Well north of the Cotswolds’ rolling hills, York’s Middlethorpe Hall & Spa is a red-brick manor that also boasts manicured gardens and tidy grounds. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, one of the region’s well-known diarists, called it a ‘very pretty place’ and indeed, it is, thanks to a Christopher Wren-inspired design. Fans of his aesthetic will spot his influence in the house’s classic horizontal skyline, white sash windows and stone quoins.
Beyond the main house you’ll find several gardens, including a rose garden, a spring garden, an all-white garden and a kitchen garden. The latter is encased in stone walls that call to mind Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s book The Secret Garden. Here, some of the original plantings remain, and the rest has been carefully restored. Elsewhere among the grounds you’ll find a park, arboretum and, eventually, the river.
Inside, the spa boasts a sauna, bath and steam room, as well as a sunken pool that looks out onto the walled garden. You can also indulge in elegant dining, including afternoon tea.
The manor is close to the city of York as well as several regional attractions — York’s cathedral and Roman walls, the JORVIK Viking Centre, museums and other stately manors and formal gardens.
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