I was delighted to be invited as a guest of the Ox Pasture Hall Country House Hotel in Yorkshire. I was offered a choice of dates for my visit and I opted to go over my birthday weekend.
The hotel is set in seventeen acres of enchanting gardens and grounds in the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors National Park, just a few minutes from the seaside resort of Scarborough, which makes it the ideal base from which to explore the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside.
The satnav took us to the edge of a field that was a grazing ground for horses. We pulled up at the side of the road and called the hotel to ask for directions. Turns out we were about 500 yards from the entrance!
I was struck by the tranquil surroundings even as we pulled up in the car park of the Ox Pasture House Hotel. We were greeted on arrival at reception by Lynsey, the manager. She was very friendly and welcoming and the check-in proceeded smoothly. Lynsey even helped carry our luggage to our room.
We were housed in one of the luxury suites at the far end of the hotel. The suite was gorgeous and I was taken in by it the moment I stepped across the threshold. So much that M had to remind me to take a few pictures for this blog post before I got very comfortable and spread my belongings all over the suite.
Now the Ox Pasture Hall Hotel advertises itself as the place for a luxury romantic getaway. We had toyed with the idea of getting childcare for our three year old little boy and making this an adult weekend. But J was having none of it. So I contacted the hotel, and they reassured me that it was perfectly okay to bring our pre-schooler along. They would organise everything for him.
True to their word, the sofa in our suite was made up into a pull-out bed, which could easily have housed an adult, leave alone a small child. J was delighted. Not only did he have his own separate big bed, he had a separate television set to go along with it! Not a luxury he is allowed at home.
Our bedroom looked utterly beautiful, with chandelier lights, a comfy king-sized bed and a warm, fluffy duvet. The window looked over lush green fields and grazing sheep. It was such a welcome change from the noise of the city.
It is the little things that really did it for me. Like bottles of still and sparkling water along with the usual tray of hot drinks. And the music system. It is not often you get one of those in your hotel room. I was especially impressed by the complimentary bath products and the little ceramic soap dishes that housed them.
So once I had clicked a few photos, we unpacked, had a cup of tea and set about exploring our surroundings. We stepped out into a little courtyard that lies in the centre of the luxury suites and leads to a feature garden. J loved running around the water fountains, trying to look for fish.
We walked through the main area of the hotel that opens on to the bar and bistro on one side and the courtyard restaurant on the other. There are also a couple of cosy lounges where you can enjoy your drinks or just warm up beside the fire.
Once outside, J set about running up a little hill to look at the horses, and then running back down again and walking along to the bordering fields to stare at the sheep. After doing this a good few times, he was tired enough to want to go back indoors to catch up on some CBeebies.
So we left him with Tree Fu Tom, while M and I got dressed for the evening. I say dressed, as, though the courtyard restaurant does not specify a dress code, what with it being my birthday weekend, I wanted to have one for our evening meal.
We decided on our starters and mains over a glass of bubbly, before being led to our table. J had his own menu to select from. The food more than lived up to its two rosette status. It was scrumptious from start to finish. From the duck pate entree, to the chicken roulade starter, to the main of cod to the sticky-toffee pudding to end, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. As did M and J. M had a mushroom risotto starter followed by lamb for his main, while J settled for a cucumber salad to start followed by chicken and chips.
The theme of excellent meals continued at breakfast the next morning. The cooked Yorkshire breakfast of sausages, bacon, eggs and black pudding was the perfect start to the day. We supplemented it with juice, toast and a pot of hot tea, though we could also have had a choice of fruit-flavoured teas, breakfast cereals and croissants.
After check-out, we decided to explore our surroundings some more. We discovered the gardens at the back which were decked out with a little pond, a reindeer sculpture and seating areas. Young roses climbers arched up the wooden arches, and I could only imagine how beautiful everything would look once the roses were in bloom. Perhaps making it the perfect setting for an outdoor wedding.
We drove the fifteen minutes into Scarborough to have a walk along the beach, only to return back to the Ox Pasture Hall Hotel for a delectable afternoon tea. With a variety of cakes to choose from, we were absolutely stuffed by the time we had downed the last drop of tea.
I had a truly memorable birthday weekend, and the hotel certainly lived up to its luxury status from start to finish. So whether you are looking for a romantic getaway or just a lovely place to escape with the family for a couple of days, the Ox Pasture Hall Country House Hotel is the perfect place to stay and unwind.
Disclaimer: I was offered a complimentary stay for one night with dinner, breakfast and afternoon tea in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.