Out there among the 15 acres of beautiful woodland, lawn, courtyards and mature gardens, the tranquility is completed by the murmurings of the curlew, the black grouse and the golden plover. Keep an eye out for red squirrels and badgers, and otters in the river. And watch out for the flock of macaws that patronise nearby Kirkby Stephen.
After a day on the fells, come home to croquet on the lawn and the boiling balm of hot-tub bubbles on your aching limbs. Spread out on the outdoor terrace, fire up the charcoal barbecue and the pizza oven, relax and recharge in a rural idyll far removed from the stress and strain of modern living.
Spaces here are big, with velvet sofas, high windows, statement curtains, period detail and roaring fires. Drop your muddy shoes in the boot room, come together in the drawing room, slip apart in the snug. Chill in the conservatory; warm yourself by the woodburner in the morning room.
But don’t forget the fun. Pour yourself a Prosecco or a warming whisky and whittle away a few hours on the games room’s full-size snooker and billiards table. Catch your favourite Netflix shows on the two big drawing-room TVs or the smaller one in the snug. Keep Instagram intrigued over the superfast B4RN Wi-Fi.
You’re on holiday, right? So if you want to book Kevin Hillyer from Lakeland Grazing or Maria and Hilary from Fells and Dales Catering for a one-off celebration or fully catered break, we get it. Alternatively, you’ve two kitchens, two ovens, a larder fridge and a freezer if you want to show off your skills. Oh, and a wine fridge. Of course.
Shop at Spar or the Co-op in Kirkby Stephen, Bryson’s deli of Keswick in Kirkby Stephen, or Berry, Grape and Grain. Get the whole gang around the monster dining-room table or spread out on the giant terrace and eat al-fresco from the charcoal barbecue or pizza oven. Takeaways? It has to be Santorini for kebabs and Archways for fish and chips.
Grab great pub grub just minutes from the door at The King’s Head, a mecca for pies and lovers of dreamy riverside settings. Try The Black Swan, an award-winning gastropub with outstanding food just a five-minute walk away. Or how about The Fat Lamb for homemade pies, lamb shank and E-type Jag spotting?
Head out to The Black Bull at Nateby, a comfortable country restaurant serving chicken stuffed with black pudding and spicy-beef chilli con carne. Enjoy fine Indian dining using fresh ingredients at The Mango Tree in Kirkby Stephen. Or maybe goat’s cheese and beetroot followed by bacon chop with black pudding and haggis at The Bay Horse?
In the epicentre of three glorious national parks and wrapped in your own 15 acres of gardens and woodland, you’ll feel pleasantly anaesthetised here among the lapwings and curlews. The Dales House sleeps up to 26 in 11 bedrooms, with just the nine bathrooms.
Bag the Langdale to enjoy nights in a four-poster kingsize with en-suite or the Smardale for another kingsize en-suite. You’ve another four-poster in Bowderdale, plus a freestanding bath and private toilet, while family-friendly Garsdale comes with two double beds and a shared bathroom.
Dentdale sleeps two in a kingsize with a shared bathroom and Birkdale has two single beds and a shared bathroom. Swaledale is a kingsize en-suite and Wensleydale offers two singles and a shared bathroom. Deepdale provides a kingsize and a bunk, Weasdale is a double en-suite and Mardale has a kingsize with en-suite.
