Hotel of the week
WHERE AND WHY
The Lord Crewe Arms is a wonderfully wonky, creaking, cosy pocket of comfort tucked away in the north-eastern section of the North Pennines on the border with County Durham.
A rabbit warren of medieval charm, each room, reception and common area in the two main buildings oozes atmosphere. Tasteful modern furnishings blend neatly with the near 900-year-old brickwork.
The building served as a guesthouse for abbots situated at the neighbouring Blanchland Abbey until it was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. Having since hosted everyone from landed gentry to local miners, the Lord Crewe is today as hospitable as it first was in 1165, but with a dash of 21st century opulence.
ON THE MENU
Diners are bombarded with hearty, British fare in the dining rooms.
Highland venison, fillet steak and fresh lamb dishes all stood out for me as a carnivore let off the leash by his veggie partner.
She was well served by a Stilton pasta option and a caramelised cauliflower risotto dish, while the medium-rare 195g steak I chose will live long in the memory, flanked by a bottle of Malbec and the adjacent log fire.
Starters cost from £10, mains from £16 and desserts from £6. The wine menu was wellthought out and had us deliberating, which is always a good sign.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE
Ask about the history. The staff were very happy to share and had plenty of further reading on hand for curious guests to take away and consume.
It seems there’s been enough drama at The Crewe for a Netflix series – from fugitive priests, royal visits, assassinations, bankruptcy and the 18th century philanthropy of Nathaniel, Baron Crewe himself, which led to the preservation of the building and its surrounds to this day.
My advice? Grab one of the detailed Crewe Walking Maps from the main building and get your steps in – the surrounding scenery is stunning. These handy A4 sheet maps are full colour, (with a QR code if you want to download them to your phone), cleverly illustrated and packed with trails, times, distances, points of interest and pictures.
WAKE-UP CALL
Rooms start from £189 a night on a B&B basis. lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk