Castlegarth Estate  combines charm, comfort and space so it's an ideal place to celebrate landmark events. We asked owner, Marcella to tell us why she thinks so many happy guests return again and again for birthdays, friends' gatherings and family events.

The house feels like it was built with house parties in mind, with a range of rooms to cater for up to 15 people. It's also licensed as a wedding venue for 40 - 120 guests, using the garden to add a marquee for more space. Chapelgarth is always hired for exclusive use. The beautiful lawn is ideal for drinks, croquet and BBQs, with the tennis court nearby. 
 
Guests are likely to be greeted by Chapelgarth's resident llama herd grazing in the surrounding fields. The many rooms are filled with antique furniture, cosy roaring fires, books for children and adults, a grand piano, and a generous family kitchen. The dining room oozes old-time charm so is a good gathering point for a special meal. If you'd prefer to avoid the washing up, Marcella can arrange caterers so you can really relax and enjoy your time at Chapelgarth.
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Marcella gives some examples of the type of celebration groups they've hosted. "We've had so many different groups - big birthdays, landmark life events, school reunions, book-club anniversary weekends, Christmas celebrations, golf-lovers’ gatherings and outdoorsy hen weekends! Thanks to our network of contacts in the wedding industry, we are able to draw upon the services of our trusted suppliers, offering all our guests the opportunity to hire a hot tub for the weekend, hire a murder mystery company for an evening to remember, or use our own field for a laser clay shooting afternoon. 

We have a separate function room, available for hire for weddings and events. We recently held a very successful stargazing evening. Hosting 60 people, our astronomers were able to entertain our guests with a fascinating slide-show, before inviting everyone to marvel at the wonders of the skies, visible through the telescopes appropriately positioned in our garden".

So does Marcella have any other local recommendations for guests staying at Chapelgarth?  

"Depending on the season, guests can head out to explore the moorland villages or to the beach, which is a short drive away. Roseberry Topping is not far away, with the nearby visitor centre and cafe in Pinchinthorpe and Carlton Bank, where you can walk to the dramatic scenes of the Wainstones and then take a break at Lord Stones Café’.

The pretty market town of Stokesley is just a 10 minute drive away, with a farmers' market on the first Saturday of each month and plenty of small independent cafes and shops perfect for browsing and last minute gifts. Stroll through the estate’s fields and along the local public footpaths to a popular pub in the village of Great Broughton. The Cleveland Way is a stone's throw away, offering a long distance or circular routes".

Marcella is a historian and a Life Fellow at Clare Hall (Cambridge University) and regularly organises writing retreats at the house, which she describes as 'proper me-time for writers', as all participants are relieved from everyday chores and Chapelgarth is transformed into a ‘sanctuary for the mind’ – a place to think and write. Marcella has also joined forces with a trained Yoga teacher and plans to run mindfulness and yoga retreats. ​

Chapelgarth sleeps up to 15 people in 7 bedrooms, including twins, doubles and four single beds in a small dorm. 

Chapelgarth Estate
Mariella Sutcliffe - email
Website: www.chapelgarth-estate.com
Address: Chapelgarth Estate, Great Broughton, Stokesley,
North Yorkshire, England TS9 7ET

As owner Angelique says, "Being a little over 400 years old, Thorpe Hall offers the chance to sleep in a historic setting and spent time together. You can pop from room to room in a really relaxed environment. Time passes languidly with our timber beams, creaky floorboards, lush gardens and delicious breakfasts."

Thorpe Hall is a B&B that lends itself well to exclusive use by families and friends and has had the privilege of hosting many a bridal party over the years as well as birthday parties and special anniversaries. It's just a short walk from the picturesque sea-hugging smugglers’ village of Robin Hood’s Bay, five miles from atmospheric Whitby and on the doorstep of the stunning North York Moors National Park, so you can choose to be as active or as leisurely as you like.  Group dinners can easily be hosted at a variety of venues from our local pub to fish and chips in the dock to a private afternoon tea at Falling Foss to the private dining room at the Star Inn the Harbour . . .   

A previous guest tells all:

"Having taken over Thorpe Hall exclusively, we arrive early to relish the tranquil setting.  Sitting in the garden, we enjoy a glass or two of the something we packed, waiting for the others to arrive.  Dinner is planned at the local pub, a three-minute walk up the road, so our fourteen guests arrive throughout the afternoon, pulling up a chair as the full complement comes together.  Lazily we wander up to the traditional pub for a tasty meal.  Being so close to the house those with children return to put little ones to bed and retire to the sitting room, with the remainder joining us shortly.  It is the perfect beginning to my 40th birthday celebrations! 
 
Following a good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast, deciding what to do was not easy.  With so many options and a big night planned, everyone decided to do their own thing!  Some walked the Cleveland Way to Whitby, some of us strolled with the children down to Robin Hood's Bay for rock pooling and fossiling and a few took a ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.  It was great leaving the cars behind as if the destination was not walkable, the local bus service took us where we wanted. 
 
That night we all reconvened in the garden for a pre-dinner drink before walking down to Bay to partake in the local Ghost Walk  . . . oh the tales!!  We then had a fabulous meal at one of the restaurants on the dock before tackling the fifteen-minute walk home, breaking the journey by visiting one or two of the village’s many pubs.  We even found a local band was playing in one.
 
Another good night’s sleep, thanks to Thorpe Hall’s comfy beds and plenty of sea air, and we drifted downstairs for our last yummy breakfast.  After all the delicious food of yesterday, most of us could not manage much more than fresh fruit and yoghurt!  I was also a little preoccupied with my pressie opening!  It was almost time for all to go their separate ways, but one more birthday treat was in store.  As it was on the way home we diverted to Falling Foss where I was surprised with a stunning walk around the waterfall followed by beautiful, freshly baked cakes and scones in the tea room . . .  another magical setting rounding off an amazing weekend on the North Yorkshire Coast!

Thorpe Hall Bed & Breakfast
Contact: Angelique Russell email
Website: www.thorpe-hall.co.uk
Address: Middlewood Ln, Fylingthorpe, Robin Hood's Bay, YO22 4TT

Hunley Hotel is a surprise. Just outside Saltburn-by-the-Sea, the approach feels as if you might have taken the wrong turning and then you arrive - and it's impossible to not say "wow" as you realise this hotel has a View! It's a modern hotel so has all the facilities you'd expect, with added extras to make your stay even more enjoyable. Great food, genuinely friendly service and real flexibility make Hunley an ideal venue for a special event or a weekend-long celebration. You can take over the hotel and really have a time to remember. They're dog friendly too so no-one needs to miss out!

Hunley Hotel has an excellent 27 hole golf course, and easy access to the North York Moors so there's plenty to do. They pride themselves on offering personal touches. As manager, Richard says, "We offer competitive rates and excellent facilities but what sets us apart is  our staff.  Every member of our team will go the extra mile to ensure each celebration event meets the needs of our guests and the attention to detail they offer is second to none".

Hunley Hotel & Golf Club
​Contact: Richard Weeks email
Hunley Hotel & Golf Club​

Raithwaite Estate, comprising luxury hotel accommodation and self-catering cottages, is just five minutes’ drive from Whitby and set back from the Sandsend coast road in 100 acres of private grounds.
 
Raithwaite Hall offer 45 bedrooms or you may choose to stay in one of the self-catering cottages on the estate, ranging from small houses to the six-bedroom Lake House.
 
Surrounded by manicured lawns and woodland, and with a tranquil lake to stroll around, together with a luxury spa and indoor pool, the hotel is an oasis of calm. There are two restaurants as well as the Poachers Bar, so guests can also choose between a more formal dining experience or relaxed, casual dining. Members of staff are very  happy to help arrange activities for guests, from horseriding and archery through to water-sports, cycling and guided walks.
 
The hotel is also extremely dog-friendly and is home to North Yorkshire’s first and only luxury Dog Spa. 

The Star Inn at Harome has been one of North Yorkshire's favourite celebration destinations for over 20 years. The thatched pub dates back to the 14th century, so has centuries of hospitality steeped into its very timbers.

It's particularly known for its food - diners can enjoy a menu inspired by the North York Moors and coast, eating in a restaurant that retains its homely pub atmosphere. Pre and post-dinner there’s a resident’s lounge that resembles a shooting lodge with a wood burner providing a focal point during the winter and an outdoor terrace to drink in the views during warmer weather. Breakfast is taken in the Wheelhouse of the hotel seated at a huge table that is easy to imagine could have been around in King Arthur’s days. 

Accommodation is in the Cross House Lodge just across the road from the restaurant, offering nine individually-designed rooms that have their own quirks – from the piano in Room 9 or Room 1 which has a bath at the end of the bed. The hotel is a good size for a group takeover, with exclusive use of all of its facilities, whilst the lawn is amply sized for a marquee catering for up to 200 people.
 
The Star is perfect for parties for 2 to 200 people, and everything in between. Private dining options start with the ‘kitchen table’, ideal for a group of 6, whilst the mural-painted room in the eaves of the Inn seats 8 to 10. Cross House Lodge has its own dining room, The Wheelhouse, which is also licensed for weddings and civil ceremonies. 

As business manager, Nicola Holroyd points out, "Over the years, we've catered for a vast range of celebration groups, but they do all generally have an interest in great food and drink! Menus range from quite simple to 7-course tasting menus with matched wine packages, but always with the same level of service.

Nicola gives an example of what a 40th birthday weekend might look like at the Star: "A group of 18 could take over the 9 rooms at Cross House Lodge so they'd have exclusive use of all of the hotel facilities and the intimate feel of a private country house. 

Assuming the group would check in on the Friday from 3pm, they could relax in the hotel’s lounge with a few nibbles to carry them over to dinner. Dinner might be taken across in the restaurant from a group menu offering up to 4 choices of starter,  main course and pudding, before the group retires to the pub for after dinner drinks.

Saturday morning breakfast would be taken in the hotel’s own private dining room, the Wheelhouse, providing fuel for some exploration of the local countryside. Then in the evening, the group could dress as formally or informally as they wished for a private dinner in the Wheelhouse including a special tasting menu with each course paired with a matched wine selected by our restaurant staff. 

There is the further option for the group to arrange for musical entertainment allowing for after dinner dancing until midnight, before everyone retires for the night. The following morning after a Full Yorkshire breakfast, the group would head back home.

We maintain an Activity Star page on our website, linked to attractions in the vicinity which we feel will be of interest. In the past, groups have combined particular activities with their stay, such as off-roading  or clay pigeon-shooting, and we are happy to help with specialist enquiries."