Swinton Estate

Nailing your fitness goals is easy when you’re soaking up the stunning surroundings of the Swinton Estate. Everything here is geared towards enhancing a holistic, grounded sense of health, from the sleek, modern exercise equipment to the many movement experiences on offer.

Situated within the Country Park & Spa, a state-of-the-art gym combines the very latest in innovation with more functional fitness, and there are personal trainers on-hand with programmes designed to maximise your results. The spa has a bodywork room for mindful movement, and there’s a group exercise studio for spin and circuits classes.

Prefer your exercise with lashings of fresh air? You’re in for a treat. The Swinton Estate has parkland fitness programmes that make the most of every inch of its natural beauty, with boot-camps, mindful walking, jogging and hiking to take part in. Or just sign up for the Sunday morning stroll to explore the grounds at a gentle pace as you connect with others.

And then there’s the zen-like spa garden. Surrounded by greenery, its exercise zone hosts everything from yoga and tai chi to Pilates and meditation. There’s also a barefoot path if you can bear to take your fluffy slippers off.

You’ve nurtured your body with heat and water. You’ve nourished it with a luxurious spa treatment. Now it’s time to nibble on something delectable, and Swinton Park Hotel has just the thing. Some truly indulgent options await, and they all use produce sourced from the Swinton Estate’s own farms or walled garden. 

Samuel’s Restaurant

Fancy something fancy? Samuel’s is the hotel’s own elaborate dining room. When you’ve stopped gazing up at the ornate gold leaf ceiling and elegant mantelpiece, you’ll enjoy award-winning, innovative fine dining and mouth-watering Sunday lunches where seasonal produce is always the star of the show. Items on the ever-changing menu include the estate’s own lamb, venison, rabbit and smoked trout.

The Terrace Restaurant and Bar

For something a little lighter, try the cool, contemporary Terrace with its glass wall overlooking the spa garden. Located within the County Club & Spa, it serves everything from morning coffee to lunch, dinner and cocktails, with an open kitchen adding a laid-back vibe. For lunch, try its famous small plates - Yorkshire tapas that you share between you.

Afternoon tea

Thought there was nothing better than afternoon tea? What about afternoon tea by the roaring fire of a castle, after a morning spent pampering yourself? Served in the Hotel’s bar, drawing room, or even on the lawns during the summer months, this treat-to-remember is blissfully indulgent. Choose a cream tea, a full afternoon tea or opt for the hotel’s Yorkshire tea experience, complete with scones, clotted cream, Wensleydale cheese, fruitcake and grapes.

If breaststroke’s your bag, you’re in for a treat, because Swinton’s Country Club & Spa boasts not one but two fabulous swimming pools. There’s an 18-metre indoor pool, or you can pad your slipper-clad feet around to the spa garden for a dip in its unique 10-metre natural pool, filled with oxygenated, bio-filtered water. Feeling adventurous? There is another option, although it’s not a pool as such. The Swinton Estate has its own wild swimming pond in the grounds of Swinton Park. Accessed via a purpose built swimming platform, it’s bracing enough to give you all of wild swimming’s physical and mental health benefits. 

There are 42 well-appointed bedrooms and suites at the Swinton Park Hotel, all with fantastic views over the estate’s parkland or the dales beyond. Bedroom categories range from Knights up to Signature Dukes. But if it’s an occasion when only the very best will do, try a Signature Suite such as the Turret. Quirky and romantic, it’s on the top floor of the castle tower. There’s no accessible lift, but it’s worth the trip up the stairs to sleep on the circular bed.

For residential stays at the Swinton Park Hotel, check-in time is from 3.00pm. Then, on your day of departure, your room must be vacated by 11.00am.

The Swinton Estate is very family-friendly, particularly if they’re the outdoorsy type. Children’s activities include falconry, mountain biking and pony trekking across the parkland. Although children are not allowed in the adults-only spa itself, they can splash in the pool between 9.30am and 10.00am and between 4pm and 5.30pm. The hotel has interconnecting family rooms along with rooms with space for bunk beds and z beds, and they also serve a fabulous children’s afternoon tea picnic.

Yes it is, and dogs really get the red carpet treatment at the Swinton Park Hotel.. Four-legged friends can stay for £30 per dog, per night, with their own bed, chews, bowls and eco-friendly poo bags. Well-behaved dogs are allowed in the Billiard Room, Morning Room, Lower Hall and Estate Shop, but there are also beautiful walks and trails for them to explore. And after their walkies you’ll find towels in the Boot Room perfect for muddy paws.

There is a golf course set within the grounds of the Swinton Estate. Masham Golf Club is a nine-hole parkland course that’s not only stunningly beautiful, it’s steeped in history too. Rounds have been played here since 1895 and it was once Bing Crosby’s favourite place to tee off. Although it’s a private members club, visitors are welcome to pay and play as long as they book first and adhere to the dress code - no jeans, appropriate golf shoes, your own golf bag and collared shirts for all gentlemen. 

No, you don’t need a handicap to pay and play golf here. There are occasional events that do have maximum and minimum handicap requirements but these competitions aren’t usually open to visitors. Although short in length, Masham is still a challenging course, with small, raised greens, tight fairways and the River Burn providing a natural water hazard to contend with.