
It may be a city, and with all that entails - crowded streets, busy restaurants, lots of noise - but York still offers the quiet, calm retreat of a country house hotel, if you know where to look. They may not always be bang in the centre - though one certainly is - but nowhere in York is very far from anywhere else. York's country house style hotels all have the charm of historic buildings, many with gardens; some with spas, too. Food is a highlight and all offer a peaceful retreat after a day's sight-seeing. Indeed, in some cases, you may not feel like stirring from the comfort of the lounge and afternoon tea.
For the city centre
Olivia Brabbs Photography
- It's hard to believe Gray’s Court is right in the centre of York, in the shadow of the Minster. The magnificent building, dating from the 11th century, wraps you in peace and comfort, with gracious bedrooms, a magnificent first floor hall, elegant fine-dining restaurant and huge gardens. There’s even private parking, and most visitors don’t even know it’s there.
Just outside town

- For a country house hotel near York – indeed, only 10 minutes from the centre - Middlethorpe Hall sits wrapped in gardens and parkland and is a stage-set perfect William and Mary house. Sitting rooms are scattered with deep armchairs and warmed with fires; bedrooms are dotted with antiques, and there’s a choice of dining rooms serving beautifully presented food. There’s a spa, too.