Charming rooms, fine dining and breathtaking countryside … We round up stylish and friendly places to stay in God’s Own County
A little over a mile from York’s historic centre, the 17th-century splendour of Middlethorpe Hall is an oasis of calm set in 20 acres of rolling parkland. Built by Thomas Barlow, an affluent master cutter from Sheffield, it had fallen from grace by the 1980s and been turned into a nightclub. Now owned by the National Trust, it has been sympathetically restored to its former glory. The result is an authentic historic house rather than a commercial hotel. The sitting room is a stunning setting for afternoon tea. With its swagged floor-to-ceiling Georgian windows, pale yellow walls and grand portraits, it gives Castle Howard a run for its money, albeit on a smaller scale. The bedrooms are equally elegant, as are the cottage and garden suites. In the evening, dine on Yorkshire lamb, pea velouté and raspberry crumble soufflé, and work it off the next day in the pool, spa and gym room, tucked away in a pretty converted cottage.
• Rooms from £155 B&B, dinner from £45 for three courses, middlethorpe.com Continue reading...
