Road Trip: Artist Residence and Middleton Lodge
A couple of weekends ago, my best friends and I bundled into a car and headed out of London for a three-day road trip. Our plan was to stop off for a night at the Artist Residence in Oxfordshire before heading north to Middleton Lodge Estate in Yorkshire for the weekend. Both are properties that I have visited before and have loved staying at, so I was very excited to be heading back with my best friends - in both hotels, we stayed in bedrooms that accommodate larger groups of people, which was perfect for our party of four. Read on for more details…
Artist Residence Oxfordshire is unlike the rest of the boutique hotel brand’s properties in that it’s the only location that isn’t a renovated townhouse or situated in a bustling town or city. A mere five minute drive from the beautiful Cotswolds, the hotel is more akin to a relaxed pub with bedrooms: beautifully and thoughtfully designed bedrooms, that is. In signature Artist Residence style, you can expect up-cycled furniture, pops of colour, and minibars stocked full of artisan treats in all of the individually designed rooms. The same design can be found in the Mason Arms, the hotel’s cosy restaurant-come-pub-come-lounge, where you’ll find locals cosying up by the fire and tucking into Sunday roasts under bold neon signage - and is where we tucked into avocado toast and coffee on the morning of our departure. Meanwhile, the larger suites are located in separate outbuildings from the main house; having stayed in a couple of these before, I can attest that each of them boasts high ceilings, four-poster beds, deep freestanding bathtubs and, of course, eclectic artworks everywhere you turn.
We were staying in the hotel’s brand new Hideaway, which can sleep up to four in one of the outbuildings: with two bedrooms (one of which has bunk beds), a shared bathroom and living room, it’s a cosy space that could sleep a couple with young kids, or four adults (if you don’t mind a bit of a squeeze!). While not as spacious as the hotel’s suites, the living room area allowed us to gather together as a group and have a private space to watch movies and relax in the evening, which was exactly what we wanted on our girls’ trip. Similar to the hotel’s other bedrooms, the Hideaway features bright and bold artwork, a burnished copper bathtub and Bramley toiletries in the bathroom (which also had a luxurious walk-in-shower), a huge and squishy sofa to sprawl on by the wood burning stove, and homemade chocolate chip cookies waiting for us on arrival.
We didn’t actually eat here on the evening that we were staying, but drove to nearby Soho Farmhouse for a relaxed dinner; the hotel is perfectly located within easy driving distance to some of the area’s best restaurants and villages, so you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to eating and exploring.
The morning after we checked out of the Artist Residence, we drove straight up to Middleton Lodge Estate in north Yorkshire. This beautiful family-run hotel is one of the properties that features in my book, and I was so excited to be heading back with my group of friends to stay in the hotel’s Farmhouse, a private accommodation for larger parties situated on the hotel estate.
The hotel encompasses 200 acres, including a historic manor house (used for weddings and private events), a pretty walled garden, and various other converted outhouses and buildings throughout which bedrooms are scattered, such as the Coach House and Dairy. The Farmhouse is located by the Dairy, where you’ll find a collection of bedrooms that have each been artfully designed: expect cosy interiors in tasteful and neutral colour palettes, and outdoor hot tubs. The Farmhouse itself features a large open-plan kitchen and living room area (perfect for us to kick back and play card games in the evening), and six individually designed en-suite bedrooms (one of which occupies an entire floor of the house and can sleep up to four!). There was more than enough room for us each to take a room for ourselves - all of which boasted their own bathtubs, king-size beds, and minibar stocked with homemade shortbread.
We spent our mornings here cycling around the estate and exploring the beautiful walled gardens (home to shepherd’s hut bedrooms that are opening in the summer!) before heading out for longer hikes across the Yorkshire Dales national park, which is only a short drive away. The food was definitely a highlight of the hotel as well: the menu at the Coach House restaurant is dictated by what’s in season and growing in the kitchen gardens, and you can expect daily changing dishes. There are more than enough options to satisfy meat lovers and veggies alike, with lots of hearty yet inventive flavour combinations, that each come beautifully presented: our favourites included the delicious broccoli tempura soup, the garlic butter chicken Kiev, and the sticky treacle tart. The hotel’s second restaurant, The Forge, hosts seasonal suppers throughout the year, while the hotel’s outdoor pool and a fully fledged spa will open in late spring, so I’ll definitely be revisiting as soon as I can. If you want more details, you can always get your hands on a copy of my book British Boutique Hotels for a full write up (as well as lots of other hotel recommendations!), but in case you needed any more convincing, this is firmly my favourite hotel located in the north of England.
These were both press stays, but all opinions are my own. I do not accept and write about press stays unless I enjoy them.
