Shallowdale House Reviews

Shallowdale House

Ampleforth

HOME	ROOMS	FOOD	GARDEN	AREA	REVIEWS	TARIFF	CONTACT


	César Award in 2005: Yorkshire guest house of the year 'Remains a haven of civilisation.' At their small guest house on a sheltered south-facing slope of the Hambleton hills, Phillip Gill and Anton van der Horst 'welcome you like family'. 'They greeted us as we got out of the car and insisted on carrying our luggage,' one couple wrote. 'Immaculate housekeeping, lovely food,' is another comment this year. The architect-designed building (1963) has panoramic views of the surrounding countryside on the edge of the North York Moors national park. Complimentary afternoon tea with home-made biscuits is served in the ground-floor drawing room, which has an open fire in winter. Two bedrooms are large; the third, slightly smaller, has a private bathroom across a corridor. 'Everything was provided in our spacious room including bathrobes and newspapers.' Bathrooms are 'smart and well stocked'; beds are turned down during dinner. A four-course set meal is served by arrangement (48 hours' notice) at separate candlelit tables; the cooking is 'domestic eclectic', perhaps fennel and potato pancakes with smoked salmon; slow-roasted cushion of lamb. The menu is 'always imaginative, well cooked and presented'. Wine by the glass is 'well chosen'. Breakfast includes dry-cured bacon, Whitby kippers, home-made preserves. The Good Hotel Guide 2009 ________________
	*Alastair Sawday's British Bed and Breakfast 2008* Phillip and Anton have a true affection for their guests so you will be treated like angels. Sumptuous bedrooms dazzle in yellows, blues and limes, acres of curtains frame wide views over the Howardian Hills, bathrooms are gleaming and immaculate. Breakfast on the absolute best; fresh fruit compote, dry-cured bacon, homemade rolls - and walk it off in any direction straight from the house. Return to an elegant drawing room, with a fire in winter, and an enticing library. Dinner is out of this world and coffee and chocolates are all you need before you crawl up to bed. Bliss ______________
	Shallowdale House is the kind of place that, once you have visited, you don't want to share with anyone else because it is so special. This is an outstanding 1960's architect-designed house with huge picture windows to every room, allowing guests to take in spectacular views of the glorious Yorkshire countryside. There is a warm and relaxing atmosphere throughout and a wonderful attention to detail which makes guests return time and time again. The bedrooms are light, spacious and stylish with all the finishing touches such as television, radio, tea and coffee making equipment, hairdryers and beautiful toiletries, but the best part must surely be waking each morning to the stunning views from the windows. As if this wasn't enough, Anton and Phillip are the most delightful and attentive hosts one could wish for, with Anton looking after guests and preparing afternoon tea, and Phillip cooking the most exquisite dinners and setting guests up for a days' activities with a hearty breakfast using the finest, and mostly, locally sourced ingredients, Anton and Phillip have the wonderful ability to make their guests feel they are the most important people in the world. Nothing is too much trouble and they really enjoy providing their guests with an unforgettable experience. They both have a background in art and design which is evident throughout the house and their local knowledge will ensure guests do not miss any of the delights of the area. _________________________
	Sunday October 16, 2005 The top 50 for under £50 The best in their class Best for breakfast The breakfast, with organic bacon, local sausages, Whitby kippers and home-made preserves, is 'so good you can forgo lunch'. Phillip Gill and Anton van der Horst's guesthouse is in the Hambleton Hills, on the edge of the North York Moors national park. The 'limitlessly hospitable' hosts have a 'relaxed style'. Free tea with 'wonderful home-made delights' is provided. A four-course set dinner, is available by arrangement. ______________________
	*The Which? Guide to Good Hotels 2005* Modern country hotel with soothing views and great food Rest and relaxation are in ample supply at Anton van der Horst and Phillip Gill's elegant 1960's house near the North York Moors. And their visitors know it: around half of them have stayed before and are back for more of the rural tranquillity, easy-going welcome and excellent food that they will find here. When you're not out exploring the ruined abbeys at Byland and Rievaulx, walking in the area or pottering around pretty villages, you could stay put in the house, which is a comfy haven of antiques, Turkish rugs on polished wooden floors and tasteful décor where not a detail jars. Light floods in through vast picture windows where you can bask and enjoy the panoramic views across the undulating dales. One of Phillip's four course dinners might start with aubergine and red pepper roulade, and be followed by Ryedale lamb, then caramelised apple tart with home-made cinnamon and maple syrup ice cream, and cheese and biscuits to round it all off. Bright and cheery bedrooms have well-matched colour schemes and immaculately kept bathrooms. ___________________
	5 September 2004 *Best of British* It's been a busy year for Shallowdale House. Already nominated as Yorkshire's best B&B in the Excellence in England awards, it now has a César in the trophy cabinet too. The success is thoroughly deserved. Its owners, Phillip Gill and Anton van der Horst, are a limitlessly hospitable pair, and they’ve worked hard to turn their modest modern house into an elegant perch. And it's not just a B&B; it offers first-class dinners, too. The location: on the edge of Ampleforth, with the castles, abbeys and wide open spaces of the North York Moors beckoning beyond. 9/10 The rooms: book the king-size room if you can. It's as big as a suite and well furnished, with a wonderful bed. The library next door is home to the most enticing selection of books I've seen in any hotel, ever. 9/10 The decor: an eclectic mix of country pine, antiques and modern design classics. In smaller rooms, the colour scheme might have felt lurid, but here there is so much space and daylight that it doesn't matter. 8/10 The food: strong on local ingredients and considered combinations, among them guinea fowl wrapped in prosciutto served with a cream and rosemary sauce. Save some room for the cheeseboard. 9/10 The service: this is not a place where you can lock yourself away in complete privacy, but if you’ve an appetite for conversation,it's a delight. 9/10 The tab: doubles start at £75 per night, B&B. Value for money: 10/10 Does it deserve its César? Yes. And maybe next year it'll win an Oscar. ______________________
	*Daily Express* 18 September 2004 " the epitome of gracious B & B living set in a superb rural location...it offers a more rarefied experience than the B & B tag suggests...All in all, Shallowdale is an object lesson in how to progress the Great British B & B" ____________________
	6 September 2004 Small B&B proves to be a big hit A North Yorkshire guesthouse which can accommodate only six visitors has been named among the 10 best hotels in Britain by the Good Hotel Guide. Shallowdale House at Ampleforth won the bed and breakfast category in the guide's annual Cesar awards - named after hotelier Cesar Ritz. Owners Phillip Gill and Anton van der Horst run the B&B in "a very personal style", the guide says. "It is outstanding, what an example to so many so-called hoteliers." A Good Hotel Guide spokesman said: "This is a small guest house but it gets an awful lot of praise from our readers. "It has great views of the Howardian Hills, it's a lovely architect-designed house and is run in a very personal style by these two characters." He added it was the first time a guest house from Yorkshire had won one of the coveted awards. Last year Shallowdale House won the White Rose Award from the Yorkshire Tourist Board as the best accommodation in the region © BBC MMV ___________________