A new take on old school charm
GREAT BRITISH BOLT HOLES
YOREBRIDGE HOUSE, NORTH YORKSHIRE
AFTER two years of searching the world for the perfect place to open a hotel, Yorkshire couple Dave and Charlotte Reilly found it on their doorstep. Yorebridge House is a Victorian former grammar school on the edge of the tiny village of Bainbridge in Wensleydale, and has spectacular windswept views.
After an 18-month refurbishment programme, the Reillys opened it as a glamorous boutique hotel with 12 suites, a restaurant and a champagne cellar for tastings.
Charlotte’s handiwork gives a nod to their travels: French carved furniture, English floral wallpaper, Caribbean-style shell art and an antique Moroccan window used as a headboard. Yorebridge draws an international crowd, and you’re as likely to see heels here as you are walking boots.
Six rooms have outdoor hot tubs, and all are stocked with Molton Brown products, home-made cookies and Nespresso machines.
Mine is a smart, two-storey converted cow shed, a five-minute stroll from the main house. Taking a short walk to breakfast is a small price to pay for the extra space – the suite has a courtyard hot tub, well-equipped kitchenette, double shower and freestanding bath. Rainy days are sorted, too – just kick back with the huge TV, PlayStation and stack of DVDs.
There are five acres of grounds to explore, dotted with retro deckchairs, croquet and boules sets, firepits and soaring Scots pines strung with fairy-lights.
If you’re ticking off local sites,
Bolton Castle, Aysgarth Falls and the Wensleydale Creamery are worth a visit. When the light fades, head to the candlelit lounge and try to resist the canapes on offer, such as Stinking Bishop croquettes and roasted beetroot macarons, as you ponder the dinner menu.
Wensleydale lamb melts in the mouth, but save room for pudding, including a creative take on a Caramac. And breakfast the next day is suitably hearty for a day roaming the Yorkshire Dales. USP: A cosy retreat with all the trappings of a chic city members’ club.
Food: Fine dining with an emphasis on local produce, from pigeon and trout to Wensleydale cheese – £60pp for three courses. The rooms: Designed to relax and linger in, with antique headboards and leather trunk coffee tables. B&B from £220 a night (prideofbritainhotels.com).