A review of The Coniston Hotel & Spa, Skipton

When most people think of Coniston, the location that springs to mind is often Coniston in the Lake District. However, on the outskirts of Skipton, deep in the rural North Yorkshire Moors there's another Coniston, Coniston Cold.  Situated against the idyllic backdrop of the 1,400 acre Coniston Cold estate and the lake is the award-winning Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa. What was once a small country tea house, has now transformed into one of the UK's most loved country retreats, offering everything that is needed for an escape in the British countryside. Whether you're looking to sip cocktails in an infinity pool or test your adrenaline and driving skills on their off-roading track, have a go at one of the UK's top voted clay pigeon shooting ranges or feast on the estates culinary treats, there's something for everyone. To see what all the fuss is about, I was invited down to the hotel to experience just a few of the things they have to offer.

The Estate

The Coniston Cold estate is over 1,400 acres of beautiful woodland and a 24-acre lake. Open to all day visitors and hotel residents, the estate is wonderful to walk around, especially in the autumn as the leaves are turning gold and amber. It features an array of wildlife from swans to wild rabbits, pheasants and ducklings, as well as the estates' livestock such as cows and sheep.  It's a great place to unwind, step away from technology and be at peace with nature - perfect for families and couples alike.

The rooms

The hotel features 71 bedrooms, ranging from classic to superior and luxury bedrooms. Prices start from an affordable £99 and all of which are pet-friendly. During our visit, we stayed in the luxury bedroom which included a balcony overlooking the grounds, a large bathroom and a separate walk-in shower. The room had all the essentials such as hairdryers, tea and coffee making facilities as well as Aromatherapy Associates skin and bath care. The bed was incredibly comfy, the rooms were quiet and we loved being able to sit out on the balcony first thing in the morning and absorb the view. 

The spa

The spa is one of the newer additions to the Coniston Cold estate, which was added just over two years ago. It features a wide range of facilities such a 15m indoor swimming pool, a thermal suite which includes a Himalayan salt sauna, indoor bubble pool, sauna and steam room, treatment rooms, a fitness studio, gym, a brasserie and the star attraction, a stunning outdoor infinity pool overlooking the lake. The spa was clean and modern and the treatment rooms were relaxing and inviting, we really enjoyed our few hours relaxing by the pool and our couples massage. The massage took 60 minutes and the staff were really attentive and took the time to ask me what areas I would like them to focus on. In my day job, I spend a lot of time hunched over a computer so my shoulders and neck often get strained, the massage really helped to relieve some of the pressure points and get rid of knots that had built up over the last few months.  Our only criticism of the spa and spa area is that the Nourish Brasserie is far too small for such a large spa - it would have been great to have had lunch there before we checked out of our hotel, but they had limited seating and everything was all booked up. The menu caters for vegans, vegetarians and those who are gluten-free, so if you're looking to have a spa break at the Coniston Hotel, it looks like it is definitely worth booking a table.

The food

Despite not being able to get a table at the Nourish brasserie, we were well catered for throughout other areas of the hotel. The Coniston Hotel and Spa has two additional restaurants - The Huntsman Lodge which is catered towards casual dining and the a-la-carte Macleods which is a formal evening restaurant. Although both restaurants primarily serve food which is reared on the estate, they both went above and beyond to cater for our special vegan diets, providing us with our own special menu for both lunch and dinner - this is available on request as long as you notify them in advance. The menu included a variety of risottos, stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta as well as some creative desserts such as poached pears and cashew cream. One of my favourite dishes was the salt baked carrots and walnuts - this was essentially just carrots on a plate, but the flavour derived from salt baking them was incredible. It was great to see skilled chefs being able to be creative with vegan dishes, rather than putting together a simple salad and this was very much appreciated.

The activities

There's a whole range of activities available to book at The Coniston Hotel and Spa from clay pigeon shooting to falconry, archery, fishing and off-roading. I was kindly booked on to the off-roading experience on my first day of the visit and falconry on the second, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was really nervous about off-roading as I'm quite an anxious driver, but after a briefing session with the team, my nerves diminished and throughout the course, the instructor helped me relax and enjoy myself. It started out as the activity I was dreading the most but ended up being one of the best things I have done in a long time, I'm even looking to go back in 2018. The falconry experience was also something I was a little bit apprehensive about. Firstly, I was nervous about having a few big birds fly into me and from an animal welfare perspective, I had heard a lot of negative things about falconry in the past. However, after seeing the birds and their keeper it was clear how well they are looked after and cared for. The birds were absolutely beautiful and it was a wonderful experience to be so close to some big birds of prey.

If you're looking for an escape to the country that is a little bit different to your standard spa break, I would definitely consider looking at The Coniston Hotel and Spa, it is somewhere I'm already planning on going back.

Have you been to the Coniston Hotel and Spa?

*This stay was complimentary, however, all views are my own