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<\/p>\nA Yorkshire country estate with a history stretching back to the Domesday Book has had a \u00a325m makeover in a bid to become one of the region\u2019s hottest luxury destinations.<\/p>\n
Aldwark Manor, tucked beside the River Ure between York and Harrogate, has been transformed with new restaurants, a revamped golf course, a major spa upgrade and fresh accommodation \u2013 turning a historic country house into a resort with ambitions to attract a new generation of guests.<\/p>\n
The estate, which has wartime links to Dambusters commander Guy Gibson, has been undergoing its biggest overhaul in years since being bought by local family business Depho Estates Ltd in 2019. <\/p>\n
General manager Richard Smith said the aim was to turn its separate attractions into one joined-up destination.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the estate was acquired in 2019, the potential was very clear,\u201d he said. \u201cYou had the history, the Manor House, the golf course, the spa, the river and the setting, but the different parts weren’t necessarily working together as one destination.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur owners\u2019 vision has always been to bring those elements together and create something that feels distinctly Aldwark.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u00a325m programme has delivered three major new buildings, led by Chartwell, the estate\u2019s Michelin Guide-listed restaurant. It also houses Pinafore, a private dining room, and Clem\u2019s, a wine tasting room offering international wines by the glass.<\/p>\n
Bunkers Sports Bar has replaced the old golf clubhouse, with 11 bedrooms above, while the new three-storey Salus Wing is due to complete this month. It will add 17 bedrooms, seven treatment rooms and two meeting rooms.<\/p>\n
The Manor House has been refurbished and the golf course redesigned, while the former swimming pool has made way for an infinity-style pool. The Salus Spa adds a hydrotherapy pool, outdoor sauna, sauna and steam room, cryotherapy facilities and a gym.<\/p>\n
There is also a refreshed Elements restaurant, a padel court, riverside meeting facilities, a horse-box cocktail bar and even a 1964 Routemaster bus for private events.<\/p>\n
But the estate\u2019s past remains part of the pitch. Aldwark is recorded in the Domesday Book, while its name is thought to derive from the Old Saxon for \u201cold fort\u201d, possibly referring to a Roman fort guarding a crossing of the River Ure.<\/p>\n
The present Manor House dates to 1865 and was requisitioned during the Second World War. Gibson, who led the Dambusters raid, spent time there while planning the operation. The property later became a school before opening as a country house hotel in 1978.<\/p>\n
The estate also has its own folklore, including the Witching Stone, which has inspired a book.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur owners have always seen Aldwark as a passion project,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThey wanted to bring the estate together as one destination without losing what makes it feel like Aldwark \u2013 its history, character, and the slightly unexpected things you find here.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the major transformation now nearing completion, the focus is shifting to attracting more guests for luxury breaks, golf and spa stays, weddings, private events and corporate retreats.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will always be another chapter at Aldwark,\u201d Smith added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From Dambusters history to a new infinity pool, Michelin Guide-listed dining and a luxury spa, the Aldwark Manor is being reborn as a high-end getaway<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":271992,"featured_media":2161514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53262,127686,6,9],"coauthors":[137100],"class_list":["post-2161511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","category-hospitality","category-lifestyle","category-property","tag-featured-story","tag-top-story","tag-yorkshire"],"yoast_head":"\n