Askham Hall Penrith – Review
This is a detailed review of Askham Hall, Penrith.
Askham Hall near Penrith in Cumbria is a luxury country house owned by the Lowther family. The Hall is a Grade 1 listed building built during the 14th Century as a Pele Tower and developed over the years. The Hall became a rectory in 1828 and then a family home to the Lowther Family in the 1830s where finally in 2012 it was developed into a hotel. Close to Lowther Castle the hotel is set on the edge of the Lake District, one of my favourite places in the United Kingdom.
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Askham Hall Location
Askham Hall is located in the small village of Askham about 4 miles south of Penrith. Lowther Castle is a short walk from the Hall and popular Ullswater is a short drive away. Askham Hall is conveniently located just off the M6 making it a desirable easy to reach location.
Askham village boasts two pubs, The Queens Head and The Punchbowl, a village shop and an outdoor heated swimming pool (pre-booking is required). There are many day trips to be had whilst staying at Askham Hall, here are a few options:
- Lowther Castle – 5 min
- Ullswater – 12 min
- Penrith – 15 min
- Glenridding Sailing Centre – 30 min
- Blencathra – 30 min
- Keswick – 30 min
- Windermere – 50 min
Generally though if you’re into the outdoors, whether that’s walking, running or adventure sports then The Lake District is right on your doorstep and there are unlimited places to explore.
Askham Hall Property
Askham Hall has everything you need to relax after a day of exploring the local area. In addition to rooms, Askham Hall has a Michelin starred restaurant ‘Allium’ (advance booking required), Outdoor heated swimming pool, sauna, health barn, shared living areas.
The shared living area has multiple sofas and chairs, log fire and a piano. An adjoining study/reading room hosts a loyalty bar where you can find most drinks available where the idea is you serve yourself and write down what you had for the tab to be tallied up at the end of your stay. The study also has board games and bookshelves full of books. The whole vibe of the hotel is very much wander around wherever you like and feel free to ask if you need anything!
There are also vast gardens you can wander around, sit and admire the view, including a well stocked kitchen garden where produce is used within the restaurant.
Parking and Access
Parking is available on site. Access to Askham Hall is through quite a tight gate through the Hall walls.
WiFi
WiFi is available and free for guests. There is little to no general phone signal.
Swimming Pool and Sauna
The outdoor swimming pool is a lovely addition to Askham Hall, it is heated and available between certain times of the day, there’s a hot tub also and reclining loungers dotted around the pool side. The reception staff are very helpful if you’d like the pool opening at a certain time or the sauna heated, just buzz down and they’ll get it ready.
Askham Hall Rooms
We stayed in the Admiral Suite at Askham Hall, which is one of the more expensive suites that Askham has to offer. The Admiral Suite was favoured by Prince Philip when he used to come to the area and is located in the east corner of Askham Hall’s 13th Century Pele Tower. The Suite includes a super king bed, separate toilet and bathroom admiring views to the south and east gardens and beyond.
The room also had a minibar fridge with complimentary milk and water plus the normal paid drinks, along with some snack items too and a Nespresso machine for the essential coffee hit in the mornings. TV, hairdryer and radio as standard and ironing equipment available on request.
Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and bubble bath were supplied with towels and dressing gowns also provided.
You can imagine the Duke of Edinburgh staring out this window.
Overall our stay in the Admiral Suite was very comfortable.
Askham Hall Food
The onsite restaurant is Michelin starred ‘Allium’ run by head chef Richard and Maître D’ Nico. Although we didn’t get the chance to eat the restaurant as it was sadly fully booked. You can expect an eight course tasting menu using the best local produce with excellent wine pairings on offer.
The Queen’s Head – Askham
Whilst we didn’t get to eat at Allium, we did get a reservation at The Queen’s Head Askham just a short walk away. The Queen’s Head is part of the Askham collection and is overseen by Richard from Allium.
Breakfast at Askham Hall
Askham Hall is also bed and breakfast, so we did at least get to experience some food at the Hall. The breakfast room is not too big and decorated spectacularly and overlooks the gardens.
This was the menu at the time of our stay, as you can see there was a fair amount on offer. I perhaps would have liked to have seen a sweet option aswell as I do like things like french toast, pancakes in the morning 🙂
I did however thoroughly enjoy the crushed avocado, roasted tomatoes and poached eggs on sourdough for my breakfast and the traditional english breakfast was also well received.
Askham Hall Conclusion
Overall we had an amazing luxury stay at Askham Hall, even though we only stayed for one night we came away feeling thoroughly relaxed. Whilst the rooms are on the higher price bracket, the surroundings and amenities available to you make it second to none.
I would definitely recommend Askham Hall Penrith for a luxury break.
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