Northumberland is a beautiful part of the country, yet one we have visited less than a handful of times. Therefore, when we were invited to Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa, which is an award-winning grand country mansion sitting pretty in its own private 10-acre private grounds, we couldn’t wait to head up north and check it out. Life has been a tad stressful of late. Mainly because of major house renovations (which are finished now, thank goodness) and our adoption journey.
Therefore the opportunity to get away from it all, relax and eat great food could not have come at a better time for us. Also as Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa is one of the hotels in the Robert Parker collection of hotels we knew we were going to have a great time. This is because we visited another hotel in the collection – The Wordsworth Hotel & Spa in the Lake District prior to Christmas and simply could not fault our stay at all.
The History of Doxford Hall
Doxford Hall was built by renowned architect John Dobson just over 200 years ago in 1818. He is most famous for designing Newcastle central train station together with developing Newcastle city centre alongside Richard Grainger. Doxford Hall has since been lovingly restored and modernised over the years. With striking wooden panelling and a beautiful sweeping central wooden staircase. The thought and care that has gone into the renovations have made the building what it is today – a wonderful hotel, a popular wedding venue and a relaxing spa.
Even though Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa now has all the modern day facilities people demand from luxury accommodation, it has not lost any of its original Georgian features and charm. With old stone fireplaces, classic leather armchairs, elegant sitting rooms and grandfather clocks it has a homely air which instantly makes you feel welcome, relaxed and part of the family.
Check-In & First Impressions
With a long drive, Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa instantly conjured up grand images of horse-drawn carriages clippety clopping down it with their passengers being regarded members of society eagerly anticipating their stay at the property. If a driveway can conjure up such visions, you can imagine what high hopes and expectations we had for the hotel awaiting us just out of sight?
Needless to say, it did not disappoint. The exterior of the building is breathtaking and it’s obvious to see what Doxford Hall & Spa is such a popular wedding venue in Northumberland and the surrounding area. The romantics in us let the visions take over again. This time picturing newlyweds sipping champagne and smiling from ear to ear for photographs. Both in front of the building itself and in the property’s impressive and beautifully maintained grounds too.
Check in was quick and easy, we simply gave our names and our key was handed over. A full rundown of the hotel’s facilities and amenities were given. Together with directions to the essentials – the spa, the dining room and of course the bar. We were offered portage, which we kindly declined as we only had a small overnight bag each. Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa has 36 individually decorated luxurious bedrooms including accessible, four poster and even dog-friendly options. They all feature beautifully crafted furniture and bespoke bathrooms. We were shown to our room for the evening. It was the impressive John Dobson (the man who designed Doxford Hall, as we mentioned before) Room on the 1st floor.
Our Room
Bedroom
As mentioned, our room was on the first floor of the hotel. Therefore, we had amazing views over the grounds, especially as the room has numerous floor to ceiling windows. This meant that even though we visited in late January with the ever-present threat of snow looming, the room was still very light. The first thing we noticed about the room, was the sheer size of it. It was massive with plenty of storage for our luggage which gets a big thumbs up from us. There’s nothing worse than having nowhere to store your bag and then subsequently tripping over it throughout your stay.
We also loved the ornate fireplace, high ceilings and tasteful decor, which just screamed luxury and relaxation. The bed was big and super comfortable, perfect for a good night’s sleep. The only downside for us was that we didn’t get to spend longer in our room. In between exploring the grounds, relaxing in the spa, having a drink in the bar and eating loads of amazing food in the restaurant, we didn’t have time to take full advantage of it. We guess it means we have to return soon for longer, right?
En Suite Bathroom
The ensuite bathroom in the John Dobson Room at Doxford Hall Hotel and Spa is bigger than Vicky’s first apartment. That is a fact – it is fantastically big. Again with a lovely floor to ceiling window to allow lots of natural light to flood into the room together with the usual toilet and sink and the added benefit of bath and shower which means two people can get ready at the same time, (more than) comfortably.
Finding the time for a relaxing bubble bath is difficult in between blogging, working, travelling etc. Therefore every time Vicky gets the opportunity, she takes it and with our favourite Molton Brown toiletries provided she was in there for a long time. If she’s had some candles and a bottle of wine, it would have been even longer!
The Spa
Everyone has their own favourite way of unwinding. Ours, especially Vicky’s is to indulge in a spa treatment or two followed by a swim, steam and sauna. Therefore a visit to Doxford Hall’s on-site Aqueous spa was top of our agenda. Armed with our swimwear and flip flops we headed to the spa ready for an afternoon of pure relaxation. It certainly did not disappoint. We were greeted at the spa reception, handed complimentary dressing gowns and slippers for use during our stay and shown the extensive list of treatments. Mr ESLT opted for a ‘Garden of Deep Calm’ massage. It is a mix of modern and Thai massage techniques which focuses on melting tension away. Needless to say, the 55-minute treatment passed in a flash, leaving him extremely relaxed and smelling absolutely wonderful.
With so many treatments to choose from, picking just one was very difficult. Therefore Vicky chose two (typical). First up was a wonderfully relaxing back, neck and shoulder massage to tease out the tension knots followed by a follicle stimulating head massage both were 25 minutes long, again the time passed in the blink of the eye. The Ytsara products, which are 100% natural and Vegan-friendly, that were used on us both left us and our skin feeling amazing. We then took advantage of having the swimming pool to ourselves and had a quick dip before retiring to our room to get ready for dinner and drinks.
Dinner in the George Runciman Restaurant
Before being shown through to the hotel’s on-site George Runciman restaurant, we enjoyed an aperitif (or three) in the hotel’s bar. Whilst here we were given the evening menus to peruse. We made our decisions and placed our order with our waitress. It was a tough choice though as everything sounded mouth-wateringly delicious. We were also handed the extensive and impressive wine list to have a look at. With so many to chose from, we stuck with our firm favourite a crisp Pinot Grigio, which was served to our table.
We were then left to enjoy our drinks and pre-dinner canapes before being shown through to our table in the restaurant. With 2 AA rosettes awarded for the highest standards in cuisine and service, the George Runciman restaurant is not your standard hotel restaurant. It certainly has that extra special something. With a mixture of gentle hubbub from our fellow diners, the low instrumental background music and the soft light from the numerous candles dotted around the room, the atmosphere for an intimate dinner was perfect. Although Vicky did shatter it for a minute when she knocked her side plate and butter knife onto the floor with a clatter as she sat down. Honestly, you can’t take her anywhere!
Starters
With 6 delicious options to chose from, including one vegetarian option, we both chose fish dishes. Mr ESLT loves scallops, they are a firm favourite of his. However, Vicky’s choice of Cullen Skink surprised us both as she’s not really a seafood lover. Both dishes were delicious, tasty and cooked wonderfully.
Me: Cullen Skink – Charred leeks, haddock fishcakes, wholegrain mustard (£8.50)
Mr ESLT: The Robert Parker Collection Signature Dish – Pan seared scallops. Glazed pork belly, Jerusalem artichoke, sherry vinegar, hazelnut vinaigrette (£14.95)
Main Courses
Normally Mr ESLT opts for beef and Vicky for chicken. Our visit to Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa saw us mix it up. Instead, Vicky chose beef (cooked well done – don’t judge) and Mr ESLT went for the chicken. We also ordered buttered seasonal vegetables and green beans and shallots. Needless to say, both our dishes came with ample accompaniments. Meaning we didn’t even touch our additional side dishes (urgh, we hate wasting food).
Me: The Robert Park Collection Signature Dish – seared fillet of beef. Pont Neuf potatoes, truffled wild mushrooms, dried cherry tomatoes and crispy shallots (£29.95)
Mr ESLT: pan roasted chicken breast. Smoked garlic pomme puree, heirloom carrots, English Parma chard (£23.95)
Dessert
Full as eggs, we almost (only almost!) passed on dessert. That was until we both saw fudge ice cream on the menu. It was fantastic. In fact, it is possibly the nicest ice cream we have ever tasted. The chunks of fudge in it were a dessert in their own right. It’s probably a good job we don’t live closer as we’d be popping in all of the time just for a scoop of this deliciousness.
Both: Homemade fudge ice cream
We’ve also heard that the Sunday lunch is amazing (advanced bookings are advised).
Breakfast
After a wonderful night’s sleep, we headed back down to the George Runciman restaurant for breakfast. With a breakfast buffet table brimming with pastries, bread, fruit, yoghurts, cereals and juices, there was something on offer for everyone. However, after our three-course feast the night before we headed straight past it in favour of a strong cup of tea and a cooked breakfast instead. Mr ESLT opted for the full meaty experience of a Northumberland breakfast. Whereas Vicky chose the vegetarian breakfast. Even though she’s not a veggie – weird, right? Both of which come with a potato pancake, which if you have never tried before – you must! With a 3 hour journey in snowy conditions ahead of us, it set us up for the day ahead perfectly.
Summary
We had a lovely time at Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa. It is a great hotel to chose for a number of different reasons and occasions. For example – weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, spa break with friends, foodie break with the family etc. There are also a lot of great things to do and wonderful attractions in the local area including Alnwick castle (especially if you are a fan of Harry Potter), Lindisfarne (don’t forget to pick up some mead) and of course the cosmopolitan city of Newcastle, which is great for shopping.
It is also the perfect hotel to chose is you simply do not want to do anything. With lots of little sitting areas and private rooms to set up camp in with a strong cup of coffee and a good book, you can certainly do as much or as little as you like while at Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa. A beautiful building, great facilities, mouthwatering fine dining, friendly and helpful staff and not forgetting a relaxing spa – what more could we have possibly wanted?
- Thank you to Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa for inviting us to stay for the evening (complimentary DBB basis) – we had a fantastic time. As always opinions are our own.
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