Crathorne Hall is the jewel in Teesside’s hospitality crown. It is not just another country house hotel – it’s an historic home that faithfully reflects Edwardian aristocratic splendour.

Set in 15 acres of private grounds on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors it has captivating views of the Leven Valley. Drive up to Crathorne Hall and you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve arrived at the North East’s very own Downton Abbey.

I couldn’t help imagining that Carson would appear through the heavy oak panelled doors at any minute followed by maids and footmen assigned to us for our stay – such is the realism of Crathorne’s country house ambience.

Built by the Dugdale family, who made their fortune in the Lancashire cotton trade, the house was completed after three years work in 1903 becoming the largest country house built during the reign of Edward V11.

Crathorne Hall had 115 rooms, 41 of which were bedrooms and there were 26 live in servants. The size of the house it is said reflected Lionel Dugdale’s wife Violets ambitions to launch her son, Thomas into politics and her daughter Beryl into an advantageous marriage.

As soon as you step through the oak doors into the panelled corridor with its black and white stone floor, vaulted ceiling, highly polished leather chairs, and candelabras it will certainly impress and set the tone for your visit.

Reception is discreetly tucked away and blends with the character of the hotel with family portraits hung on its walls.

Portraits are an important adornment at Crathorne and you can track the Dugdale family through the generations as you explore the hotel – this is partly due to Thomas marrying artist Nancy Tennant, a talented artist who has some of her work hanging in the hall.

Once checked in we ascended the magnificent wide oak staircase which hasn’t changed since the house was built with old photographs displayed to prove it.

We made our way to Ormesby, situated on the first floor of the East Wing. one of the hotel’s two feature bedrooms.

It had a wonderful calm and relaxing ambience with a stunning four poster bed as well as a spacious and open plan living, with huge original windows that looked out over the rolling lawns and Leven Valley.
In front of the window was a deep seated sofa with two wonderfully relaxing arm chairs, a plethora of tables and the original fireplace that added to the country house feel.

The bathroom had a separate bath and shower and dual basins, which I love and was the perfect place to relax and unwind .

We decided to take advantage of the peace, quiet and Autumn sunshine and took a stroll round the gardens before relaxing on the terrace overlooking the rolling lawns and woodland.

As we sipped a glass of something cold and bubbly it wasn’t hard to imagine how this would have been in Edwardian times with ladies taking tea, whilst the men were out fishing or shooting, and the likes of Downton’s Dowager Countess Lady Violet holding court on the terrace over afternoon tea.

Dressing for dinner was a must for us as Crathorne reflects gracious living. The Levens Restaurant was the original dining room. The high ceiling, oak panels and big sash windows reflect the Edwards period. As we sat at our table I wondered how many of the royal, rich and famous had looked out of these windows at the same view of manicured lawns.

Up until it became a hotel in 1977 Benjamin Brittain, Yehudi Menuhin, Lord Mountbatten and Conservative Prime Ministers, too many to mention, as well as some great ladies of the theatre Edith Evans and Sybil Thorndyke stayed at the hall. The late Queen Mother had lunch there and The King , when he was Princess Charles ,popped in with racing driver Graham Hill for some refreshment as well when it was a private residence.

The restaurant tables are well choreographed with sparkling crystal and silver sitting elegantly on pristine white table cloths. Typical of Edward times there are large oak connecting doors from the dining room to another salon where guests would perhaps have assembled for pre-dinner drinks and from there another set of doors reveals a lounge, the former drawing room, where ladies would retire after dinner whilst the men enjoyed port and cigars before going to the billiard room, now the Nancy Tennant Bar with its marble pillars and large fire place.

The Leven Restaurant has just been awarded 2 AA Rosettes for its modern approach to fine dining. Dine there and its easy to understand why.
Award Winning British Masterchef Chef, Darren Curson ‘s food philosophy is to use the finest British and world class ingredients. However, at the same time he prides himself on making the most of what the local area has to offer assisted by Matt Skipper , the Assistant Head Chef and a strong team.

There are apples from Crathorne’s orchard and vegetables from the kitchen garden , milk from the cows who graze in the grounds served alongside local hams and Wensleydale cheese.

“We try to keep it as Yorkshire as we can”, says Matt.

Before our starter we were served with an amuse-bouche of a choux bun filled with Wensleydale cheese and flavoured with truffle mayonnaise. It had a delicate taste and was very flavoursome.

For his starter my partner had the Leak and Potato Volute with chive crème fraiche and flavoured with truffle which he absolutely loved. It was hot and smooth and brimming with flavour.

Amuse-bouche

Langoustine tortellini

I chose the Langoustine tortellini with langoustine tail, shellfish velouté, fennel and Oscientra caviar. The tortellini was a great option for a starter and served with the shellfish volute it made a really appetizing seafood dish.

For main course my partner chose the salt aged Ribeye steak. The steak had been treated with a rosemary rub which gave added flavour. It was tender and cooked to perfection exactly as requested and one of the best steaks he had tasted for a long time. It was served with a chestnut mushroom ketchup which was an ideal tasty accompaniment for the steak along with a shallot puree. The chips had been cooked in dripping which gave them a great taste and were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Cod

Valrhoma Chocolate and Banana

Cod was my choice for main course. This was a very large cod steak on a bed of Kale with Ratte potatoes. The fish was white and succulent and moist. The smoked buttermilk was the ideal match for the fish balancing the flavours beautifully.

Choosing my heaven on a plate or ‘dessert’ was quite a task. I eventually decided on the rather decadent Valrhoma Chocolate and Banana. This was a triumph in every way. The presentation was so good I just didn’t want to put my spoon in it whilst the banana parfait was the perfect companion to the chocolate ganache and the rum caramel.

It was the Amalfi lemon tart that tempted my partner. The dessert was flavoursome and very tangy and had a wonderful aroma of lemons. The filling was light and fluffy and the black figs and honeycomb balanced the flavour of the lemons beautifully.

After Dinner we made our way to the Nancy Tennant Bar, the former billiard room and enjoyed a nightcap in its Edwardian ambience.

Next morning I took a short walk in the grounds before sampling the Crathorne full English breakfast ,which has just had a very unusual item added to it – a Yorkshire pudding filled with baked beans which is evidently going down a storm with guests.

After breakfast we took another stroll round the grounds seeing the magnificent residence from different angles. It was so peaceful one could be a million miles way and this helped us both relax and prepare for the busy week ahead.

As we waved goodbye to Crathorne we knew in our heart of hearts we would be back again quite soon.

Nancy Tennant Bar,

The grounds

Crathorne Hall, Yarm, North Yorkshire TS15 0AR
Tel: 01642 700398 - E:crathornehall@handpicked.co.uk
Website: handpickedhotels.co.uk.
The hotel offers special package breaks and is dog friendly so fido is can come too.