Last weekend, we braved the bad weather to head down the coast for a night in a luxury country hotel in Yorkshire.
After a busy few weeks since the New Year, it was the perfect opportunity to relax and spend a bit of quality time together.
The drive to the town of Scarborough takes us across the North York Moors, through some strikingly beautiful landscapes. Unfortunately, it was pouring with rain, so the views were more subdued than usual.
We arrived in the seaside spa town mid-afternoon and decided to ignore the wet weather and head for the seafront. This seemed like a good idea for about five minutes, until the rain got the better of us and we took shelter in a little traditional fish and chip shop and had a snack…just to keep us going until later!
By the time we emerged, the rain had stopped, so we pottered around the shops until it was time to head just out of town and make our way to Ox Pasture Hall Hotel, where we had been invited to stay that evening.
Although just outside the town, the hotel feels very secluded and peaceful. It’s located amidst some lovely scenery, with fields and woods all around.
Thanks to the gradually lengthening evenings, we arrived just in time to check in and take some photos in the hotel grounds, where a wedding was well underway. As I wandered around with my camera, I passed the bride and groom and their photographer, capturing portraits in the gardens.
Our first impression of the hotel was fantastic. The receptionist was friendly and took us across the courtyard to our room, pointing out where everything was on the way.
One of the things I loved the most about this hotel was how cosy and inviting everything looked, with its mixture of stone walls, shutters and warm lights.
We stayed in a suite, which featured a huge bathroom, comfortable lounge area and bedroom. Our corner room had a lovely view out over a lake at the back of the hotel and fields to the side. After taking some photos, we decided to spend some quiet time in the room before dinner. The hotel’s Wi-Fi didn’t stretch to our suite, so we put our phones away and watched a film – Beethoven was on the television and I can’t remember the last time I saw it!
Once the film was over, we headed to the bar for a drink.
One of the great things about the lounge area at Ox Pasture Hall is the roaring fire surrounded by comfy sofas. When we arrived they were already occupied, but as the hotel is dog friendly, husband especially enjoyed fussing the dogs whose owners were gathered around the fire. Now that the wedding party had moved on to a dedicated area for the reception, the hotel was very quiet and the lounge was the perfect spot to relax.
When it was time to eat, we went along to the hotel’s Courtyard Restaurant. The staff were incredibly welcoming and attentive and went out of their way to ensure we enjoyed our meal. They really made the experience special.
It’s not often I eat a three-course meal, but as we were away, I indulged!
The food in the restaurant was amazing. I ate the ham hock terrine, followed by rack of lamb and raspberry crème brulee with mini milkshake. Husband had the pate, steak and chips and the sticky toffee pudding, which was all delicious. We were even treated to an amuse-bouche made from rocket and lime, which was a tasty if unusual thing to try.
Once dinner was over, we retired to our room to relax a bit more.
The king size bed was super comfortable, although the room was a bit too hot to get a perfect night’s sleep.
It wasn’t enough to spoil our stay, but we did get a surprise when our upstairs neighbours came back to the room in the early hours of the morning. I don’t know if they were an exceptionally noisy couple or not, but we could hear them really clearly.
The next morning the weather was gorgeous, with bright sunshine.
We enjoyed our breakfast – husband went for the full English, while I had a goats’ cheese omelette. Both were really tasty and, as with the evening meal the night before, the presentation was fantastic.
Our stay at Ox Pasture Hall Hotel was incredibly relaxing. We didn’t get to make the most of the grounds due to the time of year, but in summer it would be lovely to sit outside in a corner of the garden with a drink.
We’ll definitely return to the hotel in future, so maybe next time we’ll get to explore the gardens too.
Thank you to Ox Pasture Hall in Scarborough, North Yorkshire for offering us a complimentary stay and evening meal at the hotel. All opinions in this review are my own.
Stuart Forster says
If I was to spend a weekend in Scarborough, where would you recommend for quality fish and chips?
Amy Lord says
To be honest, I’ve never spent much time in Scarborough so I don’t know which the best places are. But if you were to head up the road towards Whitby, there’s a great place in the village of Sleights, called Eskdale Fisheries. We’ve been going there since I was little and always enjoy the food!