Yorkshire has always been a cinematographer’s dream, all brooding skies, stone villages and moorland drama. With Emerald Fennell’s much-discussed, bound-to-be-divisive adaptation of Wuthering Heights set to land on 13 Feb, about the only thing that most of us will agree on is the boundless beauty of the Brontëan wilds. Untamed, melancholy and impossibly beautiful, the film was shot in North Yorkshire, capturing the moody valleys of Arkengarthdale and Swaledale and the village of Low Row. Here, we’ve panned out to bring you the best of this sprawling and romantic county.
Firelit medieval townhouses, grand country piles, swaggering foodie pubs or Michelin-starred destinations: simply, it has them all. What Emily Brontë – or indeed, her wild-hearted creations – would have made of such luxury can but be imagined.
The General Tarleton, Ferrensby
One of the most enticing new openings in the county, The General Tarleton is an 18th-century coaching inn turned eight-bedroom pub just outside Harrogate, relaunched in August to ecstatic reviews. The team behind the refurbishment includes the award-winning chef Tommy Banks, and it shows: this is destination dining in inn form, with rooms good enough to justify building a whole weekend around lunch and supper.
Grays Court, York
Could this be one of the most overlooked hotels in the country? It is certainly one of the oldest. Grays Court welcomed its first guests in 1091 and is also the oldest inhabited house in York – a claim that already puts it in a category of its own. They say archaeologists believe the remains of a Roman gate – the Porta Decumana – lie buried just inside the grounds. The house has passed through the hands of some of York’s most illustrious residents, including Lord Fairfax, John Aislabie (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and the Squire family, before providing home and sanctuary to the Gray family for two hundred years. Built in the 11th-century by the treasurer to Thomas of Bayeux, it has played host to the likes of James I and William Wilberforce. Today, it sits in the shadow of York Minster, its courtyard entrance illuminated to magical effect by string bulbs. You enter through a satisfyingly ancient, hefty wooden door; inside, fires roar, and the welcome is warm. With just eleven rooms, it’s a boutique proposition, dripping in old-world charm – but without the astronomical prices of comparable historic hotels. It feels like the kind of secret you’re faintly surprised no one has told you about before.
Middleton Lodge Estate, near Richmond
A Georgian estate turned into one of Yorkshire’s most seductive country-house hotels, Middleton Lodge manages to be both grand and relaxed. There are open fires, acres of parkland, beautiful rooms, and an air of low-key, well-heeled hedonism about the place. The food is excellent, the spa is just rustic enough to feel charming rather than showy, and the whole experience is geared towards slow, civilised pleasure. It’s the sort of place where you arrive for two nights and find yourself extending to four. Who could possibly resist the utterly elegant outdoor pool or, indeed, the outdoor tubs, complete with mist rising romantically over the scene? It’s hard to imagine leaving.
Grantley Hall, near Ripon
Right on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this must be the county’s grandest hotel in every sense: palatial rooms, a world-class spa, multiple restaurants (including fine dining at the very highest level), and service that borders on telepathic. This is all about unapologetic luxury – and if you want to experience the county at its most polished and indulgent, book one of its 47 rooms immediately.
Middlethorpe Hotel & Spa, York
Admittedly more Jane Austen than Bronte, you’ll find Historic House Hotel Middlethorpe Hotel & Spa just outside York city walls. Under the auspices of the National Trust, it is a handsome William and Mary country house dating from 1699, set amid 20 acres of gardens and parkland, with walled gardens, rose gardens and – our very favourite thing – a ha-ha Think lawns, fireplaces, proper afternoon tea and a perfectly blissful spa. It’s ideal if you want the cultural pull of York with the calm of the countryside – and especially good for long, unhurried weekends. Just remember to pack an empire line frock and bring your very own Mr Darcy.
The Penny Bun, Nr llkley
On the road between Ilkley and Denton, weary travellers will find the lovely The Penny Bun, a deeply stylish, rustically appointed proposition where the onus is firmly on excellent local food (not for nothing is it listed as a Michelin hotel). Opened in 2024, it is a historic Wharfedale inn reimagined – bedrooms are restrained and minimal yet warm, placing this firmly amongst a new generation of Yorkshire inns: beautiful rooms, confident cooking, and a relaxed, contemporary atmosphere that still feels rooted in its landscape. It’s exactly the kind of place you hope to find after a long drive through moors and valleys.
The Star Inn at Harome
Few places in the north of England make a more compelling case for turning dinner into an overnight stay than The Star Inn at Harome. In essence, it’s a serious restaurant that just happens to have beautiful rooms attached – the cooking is the main event here. Which is not to say that the rest isn't equally as lovely – the village setting and beautiful thatched cottage exterior are pure storybook. Since Andrew Pern took over in 1996, The Star has built one of the most respected reputations in British dining, collecting awards along the way, including a Michelin star, for menus rooted in seasonality and the surrounding Yorkshire landscape. Today, under Chef Director Stephen Smith (Yorkshire Life’s Chef of the Year 2023), that commitment to place and produce remains firmly intact, with dishes that feel both confident and deeply connected to their setting.
The Devonshire Arms, Bolton Abbey
On the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, beside one of the most beautiful ruined abbeys in England, The Devonshire Arms, which dates back to 1753, is all about location. It’s a proper country inn-hotel hybrid – comfortable, handsome, and ideally placed for walking, exploring, and pretending you live in a period drama. It has long attracted the great and good, having welcomed the royal family in 19th-century, and later been expanded by none other than Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, who even added artworks from Chatsworth, no less. These days, there is a beautiful swimming pool and spa housed within hefty stone walls. A blissful spot for a Yorkshire getaway.
