I stayed at Graythwaite with Hazel and John for five weeks in September and October while I was on Fellowship at Keele University, and I must say that my experience was outstanding in every respect. I slept at one time or another in four of the bedrooms, and all were spotlessly clean with very comfortable beds and linens, and large windows with considerable natural light - all in all, very much a terrific home away from home. As others have mentioned, the breakfasts were very good (John takes great pride in their quality) and made to order. I would also say that Hazel and John were amazingly helpful with ideas and cost saving suggestions for my extensive travels on the weekends to see various parts of western England. Through the course of my stay with them, we became great friends, which I think is a regular occurence given the amount of repeat business they receive. Hazel and John are delightful people and excellent B&B operators. Finally, I might also make a brief comment about location. The house is in a nice and quiet neighborhood adjacent to a private school and a nearby park. It is a 5 minute walk to a major bus line and a 10 minute cab ride to the Stoke on Trent train station. There are numerous and diverse restaurants within a short walking distance as well. While staying with John and Hazel, I made easy day trips by train to Liverpool, Chester, Stratford upon Avon, the Peak District, Birmingham and Manchester. Graythwaite would be the perfect location to stay in one place and move around and see the western UK. All in all, I could not recommend Graythwaite more highly.
