News
News
Felicity and Mark Cunliffe-Lister
News :
Since opening, Swinton Park has been awarded 4 red stars (Inspector's
Choice) and 3 rosettes by the AA and is listed in the Michelin Guide,
The Guest List, Hardens, the Good Food and the Good Hotel Guide. It is
one of the highest rated hotels in Yorkshire and Cumbria.
The hotel has recently been invited to join the Tea Guild in recognition of its high standards, and the restaurant's wine list has also been recognised by the AA as one of the best in the country.
We were awarded Hotel of the Year 2004 by VisitBritain at the Excellence in England 2004 awards, held at Kensington Palace, and we won the the Outstanding Customer Service Award 2006 at the White Rose Awards. In 2007 we were shortlisted by the Yorkshire Tourist Board for Hotel of the Year and Sustainable Tourism Award, and we were awarded Taste of Yorkshire in recognition of our commitment to using fresh, seasonal and locally grown produce. In 2007 we were also voted one of the Top Ten Castle Hotels in Europe by TripAdvisor.
In 2006 we installed a carbon neutral wood-chip boiler which has replaced our oil burners, and in 2007 we installed an eco-friendly laundry cutting down on energy consumption and chemical emissions. The hotel's commitment to responsible tourism has been recognized with awards for "Best Business Initiative" at the 2007 Yorkshire and Humber Microgeneration Awards and from the Forestry Commission for "exemplary stewardship" of its woodlands. In February 2009 we were awarded the prestigious Green Tourism Business Scheme award, the scheme is the largest green accreditation scheme in the world and the only one currently recognised by the VisitBritain tourism authority.
Rosemary Shrager, the celebrity TV chef who runs our cookery courses continues to thrive in the limelight, recently seen as a judge on Granada's Soapstar Superchef, and she spent several weeks in the summer of 2008 filming her second series here for ITV, "Rosemary Shrager's School for Cooks", which was transmitted during Autumn 2008.
Our restored four acre walled garden continues to thrive, with over 60 varieties of herbs, fruit and vegetables now being supplied to the hotel's kitchen. Susan Cunliffe-Lister (Country Life Gardener of the Year 2001) continues to run her highly successful Garden Lunches and her new Garden Design Courses during the summer months.
The 2009 Calendar of Events has been recently released with new dates for the Garden Lunches and Garden Design Courses, along with Wine Appreciation lunches and Alfresco Food Festivals in the parkland in May and September. There aew also the highly popular Gourmet Weekends running throughout the year, and the Winter Warmer break and Intensive Detox Programme for those wanting to revitalise after the festive period. For further details please see our Swinton Events page, and also the Special Offers and Packages pages.
History (1695 to 2000):
Molly, Countess of Swinton with her husband
The Earl of Swinton and their two sons, John and Philip
circa 1924
The first house built at Swinton Park was commenced in 1695 by Sir Abstrupus Danby (whose unusual christian name was bestowed on him by a befuddled parson). His successors built the stable block and gatehouse and, during the 1760's, planted the parkland and created the chain of five lakes.
The building was substantially altered during the early 1800's with the addition of a two storey west wing (now the drawing room and master suite) and north wing. A few years later a museum was constructed (which later housed the family chapel and is now the bar). At the same time the building became a "castle" with the addition of a tower, turrets and battlements.
The earliest record of the gardens dates from one laid out in 1699 to a design by George London, with fountains added a few years later. This was probably swept away by William Danby during his landscaping programme in the 1760's. During this time, five lakes were also dug out within the parkland, with the stone bridge at Coffin Pond built during the 1880's. There are also several follies, standing stones and druids seats in the grounds. The walking track around the lakes also leads to Quarry Gill which is by far the most dramatic part of the parkland with views down the ravine and through the bridge (built in the early 1800's at the vast cost of £11,000). The parkland also supports a herd of approximately 100 fallow deer which often graze in front of the hotel.
In 1882 Samuel Cunliffe-Lister bought the castle and, at the age of 68, embarked on an extensive building programme, adding a third floor and enlarging the dining room with the addition of the existing fireplace and gold leaf panels of rosettes on the ceiling.
In 1924 Samuel's granddaugther Molly and her husband Philip came to live at Swinton, and took the name of Cunliffe-Lister.
Philip was later created Viscount Swinton in 1935 and the 1st Earl of Swinton in 1955. During the 2nd World War Harrogate Ladies College occupied part of the premises and following their departure Philip and Molly offered the major part of the castle to the Conservative College. The castle was sold in 1980 following Molly's death in 1974.
From 1976 to 1998, the castle was occupied by the Lindley Educational Trust who ran it as a management training centre. Mark Cunliffe-Lister, the great-grandson of Molly, along with his mother, brother and sister, bought back the castle in May 2000. On 17 June 2000 Mark and Felicity (the current Baron and Baroness Masham) married and, on return from honeymoon, moved to Swinton, to set up the family business. The 30 bedroom luxury castle hotel was opened in 2001 following an extensive refurbishment.
Hotel of the
Year 2004. White Rose Outstanding Customer Service Award 2006.
With 4 AA Red Stars and 3 AA Rosettes, Swinton Park is one of the highest rated hotels in Yorkshire and Cumbria