Once a travellers’ inn, this Victorian house between Yarm and Thirsk is today a modern hotel liked for its ‘quirky accommodation’ and ‘delicious food’. It is part of the Provenance Inns group (see The Carpenters Arms, Felixkirk, main entry). Arrive to a ‘warm welcome’ – head straight for afternoon tea, perhaps, in the ‘splendid, light-filled’ drawing room. ‘Dramatic decor’ (bold wallpaper, colourful bed coverings) adds character to the individually styled bedrooms; good amenities – magazines, a well-stocked hospitality tray, efficient secondary glazing – contribute to their comfort. In the candlelit dining room, bistro favourites are cooked ‘with flair’. A substantial breakfast includes toast ‘thickly sliced from a proper loaf’. 8 miles NE of Northallerton.