Famous Harrogate district country house to star in new TV series about amazing hotels

One of the Harrogate district's most elegant country houses is to feature in the BBC's Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby.
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Swinton Estate near Masham in North Yorkshire is to be featured on the BBC Two’s series which delves behind the scenes in of some of the world’s most extraordinary hotels.

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In the second of three episodes to be aired later this month, the newspaper columnist and restaurant critic, Giles Coren, and international chef, Monica Galetti, visit the Yorkshire Dales to work at Swinton Estate, the ancestral home of Lord and Lady Masham. Seeing the grand house at its heart, full of country charm, and the once private estate now opened up for guests to enjoy, they explore the challenges of bringing a historical home into the modern world.

Lord Masham of Swinton Estate near Masham which is to feature in a BBC Two series shortly.Lord Masham of Swinton Estate near Masham which is to feature in a BBC Two series shortly.
Lord Masham of Swinton Estate near Masham which is to feature in a BBC Two series shortly.

A Grade II* listed building, this beautiful English country house in Swinton near Masham is set in 200 acres of parkland, lakes and gardens.

Owned by the Cunliffe-Lister family since the 1880s, and the ancestral seat of the Earl of Swinton, guests at the hotel enjoy a traditional, yet informal stately home experience.

It comprises Swinton Park, the 32-room castle hotel, Swinton Cookery School, the adjacent Country Club & Spa and Swinton Bivouac, the Estate’s tree lodge and glamping retreat.

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A refurbishment programme is currently underway, which will create a further 10 rooms and suites in the castle’s Coach House.

Rooms are furnished with antiques and family portraits, with the warmth and grandeur of a traditional English country house.

Residents of the Swinton Park Hotel have the use of all the above facilities, including wellness, pool access, sauna, heat-rooms and gym, alongside a variety of other pursuits such as the Cookery School and Bivouac.

Owner Felicity Cunliffe-Lister said: “We were thrilled to be included in this series, alongside some of the real grand dames of the hotel industry.

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"We loved welcoming the film crew ‘back of house’ to meet our amazing staff and experience some of the unique activities available to our guests.”

The BBC series sees Giles Coren and Monica Galetti working alongside the talented staff to discover what it takes to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences in awe-inspiring locations.

Venturing far beyond the lobby into places that the public don’t usually see and uncovering the meticulous level of detail needed to pull off impeccable service in each hotel they visit.

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby will air on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday, February 18.

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