Overview: Stank Home Farm, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire Dales, UK

Stank Home Farm is one in every of three luxurious vacation properties that make up Yorkshire Boltholes, a distinguished assortment of luxurious vacation cottages inside the breathtaking Bolton Abbey Property on the southern fringe of the Yorkshire Dales Nationwide Park. Relationship again to 1744, this conventional stone farmhouse was meticulously renovated to the best requirements in 2015, and at present seamlessly blends its wealthy heritage with a wide range of cosy luxuries.

Yorkshire Boltholes is a part of the Devonshire Lodges & Eating places Group Ltd. (owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire) which additionally encompasses the previously-reviewed Cavendish Resort at Baslow within the Peak District.

The welcome

Our arrival on the property was very straight ahead. Upon affirmation of our reserving, we have been supplied with Google instructions and a what3words location. The farmhouse lies simply off the B6160 on what was as soon as the principle highway to Barden and the moor – standard for grouse capturing. All we needed to do was navigate previous a number of sheep and a few cattle grids, and decide up the keys from a safe lockbox to achieve entry. Self check-in is from 4pm on the day of arrival and check-out is by 10am on the day of your departure, as is customary for self-catering lodging within the UK.

The property

Entering into the property, we have been greeted by a big entrance corridor with a conventional flagstone ground, setting the tone for the complete dwelling, and an excellent area for coats and boots after a day of strolling. The spectacular eating room got here subsequent – an ideal setting for household gatherings with seating for as much as 8 folks round a big farmhouse eating desk, while a grand hearth with a wood-burning range, uncovered wood beams, a powerful antler-clad mild becoming and interval furnishings full the décor. What’s very nice is that The Duke and the Duchess of Devonshire have a primary hand curiosity within the planning and ornament of their boltholes, utilizing a mix of vintage and classical furnishings, delicate furnishings and fascinating paintings to create home-from-home abodes with a conventional nation way of life really feel.

Past the eating room is a well-equipped kitchen, boasting granite work floor and all of the facilities you’d must whip up something from a light-weight breakfast to a luxurious household banquet. There’s a powerful Rangemaster Skilled+ induction hob and oven, to not point out a dishwaster, microwave, fridge, separate freezer, espresso machine, toaster, kettle and all of the utensils you’d want (to not point out a quantity you in all probability received’t!).

The elegant and spacious lounge on the bottom ground – the place there’s a TV, a second wood-burning range, a plentiful provide of firewood and a number of board video games – is a sociable place to calm down with pals or household. Footage on the partitions depict native, historic scenes while the south-facing home windows imply you’ll be able to marvel at current day views throughout the valley.

French doorways open out onto a terrace and gardens that wrap round the home, inviting friends to immerse themselves within the surrounding pure magnificence. There’s an outside barbecue however the spotlight for us was the new tub the place you’ll be able to take pleasure in a calming soak with unspoiled views.

Lastly, on the bottom ground is an en suite bed room with an exquisite wood cover mattress, a chaise longue and a writing desk, and the identical panoramic views in the direction of Bolton Abbey. The accompanying toilet comes full with an opulent bathe over a roll-top tub.

Two additional tastefully furnished en suite bedrooms are to be discovered upstairs, which means the property can accommodate as much as 6 friends. The main bedroom boasts a surprising four-poster mattress

The third and last bed room has twin beds in addition to its personal en suite.

We discovered that the property had dependable WiFi all through, in addition to there being a great cell sign (a minimum of on the O2 community). Stank Home Farm can also be canine pleasant and supplied an inviting environment for our Springer spaniel, George. Accountable canine house owners are welcome to benefit from the many walks from the property, as long as they’re conscious of livestock and wildlife.

The amenities

Friends of Stank Home Farm may make use of the spa amenities at The Devonshire Arms, positioned in an historic barn only a mile down the highway., by reserving a timed slot prematurely. Outfitted with a state–of-the-art vitality pool, sauna, steam room, rasul chamber and lounge, it’s the proper place to unwind or to easily escape a moist day within the Yorkshire Dales.

A ‘section two’ of the spa is deliberate which is able to see extra eco-conscious and nature-focused experiences, comparable to wild bathing, designed to reinforce the wellbeing advantages of friends.

Close by The Brasserie & Bar, additionally a part of The Devonshire Arms Resort & Spa, holds an AA Rosette and is a vibrant but relaxed location to dine.

To begin, I had the delectable wild mushrooms served on crispy bruschetta and adorned with a delightfully creamy burrata, earlier than being drizzled with a cavolo nero (black kale) pesto dressing.

My son loved a prawn cocktail with a distinction, consisting of king prawns and crab, smashed avocado and chilli flakes.

For my essential, I loved an fragrant and flavourful lamb tagine with a deliciously wealthy mix of cinnamon, dates, and honey, served alongside pomegranate pearl couscous.

In the meantime, my spouse liked her corn-fed rooster paired with crispy truffled gnocchi, garlic-infused spinach and king oyster mushrooms.

Regardless of the standard of meals on provide, the brasserie is a really relaxed and casual place to dine, the place canine are additionally welcome.

For a extra formal, 2 AA Rosette high quality eating expertise, there may be additionally The Burlington restaurant.

The placement

Set inside the 30,000-acre Bolton Abbey Property, Stank Home Farm is only a mile from Bolton Priory, a Twelfth-century Augustinian monastery steeped in historical past, that lies at its coronary heart, near the meandering River Wharfe and its slender, highly effective phase referred to as the Strid. This picturesque Yorkshire Dales property is linked by the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway and consists of numerous landscapes, from historic woodlands and rolling meadows to heather-clad moors, a lot of which is accessible by miles of all-weather strolling routes.

Set inside the 30,000-acre Bolton Abbey Property, Stank Home Farm is only a mile from Bolton Priory, a Twelfth-century Augustinian monastery steeped in historical past, that lies at its coronary heart, near the meandering River Wharfe and its slender, highly effective phase referred to as the Strid. This picturesque Yorkshire Dales property is linked by the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway and consists of numerous landscapes, from historic woodlands and rolling meadows to heather-clad moors, a lot of which is accessible by miles of all-weather strolling routes.

To make clear (as a result of it took me some time to get my head round it!), the time period ‘Bolton Abbey’ is usually used to confer with the property, but additionally typically to the village. ‘Bolton Priory’, in the meantime, particularly refers back to the Twelfth-century Augustinian monastery – now in ruins – which adjoins ‘Bolton Priory Church’ (formally referred to as ‘The Priory Church of Bolton Abbey’), an Anglican church inside the diocese of Leeds, which is repeatedly open to guests and has providers on Wednesday and Sunday mornings.

The village of Bolton Abbey is dwelling to a number of cafés, a second-hand e-book store and a village store the place the Barlick Yarn Fairies repeatedly work their magic upon a purple postbox.

The market cities of Skipton and Ilkley are inside straightforward driving distance – we visited the previous to participate of their weekly parkrun – while the likes of Harrogate, Bradford, Leeds and York are just a little additional afield.

Different good touches

A number of very considerate extras have been left for us within the kitchen, together with a bottle of the Chatsworth’s Earl of Burlington rouge 2021, completely complemented with a number of Yorkshire crisps, in addition to a loaf of bread and jars of Chatsworth jam and marmalade, to not point out some scrumptious cookies. Tea, espresso and milk have been additionally provided.

The fee

3-night breaks out of season sometimes begin from round £1,400 while a full week in peak season is roughly £4,000.

The very best bit

Whereas the new tub provides a pleasant contact, what I’d say really units Stank Home Farm aside is the fragile stability of historic appeal and stylish interiors, with all of the up-to-date facilities that you just would possibly count on from a luxurious property. Efficiently offering fashionable conveniences while additionally retaining the distinctive character and historical past of an outdated farmhouse isn’t any imply feat. A Netflix-enabled flat display TV sitting on high of an outdated Singer stitching machine desk within the lounge is a traditional instance of this seamless integration of up to date amenities and vintage attraction.

The ultimate verdict

Stank Home Farm stands as a high quality instance of luxurious self-catering lodging within the UK, setting the bar excessive and serving as a beacon for others to emulate. What units this bolthole aside although – moreover the standard of the lodging – is that, while it’s self-catering, the facilities of the the Devonshire Arms Resort are lower than a mile away, be it for the usage of the spa or eating on the brasserie. The upshot of that is that friends can take pleasure in the very best of each worlds – all of the privateness and independence that comes with a luxurious rental property, but additionally all of the amenities which might be sometimes related to a luxurious lodge.

Dislcosure: Our keep was sponsored by Yorkshire Boltholes of the Devonshire Lodges & Eating places Group Ltd.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxurious Journey Weblog and has labored within the journey trade for greater than 30 years. He’s Winner of the Improvements in Journey ‘Finest Journey Influencer’ Award from WIRED journal. Along with different awards, the weblog has additionally been voted “one of many world’s finest journey blogs” and “finest for luxurious” by The Each day Telegraph.