Middleton Lodge – Yorkshire, England
Up a grand, tree lined drive, in between the wild beauty of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales. A graceful Georgian stately house, it has been transformed by its owners, with their wonderful eye for detail, into a magnificent boutique retreat. Add to that some good old fashioned Yorkshire hospitality, delicious field to fork dining and far reaching views over farmland, and it’s no wonder that guests book time and time again.
Their eco friendly credentials are first class, from home grown and locally sourced and free range produce, to the wood chip boiler providing heat for water and radiators and recycled waste used as garden compost. Wander around the kitchen garden, explore the estate and further afield, or just sit back and relax for a total change of scene from day-to-day life.
At A Glance
Luxury Hotel
Why We Love It:
For its rural location, tasteful interiors, spa & delicious food.Style:
Regency splendour with modern luxuryLocation:
Set within 200 acres of stunning rural North Yorkshire countryside.Rooms:
30 rooms in the hotel, 16 rooms in the Main House & 2 self-catered cottages.Swimming:
There is an outdoor swimming pool.Children:
Extremely family friendly.Accessibility:
The hotel is suitable with those with reduced accessibility.Open From:
All year roundrooms
The style and décor of each room and suite is so incredibly tasteful, it’s a struggle to recommend any particular one. They are all totally different, from exposed stone work and timber frames, to painted panelled walls and deep roll top baths and colourfully tiled wetrooms – all are elegant, welcoming and very comfortable. With the Coach House as the main hub, with 9 bedrooms, there are further rooms and suites around the estate in the Farmhouse, Potting Shed and Dairy, with the Main House having 16 rooms that can be taken privately.
We love the idea of staying in a Potting Shed and especially like the rooms here. For larger families, or groups of friends, the Farmhouse has six bedrooms (sleeping 12) and a fully equipped kitchen. However, if you’d prefer not to cook, everything can be brought to you. Decorated in full Regency splendour, the Main House is elegant and sophisticated. With 16 bedrooms (seven suites and nine doubles), enormous drawing room, library, billiard room and a party cellar, this is definitely a place for celebrations and large families.
food
Much of the produce is home grown in the large kitchen garden and hand-reared beef, free range eggs and chickens are all locally sourced, and it’s the estate’s aim to become fully self sufficient in the near future. The Coach House serves fresh dishes all day in a relaxed and informal setting. There is also the Forge restaurant serving modern British food. Breakfasts are truly hearty – homemade pastries and jams, traditional English and more, all to set you up for the day.
activities
An extremely comfortable base from which to explore the surrounding national parks and nearby Richmond, it’s also the perfect place for winding down. The Forest Spa is a serene haven, complete with a heated outdoor pool and thermal spa. Here you can enjoy the views of the estate from the sauna, or have a treatment in one of its six treatment huts. Roam the livestock filled estate on foot or by bike – there are plenty to borrow. There’s a croquet lawn, and being Yorkshire, of course there’s a cricket pitch. Shooting can also be arranged.
family
This is one of our favourite places to bring your family. With all the freedom that the estate brings for children, it’s pure escapism for everyone. There are family rooms with bunk beds; cots can be provided, and children’s menus. At Easter, there are egg hunts and during the summer you can enjoy an outdoor theatre. Under fives are free.
sustainability
Sustainability is elegantly woven into everything Middleton Lodge does. Dating back to its inception, Middleton remains committed to eco-friendly practises. The lodge was built during an era of self-sufficiency amongst such estates, and thus has preserved this ethos. All of the water they use is sourced from a borehole, including where it’s used in heating and showers, and a biomass generator is used to heat it. Passive technologies are used as much as possible in heating and cooling, whilst air conditioning is non-existent.
All lighting is provided by low-energy bulbs, and most communal areas have motion sensors to ensure lights are not on unnecessarily. Additionally, building materials are sourced locally, either from the estate itself or nearby providers, which extends to interior furniture. This is not even beginning to mention all of their planting projects. Middleton Lodge are always planting trees and restoring the estate garden. The Kitchen Garden is another proud feature, meaning vegetables and fruits can also be grown on site, without the use of pesticides or genetic modification. All waste is recycled or composted where possible, and single-use plastics have been entirely outlawed. If there’s no way to re-use it on site, a number of local waste management centres are on hand to help.
Yorkshire
There’s a good reason why Yorkshire is known as “God’s own country”. Encompassing the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales and even a little bit of the Peak District, with swathes of it designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, you can’t fail to be overwhelmed by it’s raw beauty. From wild and rugged peaks and tumbling becks to miles of mighty chalk cliffs and sandy beaches to the east, this huge county promises views you’ll never forget.
It’s rich in history – crowns have been decided here – and there is no shortage of stately homes, medieval castles and fortresses, picturesque cobbled villages and flourishing Spa towns. It’s also home to an abundance of wildlife that can be easily spotted in the unspoilt landscape – with the coast being a birder’s paradise. There’s adventure for families from steam trains and wildlife parks to mazes and caves. And if you’re looking for culture there are no end of garden, galleries, museums and sculpture parks.
Location
North Yorkshire
Set within 200 acres of stunning rural North Yorkshire countryside. It is located five minutes from Yorkshires historic town Richmond; 40 minutes from Newcastle, an hour from York and 2.5 hours from London via train.
