Bolton Abbey, Wharfedale · Hotel
Country-house hotel on the Duke of Devonshire's Bolton Abbey estate, with a fine-dining restaurant, a brasserie and a spa in a converted barn.
The Devonshire Arms sits at the entrance to the Bolton Abbey estate in lower Wharfedale, about six miles from Skipton and a short walk from the priory ruins and the River Wharfe. The building began as a coaching inn and has been extended over the years, but the setting does most of the work: parkland, river paths and the Strid woods on the doorstep, with the moors rising behind.
Rooms divide between the older part of the house, where they are larger and more traditionally furnished with antiques and estate paintings, and the newer wing, which is lighter and more contemporary. Several have four-posters and roll-top baths. Standards vary in size more than in comfort, and it is worth asking for a room facing the parkland rather than the car park.
Eating is a large part of the appeal. The Burlington restaurant is the formal room, with a long-standing reputation and a serious wine cellar; the Devonshire Brasserie is the casual alternative, brighter and cheaper, and open to non-residents. Afternoon tea is a fixture. The Devonshire Spa occupies a converted barn a short walk from the main building and has a pool, steam room, sauna and treatment rooms.
It suits couples wanting a comfortable, well-run base with good food and no need to drive to dinner, and it works well for a special occasion. Walkers get direct access to the estate's waymarked riverside and moorland routes. Families are accommodated but this is not a place built around children. Expect country-house prices and a dress code of sorts in the Burlington. Parking is free and plentiful.