England's North Country

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use, please contact client relations at 1-866-831-4314 or email [email protected]. DECEMBER 2017 | Since 1979 AndrewHarper.com TRAVELING THE WORLD IN SEARCH OF TRULY ENCHANTING PLACES HOSPITABLE INNS, EVOCATIVE LANDSCAPES, CULTURAL TREASURES COVER PHOTOGRAPH Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland, Northumberland ENGLAND’S NORTH COUNTRY THIS MONTH ver the years, I have followed numer- largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps. SCENIC BRITISH ROAD TRIP ous driving itineraries in England The Middle Ages also gave York imposing Our circuitous route took us through the Oand Scotland, but they have invari- city walls, built on top of the Roman ones, pristine countryside of Yorkshire, Cumbria and ably been circular and self-contained. On which remain almost completely intact. Northumberland. Highlights of our trip included memorable visits to Castle Howard, Fountains this trip I constructed a route that links In the past, my preferred place to stay Abbey, Hadrian’s Wall and Alnwick Castle. .....1-6 the two countries together. I decided that has been Middlethorpe Hall, a classically our point of departure would be York, a proportioned redbrick mansion dating TOURING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST historic city at the southern edge of the from 1701, set amid 20 acres of landscaped After a sojourn in Portland, we headed north Yorkshire Dales National Park, and that we grounds, about two and a half miles from to Whidbey Island and San Juan Island, before would conclude our journey in Edinburgh. the city center. Although I still recom- returning to cosmopolitan Seattle. ...............7-11 York is the gateway to a hilly, unspoiled mend Middlethorpe (it has a rating of 94), region that extends north for approxi- on this occasion I decided to try to find Find additional stories, video and more mately 125 miles to the Scottish border and somewhere close to the center of the city, photography at AndrewHarper.com. that spans around 150 miles from the Lake from where it might be possible to stroll District in the west to the North Sea coast to the principal attractions. Andrew Harper travels anonymously and in the east. The city was established by the When I first heard about Grays Court, pays full rate for all lodging, meals and Romans in A.D. 71. In the ninth century it I could scarcely believe my luck. It seemed related travel expenses. Since the launch of this newsletter in 1979, the featured hotels became a Viking capital, Jórvík. Later, York to be precisely the kind of hideaway for and restaurants have been selected on a prospered as a result of the wool trade, and which I am constantly searching (and which completely independent basis. in 1080 work began on York Minster, the is more elusive than many people suppose). Full-service travel planning is available to members at (800) 375-4685 or [email protected]. For comments and inquiries concerning The Hideaway Report, please email [email protected]. Castle Howard’s majestic south façade Dating in part to 1080, it may possibly be Sadly, the pattern was repeated the the oldest continuously occupied house following morning. The food was fine, but in England. The 11-room hotel is tucked the meal was so extended that breakfast away beneath the city walls and overlooks threatened to morph into brunch. So a private half-acre garden, despite being after complaining at length to the on-duty within a three-minute walk of the cathedral. manager, we checked out. Clearly, Grays Initially, all my expectations were Court is chronically understaffed, which is fulfilled. After check-in, a polite young unfortunate, because the property other- PHOTO BY ANDREW HARPER woman gave us a tour of the public areas. wise has many of the qualities required to Chief among these was the stunning Jaco- be an exceptional hideaway. CASTLE HOWARD bean oak-paneled Long Gallery. We were Our quest for a suitable hotel close to also shown a peaceful library and The the city center continued at The Grand or us, as for many Americans, the Downton Bow Room restaurant, a light-filled space Hotel, an utterly different property that F Abbey world of the grand English country with views of the garden, a molded ceil- stands just outside the city walls, about house is a source of enduring fascination. Many ing, a chandelier and a marble fireplace. a 10-minute walk from the cathedral. An writers have speculated as to why this milieu Having ascended two more short flights imposing Edwardian redbrick structure, should so appeal to a people who founded a of stairs (there is no elevator), we came The Grand has recently been the subject nation in revolt against monarchy and aristocracy, to our generously spacious room. It too of a major refurbishment. Alas, once but I’ve never heard a convincing explanation. overlooked the garden, with the 235-foot again, our experience did not chime with It’s just a self-evident fact. The film location of central tower of the cathedral providing a expectations. The only noteworthy aspect Downton Abbey is Highclere Castle in Berkshire, majestic backdrop. Although the décor was of our stay was provided by Hudsons, the to the west of London, but in the story, the house quite austere, with a large white sofa, heavy fine-dining restaurant, where chef Craig is said to be in Yorkshire. This northern county slate-blue curtains and period furniture Atchinson was responsible for a superlative has long been a place where England’s wellborn but no pictures, the atmosphere seemed nine-course tasting menu accompanied and well-to-do have come to relax on their country peaceful and timeless. The adjacent marble by imaginative wine pairings. Dishes such estates and shoot the game birds that populate its bath was modern and well-lit. as sea trout with kohlrabi, violet mustard, hills and moors. However, one Yorkshire country At this point, I was close to euphoric. house exceeds all others in grandeur. Castle chicory and hedgerow berries; and glazed Howard lies 15 miles northeast of York and has But it was all too good to last. Having beef cheek with hen of the woods mush- been the home of the Howard family, the Earls of made our way down to dinner, we stood at rooms, horseradish and alliums will live Carlisle, for more than 300 years. With 145 rooms, the entrance to the dining room. Nobody long in the memory. it is one of England’s largest stately homes. Castle appeared. I decided to be proactive, so I Leaving York, we headed northwest Howard was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, who knocked on the kitchen door and put my for 30 miles to the ruins of Fountains was also responsible for the colossal Blenheim head inside. A waitress emerged, but no Abbey, founded in 1132 and once the Palace in Oxfordshire (the birthplace of Winston apology for the delay was offered. We sat wealthiest abbey in England. (Between Churchill). Work began in 1699 and took 100 years down at 7:40, but it was nearly 8:15 before 1536 and 1541, King Henry VIII seized to complete. Aside from its architectural splendor anyone took our order. Not only was it close the assets of England’s religious orders, and one of the world’s finest private art collec- to an hour before we got anything to eat, which collectively owned around a quarter tions, Castle Howard’s appeal also stems from its the wait between courses was interminable. of the country’s land and had an income having been the fictional Brideshead, in both the Ultimately, we grew tired of waiting and, considerably higher than that of the king.) television and movie versions of Evelyn Waugh’s feeling extremely disappointed and irri- Today the ruins form a focal point for the “Brideshead Revisited.” tated, headed upstairs to bed. remarkable water gardens of Studley Royal Our Herbert Royle Suite bedroom, and street entrance at The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER 2 HIDEAWAY REPORT DECEMBER 2017 Picturesque ruins of 12th-century Bolton Abbey, and the harmonious landscape of Wensleydale, North Yorkshire / PHOTOS BY ANDREW HARPER Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and living room came with a gas fire, while the were painted by J.M.W. Turner among one of the few great 18th-century English bedroom provided a canopied four-poster others, are close by. And Northern York- gardens to survive substantially in its bed. Views extended over the estate to the shire contains several well-known long- original form. sheep-speckled hills. distance hiking trails, including the Dales After relaxing for a while, we headed Way, which runs for some 80 miles from rom Studley Royal, it is a 25-mile to the lounge at the heart of the original Ilkley to Windermere in the Lake District, drive west to The Devonshire Arms inn. There we found a huge silver cooler and sections of the 268-mile-long Pennine FHotel & Spa, situated beside the River set atop a central table containing a variety Way, which begins at Edale in Derbyshire Wharfe on the Bolton Abbey estate, which of French Champagnes. Having settled and ends at Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish has been owned by the Dukes of Devonshire into deep burgundy-colored armchairs, border. (The latter was proposed in 1935 since 1753. The setting of the 40-room we ordered two flutes, which were served by journalist Tom Stephenson, who had hotel is extremely scenic, with extensive promptly along with a selection of canapés.

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