Augill Castle

Country house, family home & boutique hotel near the Lakes & Yorkshire Dales

Situated between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, Augill Castle is surrounded on all sides by magnificent scenery. Augill was built in 1837 by a gentleman of considerable wealth as a place to host weekend house parties. Today, owners Wendy and Simon Bennett run the place in a relaxed fashion and it's clear that they want their own house guests to feel at home. A grand and impressive Victorian Romantic fantasy on the outisde, inside it is homely, beautifully decorated, welcoming and comfortable. The bedrooms are authentically country house in style - each one with its own marvellous quirks and character. There are Victorian wallpapers, antique furnishings and eccentric touches such as wardrobes in the turrets and four-poster baths. Guests will also find Egyptian cotton sheets, huge beds, eco-friendly bath robes and the latest TVs. Excellent informal suppers served around the impressive oak dining table are sociable affairs, with everyone eating together at the same time from the same daily set menu. Fresh, seasonal and largely organic ingredients are sourced from top suppliers in Cumbria and Yorkshire. There's an honesty bar in the Library and in the summer dinner might even be a bar-b-que on the lawn. In keeping with the emphasis on great food, Augill Castle is also home to a cookery school, for both adults and children.