Beyond the walled gardens, our grounds are expansive and home to many ancient trees.
In Winter, guests can borrow rain jackets and hunter boots for long walks across the estate and surrounding countryside.
In Summer, guests can order a picnic basket for an afternoon of wild swimming and sunbathing next to the lake. The wildflower meadow attracts many species of butterflies, bees and hover flies. There are wonderful views back to the house from the mown pathways.
Hotel Palette will throw a summer festival with an all-female line-up, lakeside suppers, lanterns drifting across the water and festoon lights looped between the trees.
Each of our six bedrooms is a hushed and deeply comfortable retreat designed to maximise the original features and spirit of the manor house and its far-reaching garden views.
Interior design choices intentionally champion female-led design and family-run businesses. Our soft, French linen bedding is handmade and embroidered by a small team in North West England. Pillowcases are available to purchase in the souvenir shop.
Traditional rush mat flooring is made from bulrushes grown and harvested in England. The fresh water rushes are plaited with lavender and herbs for a beautifully gentle scent.
Minibar cabinets are hand-built in Yorkshire and topped with a romantic arrangement of garden flowers, while deep, sink-into armchairs. Other furniture has been sourced from local antique dealers to add story and soul to the bedrooms.
In the bathroom, big freestanding baths sit in front of sash windows and terracotta tile floors are warm underfoot. Full-sized bath products are made with garden botanicals and chunks of handmade soap sit on wide marble vanity sinks.
Rose Bar is an atmospheric refuge for local regulars and resident guests. Set in a spectacular Victorian glass house, it’s an inviting and relaxed place where guests while away hours in comfortable seats and candlelit tables spill over into the fragrant rose garden.
We like to keep things simple, unfussy and delicious. A small, all-day menu is perfect for lunch, afternoon snacks or evening nibbles to accompany your drinks. The cocktail menu is short but thoughtful and on regular rotation to make the best of seasonal garden ingredients, and house wines are selected from the very best British vineyards. Our etched crystal glassware, linen napkins and bone china plates feature motifs lifted from historical ephemera. Our tableware is available to purchase in the souvenir shop.
The Rose Garden features over 600 rose bushes. The planting design makes the most of repeat flowering species and gives a romantic display of pastel yellow, warm coral and blush pink flowers through the season. Climbing varieties grow up the stone walls that encircle Rose Bar; take a seat and enjoy the fragrance of lemony nasturtium, violet, clove and musk that drifts across the terrace. To enhance the fragrance and ensure a pretty year-round display, bushes are underplanted with succession bulbs and lavender.
The reception desk, with its big old keys and leather tassels on valet hooks, stack of garden maps and coffee machine, is an happy place to gather, stop for a complimentary drink and a chat. Our knowledgeable concierge is always on hand to recommend things to do, or answer questions on the storied history of the house and garden. The souvenir shop stocks our tableware, bed linen, fine art prints, books and key rings, so guests can take a little piece of the Hotel Palette home.
The adjacent lounge has wide sofas for convivial conversation and squashy armchairs for more private moments. Coffee table books on art and gardening are piled on side tables, while shelves are filled with paperbacks for guests to borrow. Soft, barely audible classical music provides a gentle soundtrack along with the crackling fire on cooler days, and birdsong through the open doors in Summer.
As custodians of an historic building, we endeavoured to honour the architecture, layout and spirit of as much of the original structure as possible. This has resulted in lots of cosy reading nooks, winding hallways, timeworn flagstone floors and wide floorboards topped with rush mats and antique rugs.
There are no stuffy dress codes, here, and everyone is welcome in whatever they feel most comfortable. Staff wear genderless uniforms suitable for hours spent dashing around the hotel and garden: soft cotton Breton tops, black jeans and black converse.
The Kitchen Garden is an abundant source of produce all year round. Vegetable beds feature productive growing combinations of sweet peas and gourds; leeks and carrots.
Fruit trees grow up the sheltered stone walls in front of herbs and cutting beds, which provide flowers for the house.
The chickens have a happy home, here, and their eggs are used to create wonderfully rich cakes for afternoon tea and are also served at breakfast.
Chat to our friendly head gardener about the planting schedule and look out for his cat Stevie. He likes to slope around the kitchen garden, which is sunny all day.
The saltwater swimming pool is enclosed by tall brick walls covered in climbing jasmine. Old fashioned sun loungers, striped towels and tasseled parasols sit around the edge of the black-lined pool for long, lazy days in the sun.
Guests can float between the pool and adjacent spa with its changing rooms, natural treatments, tailored skincare consultations, freshly pressed juices and personal training sessions.
In Summer, a pop-up margarita bar next to the pool serves freshly shaken cocktails for swimmers and sunbathers.