The largest county in England and one of the most rural and unspoilt, Yorkshire has two national parks within its borders, the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the west and the North York Moors National Park in the East, both areas of outstanding natural beauty. So it’s no surprise that some of the best hotels in rural Yorkshire are also some of the best places to stay when visiting the county. The countryside surrounding our picks is never dull: the heather-smothered moors are wild and awe-inspiring, whilst the dales are gentler, their lush valleys interspersed with bare brown fells. Some of our favourite properties are in the depths of the countryside, others in hamlets or rural villages, but all provide a comfortable base for enjoying the challenging and rewarding walks, historic sights and stunning scenery which makes this such a fantastic place to visit.

For the Yorkshire Dales National Park

• If you want your bed for the night to have a bit of history then our pick of the best hotels in the Yorkshire Dales is the Angel Inn at Hetton - a former cattle drovers' inn - parts of which are over 500 years old. Comfy, oak-beamed rooms are traditionally decorated with flowery fabrics and furnished nooks. In summer, visitors can eat outside and admire Cracoe Fell.
• The Burgoyne Hotel in the village of Reeth near Richmond is a traditionally decorated country house-style hotel, with eight comfortable bedrooms and a pretty garden with fabulous views.
• The White Lion Inn is a traditional inn, recently restored, with wonderful original features like wooden beams, open log fires and flagstone floors. It has nine, beautifully dressed rooms which are cosy too, and a restaurant serving classic British fare, plus a great pub!

For the North York Moors National Park

• Broom House in the Esk Valley has views right over the moors, from its eight, light contemporary bedrooms. There are also lovely gardens and you’re close to several pretty towns with great pubs. Great value with rooms starting from less than £100 per night.

For Walkers

• Our particular favourite in this category is The Pheasant, three miles east of Helmsley is a converted blacksmith's with twelve bedrooms and a converted stone barn which houses an indoor pool. There’s also a comfortable bar with a cavernous open fire, window seats and a low beamed ceiling.
• The Lister Arms near Malham is a another good spot for walkers. Situated on the Pennine Way, it has a cosy popular bar, (which welcomes canine as well as human customers), comfortable functional bedrooms and good home cooking.
• Or you could try the Punch Bowl Inn situated halfway along Swaledale has great views, a friendly bar, good food and comfortable unfussy bedrooms. Perfect for tired, hungry, thirsty walkers.

The Best Country Inns

• The award-winning Charles Bathurst Inn is a sister, establishment to the Punch Bowl, and offers the same homely mix of good food and no-nonsense bedrooms for a good night's sleep.
• Helmsley is a charming market town on the Southern edge of the North York Moors National Park. It's the perfect base for exploring both the Moors and further afield. In Helmsely itself, the Black Swan is in a superb location in the centre of this attractive village. The bedrooms are a little beige but there are genuine creaky wooden floorboards and a really lovely outlook.

For a Special Occasion

• Also in Helmsley, the Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa is a cleverly updated thirty three bedroom hotel with the luxury of an outdoor heated pool. Sophisticated bedrooms with good bathrooms and a well-regarded restaurant make this a great place for a sybaritic weekend break.
• For luxurious pampering in the Dales head for The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel and Spa on the Duke of Devonshire's Bolton Abbey Estate. There is a Michelin-starred restaurant as well as a brasserie, and the spa facilities in the Health Barn are top class with a lovely pool and pampering treatments on offer.
• Cleveland Tontine, a 19th Century house with just seven bedrooms, each individually decorated in wonderful art-deco antiques and elaborate wallpapers. The food's pretty good too!

For Foodies

• Part of the same group as the Devonshire Arms above (which is obviously a good choice for serious foodies too), the Devonshire Fell Hotel is a pub with rooms in the pretty village of Burnsall. The decor is bright, bold and contemporary, the bedrooms are generously proportioned and ideal for families and the atmosphere is laid back and friendly. Guests at the Fell have full access to the spa facilities at the Devonshire Arms.
• The White Swan Inn, Pickering, has a cosy bar and restaurant which serves excellent hearty local food and good wine. Its stone fireplace sand welcoming deep rose coloured armchairs mean you won't want to go to bed. But when you do the immaculate bedrooms are decorated in soothing tones with plenty of storage and sitting space.

For Families

• You could splurge at the Swinton Park Hotel, an impressive castle hotel set in a 200 acre park full of family entertainments.

For a country escape

• To the north west of the North York National Park, Judges Country House Hotel is a stately old Victorian house with 21 grand rooms, near Yarm. Some rooms have four-poster beds and there’s a wonderfully romantic garden with woodland paths leading to a stream.
• As does the Sportsman's Arms, an old fashioned county hotel in the outstandingly beautiful Nidd valley.

For Great Value

• The Boar's Head Hotel is an elegant old coaching inn near Harrogate, packed with antiques and art and a good restaurant. Rooms start from around £100 per night.
• The Traddock is a welcoming Georgian country house hotel on the edge of the National Park, with lovely views and a good restaurant serving local food. The 12 bedrooms are decorated individually with a mixture of modern and antique furniture and start from just £95 per night.
• Crathorne Hall Hotel in nearby Yarm is a great value choice for anyone who loves a beautiful old country house hotel. Set within its own 15 acres, it’s also close to Durham Cathedral.

If you haven’t found your idea of the best hotels in rural Yorkshire on our Guru’s list then you could:

• Expand your search to include all the best places to stay in Yorkshire,
• refine your search to the best hotels in the Yorkshire Dales National Park,
• or the best hotels near the North York Moors National Park,
• or contact one of our friendly Gurus for advice?

The Best Hotels in Rural Yorkshire:

 

Written by Fiona Duncan

posted Wednesday, 15th November 2023