Yorkshire Dales Luxury Hotel

Mike Gerrard visits Simonstone Hall, near Hawes, in the Yorkshire Dales, definitely a Yorkshire Dales luxury hotel.

If you’re looking for a luxury hotel in the Yorkshire Dales then Simonstone Hall near Hawes is right in the heart of some of the most beautiful scenery in Wensleydale. In fact footpaths go right through the hotel’s lovely grounds, and the sign outside says that walkers are welcome. When we arrived it was rather overcast, though, so we were hoping for some sunshine the next morning so we could sample one of the local walks.

Enjoy Our YouTube Slideshow of Our Visit to Simonstone Hall

Yorkshire Dales Luxury Hotel: Our Room

Even if it had been pouring down we wouldn’t have minded too much as it would have meant being able to spend more time in our room. Ours was Room 9, and it was the kind of room that lifts your spirits as soon as you open the door. Wow! It was huge, with a rather splendid 4-posted bed, and a chaise-longue underneath the window. The window looked out across emerald-green fields, dotted with trees, which climbed to the distant hills.

 

There was a teddy bear welcoming us on the bed, and a beautiful display of lilies in a corner of the bathroom. The décor was mainly beige – walls, carpet, bedding – which is usually bland but not in this case as it set off the wooden antique furnishings perfectly.

Drinking and Dining Options
We went downstairs to the real old-fashioned bar, which had several local ales on draught, including my own favourite – Theakston’s Old Peculier. There was a Black Sheep on tap too, but we both opted for a pint of Rudgate Sea Stallion, purely because of the name. It was a rich and creamy ale, and one we both enjoyed.

Nearby was the Wine Vault, where they sell an impressive array of fine wines, and we had a wander round the guest lounges before eating in the Garden Room Brasserie. We went straight to the main course, choosing from the daily specials on the blackboard. The Pie of the Day was a Chicken, Bacon and Tarragon Pie, and it sounded so good we both wanted to try it. So we did, and it was. Not only good but an enormous and very filling plate, too. Even though there was a Peach and Almond Bread and Butter Pudding as one of the desserts, we couldn’t manage another mouthful.

If you want to see current menus for the brasserie and the restaurant, and see the wine list, you can find links to them on the Simonstone Hall website. The menus credit their food suppliers, many of which are local. These include the Wensleydale Poultry Farm and Hammond Butchers of Bainbridge, just up the road, where their steaks are all aged for a minimum of 21 days.

What to Do at this Yorkshire Dales Luxury Hotel
Next morning the sky had cleared and after a breakfast that was just as hearty as the previous night’s dinner, we sampled a short walk that the receptionist recommended. You can walk right out of the back of the hotel onto a public footpath that leads down across sheep fields to the village of Hardraw. From here you go through the Green Dragon pub, pay a small fee at the bar, and you can walk alongside a stream through a wooded gorge which ends at Hardraw Force. This is a waterfall with a single drop of 100 feet, said to be the longest above-ground waterfall in England. It’s quite a sight, and was in full flow when we visited.

Our Verdict on this Yorkshire Dales Luxury Hotel
We loved Simonstone Hall. We enjoyed it because it had great character, and although it had all the country house hotel luxury comforts, it wasn’t at all snooty, shown by the way it welcomed walkers – a big group of them was tucking into Afternoon Tea when we arrived. The staff were attentive and friendly, the food was fantastic, and those Wensleydale views were to die for.