Yorebridge House

About Yorebridge House

Yorebridge House stands on the edge of Bainbridge in Upper Wensleydale, in what was once the village school and the headmaster's house. It has been run as a small luxury hotel for well over a decade and sits in five acres of private grounds with the River Ure running along the boundary. The scale is deliberately intimate, with a handful of rooms rather than a corridor of them, and service is personal rather than formal.

Each bedroom is styled differently, most of them named after places connected to the old school's history, and several have private outdoor hot tubs on terraces or balconies looking towards the fells. Rooms are generously sized with roll-top or freestanding baths, seating areas and good beds; the ones in the main house keep their original proportions and tall windows. There is also a riverside spa retreat, the Ure River Retreat, used on a private-hire basis rather than as a shared facility.

The restaurant is the other half of the operation and holds three AA rosettes alongside a Michelin guide listing. Menus are tasting-led and change with the seasons, leaning heavily on Yorkshire producers, and breakfast is cooked to order rather than laid out as a buffet. Dinner is generally expected to be taken in-house, which suits the location — there is not a great deal else within walking distance after dark.

It suits couples and small groups celebrating something, and anyone who wants Wensleydale's walking and waterfalls without giving up on comfort. Aysgarth Falls, Hardraw Force and Hawes with its creamery are all a short drive away, and the Buttertubs Pass over to Swaledale starts nearby. Weddings and private events are held here too, so it is worth checking availability well ahead for weekends.