St Albans St Joseph's Guest House PETS WELCOMED

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Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

9.4

Exceptional

5 bedrooms5 bathroomsSleeps 10

Popular amenities

Pool

Pet-friendly

Washer

Kitchen

Air conditioning

Fireplace

Check-in time

2:00 PM

Check-out time

11:00 AM

Explore the area

St Albans, NSW

Wisemans Ferry Golf Club16 min drive
Australian Reptile Park89 min drive
Dharug National Park91 min drive

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 King Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 5

1 Queen Bed

5 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 3

Bathroom 4

Bathroom 5

Spaces

Deck or patio

Porch or lanai

Kitchen

Balcony

Separate dining area

Garden

Dining Area

About this property

* 1839 convict-built sandstone Catholic Church renovated and converted into unique and beautiful accommodation.
* Five bedrooms, four with ensuite
* Lounge room with large TV and Gas Fireplace
* Deck and plunge pool
* Onsite, lunch time weddings/events permitted on request (pls send an enquiry)
* Fire pit
* Pet Friendly
* Amazing satellite NBN Wi-Fi

Hi there, thanks for visiting St Joseph's Guesthouse on Stayz.

⁠You'll find our beautiful property in St Albans, just two hours from Sydney and Newcastle. The church features accommodation for 10 guests onsite in five separate bedrooms - four with ensuites and one with an in-room clawfoot bath. There's also a large kitchen, dining area, lounge room with television and gas fireplace, big deck and a plunge pool for warm summer days, with plenty of lawn area for activities and even weddings.

Our property is an 1839 convict-built sandstone Catholic Church, which was purchased in 2009 and restored by myself, Steve, over three years. We've lovingly restored the church over the years from the crumbling, uninhabitable state it was in when we acquired it. Nothing brings us more joy than sharing this beautiful part of the world with guests - old and new.

While staying true to the original aesthetic, we pieced it back together and made some changes along the way. See that steel steeple on the church? And the gap beneath it? That’s our rooftop lounge area, complete with fire pit for you to toast marshmallows in comfort. Plus, we’re pretty confident it’s the best old church to witness a sunset from, this side of Europe.⁠

PET FRIENDLY 🐕
WORK FROM HOME AT THE CHURCH.
We have amazing satellite NBN Wi-Fi

Wedding packages and pricing (*includes venue hire please ask on enquiry.):

Lunchtime weddings for 60 guests are our specialty as the curfew is 9:30pm.

It's a BYO property which means there's full flexibility to create your own day in a way that feels personal to you.

Our team can also help organise local transport for your guests, an Aboriginal smoking ceremony, a celebrant, catering, party hire and everything else you can possibly think of. ⁠Just touch base with us for a chat.

In St Albans Village, we have a pub and free camping available on the Macdonald River just across the road if you have additional people staying during the week or on the weekend.

---

Then yoga for everyone at the school of arts building St Albans at 8am.$15
The community tennis courts are available upon request.
Just ask at the pub.
Amazing convict walking tracks throughout the valley.

AWARDS: 2013 National Trust Award for Best Restored Heritage Building NSW.

We hope to welcome you at St Joseph's Guesthouse soon.
Looking forward to chatting
Regards Steve.

Property manager

Steve Kavanagh

Languages

English

Amenities

Pool

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Living area with large fireplace and flat screen tv

Pool

Hot tub

Kitchen

Washer

House Rules

Check in after 2:00 PM

Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

Events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

Parties and events are allowed on site

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock

Property registration number PID-STRA-27040

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Lower Macdonald

Located in Lower Macdonald, this holiday home is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Marramarra National Park and Hawkesbury River reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park and Australian Reptile Park. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

St Albans, NSW

What's nearby

Wisemans Ferry Golf Club - 16 min drive
Hawkesbury River - 20 min drive
Australian Reptile Park - 89 min drive
Dharug National Park - 91 min drive
Turo Reserve - 113 min drive

Restaurants

‪Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club - ‬15 min drive
‪Convict Road Kiosk - ‬16 min drive
‪Wombat Cafe - ‬21 min drive
‪Australis Retreat at Wisemans - ‬16 min drive
‪Riverbend Restaurant - ‬16 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does St Albans St Joseph's Guest House PETS WELCOMED have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is St Albans St Joseph's Guest House PETS WELCOMED pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at St Albans St Joseph's Guest House PETS WELCOMED?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

What time is check-out at St Albans St Joseph's Guest House PETS WELCOMED?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is St Albans St Joseph's Guest House PETS WELCOMED located?

This family-friendly Lower Macdonald holiday home is located on the waterfront, 7.8 mi (12.6 km) from Hawkesbury River, and within 25 mi (40 km) of Marramarra National Park and Dharug National Park. Central Coast Hinterland and The Australiana Pioneer Village are also within 32 miles (52 km).

9.4

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.0/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

10/10 Excellent

Aimee G.

7 Jan 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Best place I have stayed in

This amazingly renovated church is like no other place you will stay. It has everything and more The bedrooms are all great sizes with en suites and amazing views with natural daylight coming in through every windows lighting up the inside The pool was the cherry on the cake, it really made the stay perfect having the pool walking distance but it also felt like you was somewhere else with the view from that area My friends and I cannot wait to stay here again, we loved it and Steve the host is really nice and responded quickly to any text queries

Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Pat A.

28 Aug 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

St Joseph’s

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Interesting to read the history of the church being convict built in 1839, burnt down in 1888 and rebuilt by the new owner some 101 years later. Now an amazing venue and holiday stay.

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Laken G., Bondi Beach

17 Aug 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Weekend Away

Wow! This property is beautiful and so unique. It’s such a stunning location. Absolutely perfect for a weekend away. I’ve never seen a more well set up kitchen too! Perfect for cooking big lunches/dinners!

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Luc D.

3 July 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Super unique place!

We all had such a great time. Thanks Steve

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Linzi N.

1 Jan 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Christmas break with friends

Fabulous property, Steve very relaxed and easy to communicate with.

Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Graham S.

2 Aug 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place and great host

Great stay. Host very accommodating during pandemic times.

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Margy S.

10 June 2021

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday celebration

Very good. But tv and washing not working

10/10 Excellent

Tony H., Newcastle

9 Jan 2019

Fantastic, comfortable, everything provided for maximum comfort and enjoyment.

We stayed for an end of year staff party/get together and we were blown away by the beauty and uniqueness of the place. It was a huge property with so many nooks, crannies and relics to explore. Everything was neat and readily available and our host was welcoming and helpful. We would stay again in a heartbeat!

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Monika D., Sydney

7 Jan 2019

Breathtaking property!

Staying in St Joseph’s guest house was an experience in itself. It’s an absolutely stunning property with plenty of living spaces, well equipped kitchen and refreshing swimming pool. The bedrooms were clean and beds were super comfortable with good quality linen. Each bedroom has on suite which made it easy for our group of 10. The house is located in a very quiet area, away from the road and any noises, which makes it a perfect hide away location for getting away from the city and busy lifestyle. We had no phone reception and no internet, which was a perfect for getting lost in a book or enjoying hours of dinning with a group of friends. The grounds are well kept and our Labrador loved running in and out and around of the house. The owner was communicative even on Christmas Day. I recommend St Joseph’ guest house for those who want to get away from the busyness of everyday life and spend quality time enjoying company of friends and family.

Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

4/10 Poor

Camilla D.

31 Jan 2017

Unorganised and dirty

We booked the guesthouse for our wedding. Upon arrival we discovered the house was very dirty, kitchen equipment was greasy and very unhygienic, several light bulbs not working. We contacted the owner to let him now it needed to be properly cleaned for our wedding. The owner promised to send a cleaner who never arrived and we had to clean the entire house ourselves. Very disappointing and such a shame the management is poor as it is a beautiful place.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Louise M.

27 July 2015

Excellent property

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this venue and was an optimum place for our wedding celebrations.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Trent J., New South Wales, Australia

20 Apr 2015

Majestic

The photographs should speak for themselves, but this place lives up to the expectation. The spaces are vast and well appointed and the location is beautiful. You will not be disappointed.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Cheree H.

16 Mar 2015

Absolutely Amazing

Our stay at St Joseph's Guest House was an absolute pleasure. The church has everything you could think of for a relaxing and elegant 5 star getaway. We enjoyed all this property has to offer. The kitchen is wonderful to entertain in, hosting all the mod cons. We enjoyed sitting out on the private back deck, overlooking the grounds and pool. We really enjoyed looking around the property that holds a lot of history for the area. Steve the owner is an amazing host and has done an outstanding job on bringing back to life this grand old building. I would totally recommend to grab a few friends and book out the entire place for a weekend or even longer. Thank you from all the girls, we really enjoyed our weekend getaway.

About the host

Hosted by Steve Kavanagh

Hey there, I’m Steve.

I bought this unique property in 2009 when the church was roofless and full of trees growing inside. We fixed this place up with a helping hand from friends, family and a bunch of talented tradesmen. After three years of building, we completed the marathon rebirth of this once-grand building, with a few additional touches.

Our achievements were recognized in 2013 when we won the National Trust Best-Restored Heritage Building in NSW, an award we’re very proud of and are now so happy to be hosting weddings at our beautiful church. We also own Settlers Arms Inn down the road, where we can host additional guests in our accommodation onsite, as well as continue the party in our large beer garden and indoor spaces.

Why they chose this property

We're confident this is one of the most unique buildings you’ll ever stay in. It is the largest sandstone structure built outside the Sydney basin in the 1830s and the oldest Catholic Church on mainland Australia.

What makes this property unique

The church and its surrounding district of Wisemans Ferry and St Albans are very historic to early settlement. The church also offers a lot of of privacy as it is set on 5 acres of grass and bushland. Yet it is only 2 hours from the CBD of Sydney and Newcastle.