Lifestyle: A luxury break in the Yorkshire Dales
LUXURIOUS and grand surroundings with beautiful scenery may be at the heart of Swinton Park, but it’s not a venue shy of persuading guests to put on their walking boots and enjoy the Yorkshire countryside.
Dating back to the 1600s and set in 200 acres of parkland outside the sleepy Dales market town of Masham, Swinton Park is a lavish venue.
The property was launched as a hotel in 2001 by Mark Cunliffee-Lister whose ancestors owned it from 1882 to 1980.
I stayed on a weekend break and donned walking boots to explore the estate. We were taken up to Bothy Hut on the moors where we found a gourmet picnic waiting for us. A hamper contained Yorkshire ham with chutney, homemade breads, pates and olives, Yorkshire cheeses, fresh scones with clotted cream and local strawberry jam and fruit cake. Delicious.
Sending us off on a picnic was a great idea. It really was the perfect way to completely unwind and keep far, far away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. Up there it was completely silent, with no one else in sight. After indulging in our picnic, we embarked on a six-mile trek back to the hotel though fields and hills. We quickly realised why walking boots were recommended.
Later that evening we enjoyed a spot of fine dining in the three AA rosette Samuel’s Restaurant. The restaurant was built by Samuel Cunliffe-Lister in 1880 as part of major works that were carried out at Swinton Park when he bought the estate on retirement from his mill (Manningham Mill) in Bradford.
The emphasis on the menu is placed on seasonal and local produce inspired by the fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in the hotel’s four-acre walled garden (the largest hotel kitchen garden in the UK), and the menus change accordingly. Our evening meal and breakfast were excellent and the standards of service were very high – you are really made to feel like a special guest, but it’s far from stuffy.
The traditional English house, now run by general manager Tom Lewis, is steeped in history. The rooms are furnished with antiques and huge family portraits – it’s more like a big house than a hotel – and each bedroom has its own name – inspired by and named after local dales, castles, abbeys and towns.
On day two we experienced a falconry taster session at Swinton Park’s Bird of Prey Centre. It opened an aviary, home to 12 birds at any time, in the hotel grounds in 2008 which is run by falconer Sophie Abbott. Attracting a rather large owl from a tree with a piece of food proved to be a thrilling experience.
This is a venue not short of things to keep you entertained. The Cunliffe-Lister family also run the surrounding 20,000-acre Swinton Estate, which stretches from the River Ure in Wensleydale up onto the moorland dales, and hotel guests can enjoy fishing, golf, riding and shooting. There’s a cookery school, spa and also bikes to hire, too. A new programme of events is set to launch next year, so keep your eyes on the website for more info.
Where: Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 4JH.
Call: 01765 680900.
Web: http://www.swintonpark.com/
