a relaxed evening back at the cottage.

Practical Essentials

Everything the group needs to know before you arrive at The Hayloft.

Mobile Phone Signal

πŸ“±

Signal Strength

Variable

Mobile signal is variable in this area. You should have coverage for calls and basic data.

πŸ’‘
Signal Tip: EE and Vodafone generally perform best in this area.

Nearest Essentials

πŸš—
Arrival Tip: Fill up with fuel before you arrive - petrol stations can be sparse in rural Cumbria. With a larger group it's worth doing one big supermarket shop on the way, especially if arriving late.

Family & Fun

Data updated: 14 Jul 2026 | Location: 54.8185973, -2.4551147

Information unique to this location - not available on booking sites

What Guests Love

What do previous guests think about their stay at The Hayloft

Getting To The Hayloft

Find your way to your perfect countryside retreat

Group Attractions & More Nearby

Stuff for larger groups and families to try!

Is The Hayloft Right For Your Group

Discover why this cottage is the one for your party or family reunion...

For Families
Groups Will Love...
Pet Friendly

Dining & Cafes

Taste the local flavours during your stay at The Hayloft

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to our most common questions about The Hayloft

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The Hayloft Reviews

A hidden gem. Perfect spot, to see the north Pennines or the lake district. 1520 min walk into Alston.
Sophie
I stayed her for a week with my 2 boys 7&1 and my niece and her friend who are both 18 and we all had an amazing time. Just a short walk to the village lots of beautiful scenery and such friendly people. The property was lovely the cottage was clean and cosy and felt homely. The hot tub was also great especially if you wanted to relax after a long walk. It was absolute bliss with the peace and quiet. I would definitely stay there again and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a holiday
Michael
THANK YOU FOR AN EXCELLENT STAY AT THE HAYLOFT. WE HAD A WONDERFUL WEEK THERE EARLY JULY THIS YEAR, THE ONLY SLIGHT DOWNSIDE WAS THE BROKEN SINGLE BED MENTIONED IN EARLIER POSTS DOES NEED THE BASE REPLACING AND THE HOT TUB NEEDS A GOOD CLEAN. OTHERWISE AS ADVERTISED AND REALLY GOOD VALUE. WE WILL DEFINITELY RETURN IF THE BED BASE IS FIXED OR REPLACED.
Claire
Perfect short break for us, very comfortable. I slept through the night for the first time in ages! Hot tub was nice addition too. Thanks for having us!
We had a fantastic break at The Hayloft. The apartment is big and spacious and we felt at home here. The views are stunning. We would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful break. We loved the countryside drives and our favourite place to stop for a meal was The Nook We will be back soon
Lovely property perfect to come back to after a day of hiking. Located a short distance from Hadrians Wall and other attractions.
Shaddoth
A very beautiful cottage , very nicely maintained, location is great . Thank you Mr and Mrs Younger for making us welcome . My kids had a wanderful time .
Great break away, fabulous hosts. Beautiful views. Need to stay for longer to find your way around. Maps of walking areas would be good idea. Beehive in Penrith was outstanding food and cleanliness. The Hayloft was absolutely perfect vey clean and very well stocked on self catering equipment. The shared hot tub was lovely for us as not very busy. Weather didnt stop us enjoying the beautiful views. Thank you for a lovely break away.
Charlotte
Great place, cosy & warm. Clean throughout & a lovely warm welcome from the owners. Who also gave us info on the village events for Halloween & Bonfire night. Hot hot tub which we loved with stunning views through the day & star gazing when it got dark! Would definitely visit again!
Had a lovely week away, the views are stunning , the hot tub was lovely and relaxing, the rooms lovely, clean and spacious! Had everything you needed but the bed could do with fixing properly as the bit of wood nailed on in middle kept on coming off
The Hayloft was even nicer than expected, spacious, comfy and well equipped.
I have never had such a relaxing holiday! The cottage was perfect in every way, the location was idyllic with plenty of opportunity for walking and our hosts were so friendly and welcoming. This is definitely somewhere I would recommend and hopefully return to.
Catherine
Really pleasant space and clean environment in such a pretty part of the UK.
Rayanne
Property was lovely and clean in the most beautiful location I would recommend going to see the area. The main reason for this booking was the hot tub. We were very disappointed to see how dirty it was. Didn't look well maintained. The filter was disgusting
Alexis
It was a beautiful place! Lovely views and a great get away! Our dog had such a good time and the hot tub was a great relaxing treat!
Gillian
When we stayed here there was a ladie underneath us, and omg did she have problems! All she done was bang the doors all night long and we never got any sleep. We had enough so we left early and as we was packing our cars she thrown a pair of her knickers at us, and omg we was shocked. We did not feel it was safe as she clearly had issues. Tony and Susan offered another week end stay for free as a gesture of goodwill, which was so lovely of them. We have just came back from staying there again and had a peaceful chilled stay. Massive thank you to them. We loved it there and we will be going again well long as that unhindge women is not there again haaaa. Sorry I no she won't be lol but we will be. If you want to go anywhere with beautiful views walks and amazing I would definitely recommend staying here. Thank you again xx
A very pleasant stay. Ideal for enjoying the local walks.
Beautiful place , couldn't ask for anything more Thank you
Angela
Lovely cosy cottage. Would recommend to others . Lovely views ! Enjoyed the hot tub . All in all a lovely little break away and I would return .
Lovely family owned property who were super friendly and keen to help. Dog friendly, although not enclosed which wasnt a problem. No issues with the shared hot tub. Was a very pleasant and chilled stay. Everyone we met in the village was lovely too.
Michael
Perfect choice for a break. The whole area around Alston is beautiful and the Hayloft is an ideal base from which to enjoy it
Lots to like about the Hayloft, great rural location, easy to get to lots of places with a car, Penrith, Hexham, Carlisle, northern Lakes, Pennine way and South Tyndale railway to walkrun from the doorstep. Friendly & helpful owners. Comfortable beds and great open plan living space. Generally clean although laminate floors could do with a wash. I wiped down the fronts of all the kitchen units before we left too which made a big difference in the sunlight. Very dated bathroom which could do with an upgrade, loose shower fitting over the bath with plastic curtain. We didnt use the hot tub because we have one at home but it looked great.
Hayley
The bathroom is very tired and old and needs updating with a decent shower
We enjoyed the break away from home, but just a few drawbacks. Bathroom is the only room downstairs , with all other accommodation located up a steep flight of stairs. Location may only be 1mile from Alston, but you can only walk there if you cross the fields, high grassas the road has very fast vehicles and no pavements, just very high grass again. The outdoor area for The Hayloft is very small and backs onto a field. Surrounding area for the hot tub was not cleaned, not that we used it as it was terrible weather.
Katarina
It was lovely place we stayed, we enjoyed apartment too much. Very cozy clean and comfy. Only one little disappointed was that there wasn't bbq open fair facilities
Daniel
The Hayloft was great accommodation for us. Beds were comfortable. Owners were welcoming, friendly and helpful. The Hot Tub was just 'what the Doctor ordered' after a day travelling around the area. The only minor detail was the heating, the radiators didn't appear to respond to the hall room thermostat, so I had to turn each radiator stat down when we left each day, no point them being on when when you're not there. Lastly, the front door lock is showing signs of wear and proving difficult to lock.
The owner, Tom, was very welcoming and helpful. The hot tub was superb after a ride out on the motorcycles. The roads around the property are superb for bikes. Alston was less than half an hour walk away but a longer stagger back
The cottage was beautiful, classically furnished and immaculately clean. The owner was very friendly and welcoming. There was even coffee, tea, sugar, milk and biccies left out on our arrival. The lights surrounding the cabin where you could dress and dry with heating made the hot tub experience pretty and added romance. We were sad to leave and we will be returning at some point. Highly recommend.
Had some trouble completing this survey for some reason it was not accepting the numbers I was clicking on. Had a lovely few days at the cottage which was well equipped and very cozy. The open fire was lovely and warm. Our only problem was finding 3 rather large pieces of glass in the hottub. Totally not the owners fault & I believe some previous guests had smashed a glass. Perhaps a supply of plastic wine glasses would prevent this from happening in future. But we did enjoy our stay thanks
Robert
Fabulous cottages , owners could not be more helpful, 5 days was not enough to do everything , but we packed as much as we could in. I'm sure we will visit again in the future!!
Great cottage and area. Issue heating first night .resolved on 2nd night.
Beautiful accommodation in a fantastic location. Very quiet with lively walks from the doorstep. Would definitely return. Bottle of wine, chocolate biscuits were a lovely welcome as was the Christmas tree and decorations.
Leslie
Fantastic cottage we had a great holiday. owners could not be more helpful Thanks Les and Leatha.
Allison
Lovely owners, nothing too much trouble, always around to help.
Location is amazing. Owners are really really nice. Its a nice location tucked away in the hillsides
Freddie
Nice location for walking, also exploring the area.
Rebecca
Beautiful cottage, very comfortable, all amenities were in the cottage, only downside for us was everything was upstairs and we had taken our 12 year old dog who struggled to get up the stairs. But other than that a very pleasant stay.
Lovely cottage very clean amazing area to stay in lots of lovely walks to enjoy ... Lovely cottage very clean amazing area to stay in lots of lovely walks to enjoy and hot tub for when youd walked your socks off great way to end the day easing those aching muscles all very clean and well kept
Judith
This is a lovely place to escape to for a quiet break. The apartment had everything you might need and was very comfortable and clean. The hosts were really friendly and helpful and very dog friendly. The best part was sitting in the hot tub surrounded by lovely countryside. There are also resident barn owls living next door! It is about a 2025 minute walk into Alston using the Pennine Way which was very muddy in places but lovely nonetheless. Some great walking in the area and can highly recommend The Nook about 2 miles on towards Brampton for breakfast
Lovely place for walking and chilling will be back
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