CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY
THE SAMLING
Emphatically a hotel in the country, not a country-house hotel, this 10-room (nine of them suites) property was once the home of William Wordsworth's landlord. Features include open fireplaces, Oriental rugs, and great big sofas to sprawl on. There are spectacular views over Lake Windermere and the restaurant serves locally sourced fish, meat and vegetables. The Samling was featured in our special feature on UK Boutique Hotels Part I and in our special feature on Lake District Hotels. The Samling, Ambleside Road, Windermere, Cumbria (01539 431922; www.thesamling.com). Doubles from £145, 118 miles from Leeds.
CHINTZ COUNTRY
THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS AT BOLTON ABBEY
Set in a converted coach house overlooking the Yorkshire Dales, this
41-room hotel is part of the estate of historic Bolton Abbey, a 15-minute walk away. The hotel, whose Anglo-European restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star, has been in the family of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire since 1733. Bedrooms are furnished with antiques and personal memorabilia from the family's collection.
The Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey, Skipton, North Yorkshire (01756 710441; www.thedevonshirearms.co.uk). Doubles from £150, 30 miles from Leeds.
CONTEMPORARY STATELY
SEAHAM HALL
The house where Byron fatefully married Anabella Milbanke in 1815 has been converted into an all-suite 18-room hotel by the owners of The Samling. Perched on a rugged cliff-top overlooking the sea, the hotel has a dining room for lunch and dinner, a grand drawing room for afternoon tea, plus a big new spa and Thai restaurant in a
separate building. Seaham Hall was featured in our special feature UK Boutique Hotels Part II.
Seaham Hall, Lord Byron's Walk, Seaham, County Durham (0191 516 1400; www.seaham-hall.com). Doubles from £175, 85 miles from Leeds.
CHINTZ STATELY
MIDDLETHORPE HALL
Built in 1699, this Queen Anne-style country house overlooking York racecourse was once the home of the famous diarist Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. A pair of Edwardian cottages within the surrounding 20 acres of parkland have recently been converted into a spa. Middlethorpe Hall, Bishopsthorpe Road, York (01904 64124; www.middlethorpe.com). Doubles from £160, 25 miles from Leeds.
|
FIND AND BOOK MORE BOUTIQUE UK HOTELS AND SECRET HIDEAWAYS AT I-ESCAPE.COM