Historic Crathorne Hall Hotel in Yarm, North Yorkshire, will unveil a grand £4m restoration as it relaunches today (1 October) – one year on from the fire that badly damaged the east wing.
After a year of intensive rebuilding and refurbishment, Julia Hands, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hand Picked Hotels, owners of Crathorne Hall Hotel, and Lord Crathorne, whose family owned the Edwardian country house for more than 70 years, will be joining Peter Llewellyn, General Manager, and the team to celebrate the restoration.
Julia Hands, a former lawyer who runs the award-winning Hand Picked Hotels collection, with 21 hotels across the UK and the Channel Islands, said: “The restoration of Crathorne Hall is magnificent and is the result of an excellent team effort by everyone involved at the hotel. We remain indebted to the fire services for saving an important part of the history and landscape of this part of North Yorkshire and are very proud that the hotel takes its place once more as a wonderful place to meet and to stay.”
In consultation with English Heritage and Hambleton District Council’s planning and conservation officer, a team of specialist craftsmen worked on refurbishing and restoring grand architectural features, discovering gems such as a splendid archway uncovered in the County Suite corridor in the east wing. This has been restored and the detail repeated to create a grand colonnade. Specialist structural techniques were employed to extend doorways and openings to create more space. In the former nursery, an old stove was discovered which nannies would have used to heat the iron for pressing clothes. This has also been preserved and incorporated as a feature.
The York and Ormesby bedroom wings have been rebuilt, using traditional lath and plaster to restore the ceilings. Fireplaces were uncovered and restored within some of the bedrooms.
As part of the exterior restoration, slate was hand cut to match the existing roof and installed by tilers, one section at a time to ensure the coursing was aligned. IT connectivity has also been improved as part of the refurbishment work.
Guests will now be able to enjoy the newly restored facilities and stylish interior design, with a palette of earthy colours reflecting the hotel’s rural setting in 15 acres of private grounds on the edge of the North Yorkshire moors. The hotel’s 37 bedrooms are now all available, book lunch or dinner in the fine dining Leven restaurant, and enjoy drinks or afternoon tea in the Nancy Tennant bar. Function rooms include the newly refurbished County Suite, with room for 60 people, the Drawing Room, with capacity for 100 people, the Edwardian Room, with room for 90 people, and the Presidents’ Lounge, suitable for boardroom or dining events for up to 28 delegates. Bookings are now being taken for weddings, Christmas, special occasions, business conferences and leisure stays.
Peter Llewellyn, General Manager, Crathorne Hall Hotel, said: “Crathorne Hall has a special place in the hearts of people in the local area and they have been tremendously supportive over the past year. We look forward to welcoming them all to the hotel once more.”
Crathorne Hall, which has four AA Red Stars, has a rich history and was the largest country house built during the reign of Edward VII for the Dugdale family. Distinguished visitors to Crathorne Hall have included The Queen Mother, The Prince of Wales and Prime Ministers Sir Anthony Eden, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and Harold Macmillan.
To make a booking or for more information, call Crathorne Hall Hotel on 01642 700398 central reservations on 0845 458 0901. www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/crathornehall
Four Communications - for Hand Picked Hotels
Marion Hardman
Tel: 020 3697 4358 or 07961 578 401
About Hand Picked Hotels
Hand Picked Hotels, created by former lawyer turned hotelier Julia Hands, is the leading collection of architecturally splendid country house hotels - built for pleasure and continuing a centuries-old tradition of offering guests an indulgent yet attainable country house visit, with a contemporary twist. The award-winning hotels are renowned for exquisite food, fine wines and bespoke service by Hand Picked people in stylish, relaxing surroundings, a total of 18 classically British hotels in rural settings across the British Isles and 3 island retreats, with locations ranging from the New Forest and Jersey to the Cotswolds and Edinburgh. Hand Picked Hotels has won an impressive number of awards, with 19 hotels awarded two AA rosette status, with Norton House Hotel holding three rosettes. Ten hotels have achieved red star status which means they are ranked within the AA's Top 200 hotels in the UK & Ireland. There are ten hotels with spas offering the latest therapies and treatments to promote wellbeing and relaxation. Hand Picked Hotels was AA Hotel Group of the Year 2012-2013.
