Southern Cross Guest House

Southern Cross Guesthouse 22-24/08/25 Review This is an interesting place… I’ve always liked old places, and things [was an antique restorer for a 3rd generation east-end woodcarver for some years], have lived in listed Regency and medieval buildings, old farmhouses, so the nature of this guesthouse really appealed, and the way that many of the older features have been retained while still providing modern functionality. Proper lock on the room door while the old latch is still there. The stair handrail made of old iron waterpipe, a workmanlike job, just like I might have done.. The large antique circular table we were seated at the first morning has bookmatched quadrants of walnut veneer with holly marquetry, a few small bits missing, and instead of a glossy french polish, or worse, that horrible sticky varnish favoured by many pubs, the surface is simply washed, bare wood, a working thing, no preciousness about it. The wardrobe door swung open at totally random moments, including in the middle of the night, perhaps because of a ghostly presence in the thing, until I did as suggested by one of the bed legs on the anciently uneven floor and stuck a bit of folded cardboard under it, that fixed it! This was so much like the interestingly unconventional and improvised life I’ve lead, I felt completely at home. I liked that we were given the same teapot each morning. That the cups and crockery were fine china not robust earthenware. That the parts of the room and the rest that needed to be clean were meticulously so, including the embossed cutlery that had been hand, not machine washed [and I know about that, I’ve worked as a dishwasher in a hotel kitchen], and polished to the finest detail, not the slightest hint of any accumulations in the grooves and hollows. That the towels were thick and changed each day. That the breakfast was generous, piping hot and best quality ingredients. That the atmosphere fostered by the hosts was quiet, relaxed, considerate, personally attentive. I wish we'd had time to try the famous cream tea. I was more than a little surprised as we were about to leave. I’d originally booked 2 nights for us online to attend a family party nearby, then phoned to ask about the room and whether we could book a further night as another family event had been organised. Was told that as we were staying the whole weekend we’d be moved to a larger room for all three nights at the price for the original room, the extra night payable when we arrived. But we weren’t asked when we did arrive.. When I went to pay for the extra night as we were leaving, we were told that the original payment had not gone through due to some ‘’bank security issue’’ which neither the host nor I had ever seen before. But despite that we’d been allowed to stay the whole weekend without paying, till the end, just on the basis of one initial searching glance as we arrived. There’s trust, and true hospitality for you….