St Albans St Joseph's Guest House PETS WELCOMED

5 bedrooms5 bathroomsSleeps 10

Popular amenities

Pool

Fireplace

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Kitchen

Barbecue grill

Check out 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

Amenities

Pool

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Kitchen

Free WiFi

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

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

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

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 vacation 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. Be sure to check out 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.

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 January 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 August 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 August 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 January 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

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.

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