Ox Pasture Hall: Yorkshire Hotel Review

OX PASTURE HALL HOTEL

Right at the end of September, the husband and I were afforded that rare luxury of two whole nights away on our own, so with three boys happily installed at their grandparents, we left the unseasonably beautiful Somerset weather to see what we might discover in ‘the great industrial  North’.

Our telephone SatNav seemed to be mainly on our side and apart from a momentary lapse just outside Scarborough General Hospital

“You have arrived at your destination”,

“Uh, no we haven’t!”

it guided us without further ado to our home for the night.

THE SETTING

Ox Pasture Hall Hotel is located in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

The hotel is only two miles from Scarborough and as we drove along the country road and turned into the drive, we began to appreciate the beautiful setting of our rural destination.

Parking was straightforward with a large free carpark a few yards from reception.

The main building is a converted farmhouse, which houses the reception, bar and restaurant.

THE SUITE

 

 

The room was tiled from floor to ceiling (mainly in travertine, I think). I loved the fixtures and fittings and even the husband, who’d dragged himself away from the the golf when he heard me exclaiming, commented on how stylish the taps were.

I liked the useful little touches like this pot and the petty toiletries tubs.

I know the husband questions the wisdom of some of my photos, but how annoying is it when there’s nowhere to hang your robe or you have to put your handbag on the floor in a public toilet?

Thanks for the hook Ox Pasture Hall! I appreciate it.

Oh and the bathroom mirror was fab – seriously better lighting for putting on makeup than anywhere in my own house.

THE FOOD

AFTERNOON TEA

We’d arranged to have afternoon tea and as the weather was so amazing, we chose to take it in the lovely setting of one of the courtyards. If you’d like to humour me again just close you eyes and imagine birdsong, water splashing into the pond, the sun warming your face and you might get an impression of our idyllic setting.

All the scones and cakes are baked fresh, so we had to put up with the hardship of sitting in that courtyard, relaxing and marvelling at a friendly dragonfly, while we waited a few minutes for our food to arrive.

I hadn’t really thought the wording through and was expecting scones and jam, so I was blown away when this beautiful display arrived.

It tasted as good as it looked. It was all delicious – from the little beef and horseradish sandwiches with the crusts cut off to the shortcake biscuits, 4 fruit scones and fruity bread and butter pudding. My absolute favourite was the lemon curd tart with a crisp glazed topping. In fact I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the best puddings I’ve ever had.

Oh and it was filling. We didn’t quite manage all of it and FIVE HOURS LATER when we were due at dinner booking, we still weren’t that hungry!

Thoroughly recommended.

DINNER

My main course was

Mini Beef Fillet & Tender Brisket of Beef

In between courses we were treated to little tasters. I enjoyed my tiny taster cup of leek and potato soup – just enough to whet my appetite but not enough to fill me up. Phew!

We weren’t bowled over by the strawberry consumee as we found it too sweet for our tastes.

The husband chose confit duck starter and grilled salmon from the Bistro menu which he says were also very good.

We did also order a small

assiette of deserts (for 2 to share)

and it was good but we didn’t really do it justice as we’d just run out of room!

All in all a very high standard of food. Well, you don’t get awarded one of these for nothing do you?

COUNTRYSIDE VERSUS TECHNOLOGY

Be aware that this is a rural area with a patchy phone signal. For most of the time I couldn’t get any reception on my Tmobile phone. Yes I know it can be a massive relief to have a short break from technology when you’re away, but it’s useful to be informed in advance, as my son was disappointed when I failed to deliver a promised phone call.

My husband struggled with the TV in the lounge, as it needed retuning each time it was turned on. It also only featured Freeview channels and as a sports fan the husband would have liked satellite TV,  but, sadly for him, places offering Sky Sports in the bedrooms are very few and far between.

The wifi didn’t work in our room but I can confirm that there was a certain comfy sofa in the bar/snug (which I may have hogged for a minute or two), where the signal was excellent!

THE GROUNDS

There are extensive grounds and a lake at the rear and it was no surprise to discover the hotel is licensed for civil weddings and partnership ceremonies. If you love the countryside, you might well be interested in their wedding service.

The grounds were also popular with a few well behaved dogs and their owners, who were staying while we were there.

We had a practically perfectly relaxing stay but there are a few small tweaks we’d like to suggest:-

• Superb bathroom
• Great afternoon tea and dinner
• Beautiful rural location with extensive grounds
• Friendly service

Many thanks to Ox Hill Pasture Hall for providing us with superb hospitality in an attractive Yorkshire countryside setting.  It really was a relaxing stay where, for just a brief while, we managed to get away from it all.