The perfect Yorkshire getaway

Last week, we were visiting our friends 'up North' and decided to extend our stay as we had a week off from work and it also happened to be our fourth wedding anniversary, so we wanted to make the most of our time together.

We had received an invite to visit a rather lovely country house hotel just outside Scarborough called Ox Pasture Hall, and when we had a look at the website, we couldn't say yes quick enough. We had been looking forward to our week off together for ages and wanted to do something special so staying at a luxury hotel was something we simply couldn't miss out on.

Ste, Ethan and I decided to visit Ox Pasture Hall Hotel at the end of our trip away and were grateful to have a day or two to rest and unwind in its beautiful settings.

We arrived on the Tuesday afternoon and were warmly welcomed by Lynsey, who confirmed the details of our stay, and Jason, who kindly helped us with the dozens of bags we had brought with us (I can never pack that light!). We were told that a wedding was currently taking place but that we should still feel free to enjoy the grounds, and it soon became clear that this hotel was a stunning setting for a wedding. Charming, well-maintained and with an intimate feel, Ox Pasture Hall Hotel had all the characteristics that sold us on our own wedding venue.

Jason guided us through the courtyard and up to our luxury suite on the first floor - room 25, named Richmond. 

When we stepped inside, I couldn't believe how much space we had - at least twice that of your usual hotel room - and it took no time at all for Ethan to start exploring on his hands and knees. We unpacked our things, took in the view over the grounds to the rear of the hotel and even had a sneaky peak at the wedding party who were gathered in the courtyard for a spiritual ceremony.

At 3pm, we headed back down into the main hotel building to enjoy afternoon tea in the cosy drawing room, which we had to ourselves. Jason was our host and he served us with a tasty selection of sandwiches, mini cakes and handmade scones with a choice of jams. Ethan's eyes almost popped out his head and Ste and I wasted no time in enjoying these delights - we'd eaten light that morning especially!

The afternoon tea was beautifully presented, had a good range of options to suit all tastes and was just the right size for two people so you were left feeling satisfied but not uncomfortably full. The lounge we were in was really nice and I could have quite happily fallen asleep on the plump leather couch... if I hadn't of had a toddler to look after!

We decided to head back to our suite after our tea to have some down time and Ethan very much enjoyed scooting around the room, following us from the bedroom to the lounge to the bathroom and back again. The whole suite was beautifully designed, with matching solid oak furniture throughout, plush carpets, kind size bed, leather sofa, two TV's, a luxurious bathroom complete with bath and waterfall style open shower and fluffy robes hanging in the wardrobe for us to use. There was plenty of space for all three of us to relax and we spent the next couple of hours playing, catching up on some reading and just enjoying doing not very much at all.

We had a table reserved in the Courtyard Restaurant for 7pm - Ethan tends to stay up quite late and he was in a good mood, no doubt as he had the chance to try all of our food even though he'd already had his dinner! Jason was again on hand and served us some bubbly to start our celebrations. It took us some time to choose from the menu, but in the end I opted for the fishcakes followed by lamb then finished with raspberry Crème Brûlée and raspberry milkshake, whilst Ste chose ham hock, beef and his favourite sticky toffee pudding.

Every dish was beautifully presented, just the right size and utterly delicious. It had been a long time since we last went out for a meal together, and even longer since we'd eaten such fantastic food. Just look at our photos - don't they just make your mouth water?!

We had a really pleasant meal but soon it was time for Ethan to go to bed. He'd done very well at the table and made friends with the couple sat next to us, but it was getting late and he needed a well-earned sleep - as did we!

We stopped by the bar to pick up some milk to take back to our room for Ethan, said goodnight to Lynsey and Jason, who were both still working, and retired to our suite for a quiet drink and a snuggle on the sofa.

The next morning, we all woke refreshed after a good night's sleep (although the water fountain outside our bedroom window kept hubs awake to begin with!) and we headed down to breakfast. We quickly took up the offer of a full cooked Yorkshire breakfast and hubs and Ethan tucked into the pastries and yoghurt also available. 

When our cooked breakfast arrived, we were unsurprised to see it had been thoughtfully presented and looked completely delicious, just what we wanted! It was honestly the leanest cooked breakfast - sausage, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and black pudding - and the tastiest bacon I've had in a long time, without any grease on the plate whatsoever. 

To walk off the sizeable start to our day, we decided to explore the grounds. Ox Pasture Hall Hotel boasts 17 acres of gardens and grounds set in the North York Moors National Park and on a quiet Wednesday morning (the wedding party were clearly still in bed!), we had a lovely time taking in the surroundings. 

The scenery was beautiful and there were plenty of benches, seating areas and viewpoints perfect for wedding photos or just to enjoy as a guest.

As Ox Pasture Hall Hotel is around three and a half hours drive from where we live in Birmingham, we decided to stop off in Scarborough before heading home. We'd read a few Yorkshire guides in our hotel suite so were keen to see the town, so handed in our keys to Lynsey before bidding the hotel and the extremely personable staff a fond farewell.

As we were walking back down the path to our car, we got chatting to an older couple who it turned out were regulars at the hotel. Even though they lived in Surrey, this was there fourth visit to Ox Pasture Hall and they and their dog Millie were enjoying a peaceful break. The hotel is pet friendly and very much so from what we saw. Several couples were staying at the same time as us with their dogs and they were allowed in the bistro/bar area too which was nice to see. The couple said to us they kept coming back because they loved the hotel and its location and the staff were always so friendly. It was lovely to hear and resonated with our experience.

We had a wonderful stay at Ox Pasture Hall Hotel and couldn't recommend it enough if you're looking for somewhere special to stay. The setting is stunning, the food is of a very high standard (and underpriced if we're honest based on everything we tried - but shh, don't tell the hotel that!) and the bedrooms are very comfortable.

Whether you're a couple or a family, with or without a much-loved pet, or if you're looking to say your 'I do's' somewhere with character, this is the place for you.

I have so many photos from our stay, including ones of us as a family and more of the hotel facilities and grounds, so I will be sharing a few more in another post tomorrow. Don't miss it!