Tucked away in the North Yorkshire countryside is a beautiful and very unexpected Mediterranean oasis. The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa is the epitome of a charming countryside retreat in the picturesque town of Helmsley, but it is so much more.
From their location in the traditional market town of Helmsley, it would be easy to assume they are a country house hotel, but that wouldn’t be entirely true. That said, strictly speaking, they’re not a boutique hotel either. What they have is a hideaway, designed to help our guests retreat, relax and indulge. A little slice of Yorkshire heaven.
Originally an old coaching inn, the hotel was rebuilt and renamed in 1855 by the Earl of Feversham on the site of an older hostelry. It was previously known as The Guest House, The Board Inn and latterly The Bay Horse where beer and candles were made for sale. At the same time, three cottages adjacent to the hotel were built by the Earl in matching Yorkshire stone.
In 1967 the hotel was bought by Charrington’s Brewery before being bought by Mr. and Mrs. de Aragues in 1977. The de Aragues then purchased the three cottages to extend the hotel and added the swimming pool and gardens. The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, as it is known today, was born.
From this period onwards the hotel has been restored and renovated by several private owners before being bought by the current owners, Feversham Arms Limited in 2008.
We were lucky enough to be invited to stay in one of their recently renovated Poolside Suites, and the weather couldn’t have been better to show off this beautiful Mediterranean oasis.
The poolside suites are cottage-like in style and have direct access to the outdoor heated pool. Some of these suites have a private terrace onto the poolside, which ours did, making the perfect place to enjoy an al fresco nightcap or morning coffee.
The interior décor is primarily light, with neutral tones and a signature splash of colour in the soft furnishings, carefully curated accessories and original artwork. There are neat blinds at the windows and voiles across the patio doors, which lead onto the pool. Everything has been so thoughtfully designed and you are well and truly fooled into thinking you are in a tropical paradise.
Once unpacked and settled in, we enjoyed and hour or two in the pool and the hot tub, soaking up the late spring sunshine. It was an idyllic afternoon.
All too soon it was time for our spa treatments. We were booked in for massages at the Verbena Spa and our therapists certainly put us through our paces! Sitting for hours a day at a desk plays havoc with your posture, back and shoulders and we both suffer, so we were looking forward to a firm massage to release those muscles. Our therapists worked their magic and we floated out of the spa, looking forward to a little more relaxation round the pool before dinner.
Having dined at The Feversham before, although it must be at least four years ago, we remembered it for really good food and service. Once again we were not disappointed.
We started our meal in the hotel restaurant with Beef Tartare – Pickles, Osietra, yolk, and Seared East Coast Scallops – Parsnip Puree, Wild Garlic Foam, Lemon Curd, Sunflower Seeds. Of course, we are food sharers and we agreed that we had made great choices with these starters. It was difficult to choose a favourite but if you forced my hand on this occasion it would be the scallops. Fresh and cooked to perfection and it was a perfect dish.
We followed with Loin of Yorkshire Beef – Truffle Pommes Dauphine, Buttered King Oyster Mushroom, Shallot, Red Wine Sauce, and Salt Aged Duck Breast – Duck Leg Bon Bon, Spiced Red Cabbage, Confit Garlic Tuille, Parsnip and Honey Puree Liquorice Gel, Bramble Sauce. The Yorkshire Beef was delicious, tender and full of flavour – as expected, but it had been a long time since we had duck and this dish was beautifully balanced, perfectly cooked and simply a delight to eat. Two more great choices!
After a respectable rest, we were tempted to share a dessert of Citrus Orange and Cranberry Cake, Blood Orange Sorbet, Lime Cream, Lemon Curd. This had proved so popular that there was only one portion left and we managed to bag it! Thank goodness we did as it was super delicious and the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.
And so, to bed – a very comfortable bed! We slept so well we almost missed breakfast! Thank goodness we made it because we would have missed a fabulous full Yorkshire breakfast to set us up for the day.
All too soon it was time to leave our little Mediterranean oasis behind, but we will be back!
The Feversham welcomes guests from all over the world who have come to get away from it all and sample their famous Yorkshire hospitality. Wherever you live, you need to visit this slice of Yorkshire heaven and tell us what you think.
See you there!
