Pooled resources
It is 25 years since Michael and Sasha Ibbotson took over the 300-year-old Durham Ox at Crayke. But they haven’t stood still in that time, Catherine Scott writes. Pictures by Tony Johnson.
THE award-wining Durham Ox at Crayke might be 300 years old but the new Pool Villa added by owner Mike and Sash Ibbotson is the height of contemporary luxury.
No expense has been spared from the Pooky lighting to the Hypnos beds, Linwood fabrics and high end bathroom fittings in this luxury wooden-clad villa with 180 degree views across the Howardian Hills and the Vale of York towards York.
The Ibbotsons have never been ones to stand still and during Covid they reinvented their outdoor space to keep open as much as possible. The Dog House ‘apres ski’ bar open Fridays and Saturday is testimony to how they have evolved and survived. But Covid also gave them the opportunity to take stock and decide what they wanted for the future – and also what guests in the new post-Covid age want.
“During Covid we certainly combined Mike’s creativity and ability to turn an idea into reality with our outside dining areas… and the Doghouse, our ‘pub within a pub’, is testament to that too,” says Sasha.
"This year we’re celebrating 25 years at The Durham Ox, and recognising changing customer habits and needs plays a big part in standing the test of time. We are so lucky to have a loyal following, but we certainly never take them for granted. That’s why it’s so important to stay relevant and adding our Pool Suites and finally being able to make the most of our amazing views is fantastic.”
An old plot of land at the bottom of the car park has been transformed into a stunning two ensuite bedroom pool villa complete with mosaic-lined spa in a large terraced garden overlooking the fields beyond. Further down the hill is the Pool Cabin, the smaller more rustic cousin to the Pool Villa but with an even larger spa and again stunning views and above all privacy. It sleeps two but has a sofa bed for the children if needed.
This change in direction might also be in part down to the Ibbotsons now being parents themselves, and them having a new understanding of what people with children want from a break. They have planning permission to expand, but Mike wants to see how the first two go before expanding further.
While Mike might have the ideas and innovation, the interior design is very much Sasha’s domain. She has lost count of the number of pubs and bedrooms she has renovated and designed, (the couple used to be part of Provenance Inns) but you can tell that she enjoyed having the blank canvas of a new build.
“I knew I wanted colour and the benefit of a new build was that we could get the builder to spray the walls using RAL colours.” The mirror image bedrooms are in a deep calming green
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(RAL 6002 Laubgrün) and the sitting area that divides them is a strong blue (RAL 5024 Pastellblau) both from Thirsk Decorating Centre. And she has painted the walls, ceiling, skirting and architraves all the same colour, giving a harmonious, cosy yet contemporary effect.
Sasha puts her love of colour down to her grandmother. "She was an artist and I grew up surrounded by art on every wall. Every room was full of different colours and textiles,” says Sasha. “Mike grew up between North Yorkshire and Borneo and so I suppose his life was full of colour from his travels in the far East. We both love things, auctions, collecting and have a house full of stuff."
She knew she wanted cocktail prints on the walls, to enhance the ‘grown up’ feel of the Pool Villa which has its own honesty bar and massive flat screen television, which she sourced online. Both bedrooms have sliding doors out onto the large private terrace and spa and the sitting room has views across the terrace, with doors opening out onto the 80 square metre elevated terrace with spa pool.
“For us, a pub wants to look like it has evolved over time,not been purposely put together but slowly evolved. And so in the past with big projects I collected and bought in preparation for months in advance,” says Sasha, who likes to use local tradesmen and supplies including Electrical and Plumbing, Easingwold for the bathrooms and Calverts Carpets, Thirsk for the flooring.
“It was so fun with the Pool Villa to make a contemporary space where the colours are bold yet calming and where we have combined antique and modern furniture and furnishings. And where we literally had a blank canvas.”
While the over all feel is definitely contemporary, the Ibbotsons are masters of blending the old and the new including the wardrobes in both Pool Villa bedrooms coming from