Vilma Darling visits the Feversham Arms hotel, an idyllic rural retreat in Yorkshire.

If there’s such a thing as an ideal English countryside retreat, then the Feversham Arms hotel and Verbena spa in Helmsley, Yorkshire, is definitely very close to perfection. Or at least so it seemed to me when I was sitting in the wooden hot tub outdoors in the early days of this spring.

The trees hadn’t blossomed yet, so I was admiring the crows’ nests on the bare branches and the ancient church tower with the rooster wind vane while the birds screamed at their enemies and the dark clouds were threatening to burst with rain.

I didn’t mind the miserable weather one tiny bit, because the hotel and the spa had absolutely everything that I might have needed: a restaurant run by two formidable chefs, an amazing champagne menu, a boardroom, library and private dining facilities as well as a great film collection in every room.

The Verbena spa offered a large range of beauty and health treatments, along with a heated swimming pool and hot tub outside in the courtyard. The hotel’s manager, Simon Rhatigan, informed me that guests were enjoying the outdoor facilities even last winter when the Yorkshire area suffered from heavy snow.

I enjoyed the Verbena spa to the full: my Elemis Taster Facial and scalp massage were very relaxing (and, I hope, beneficial) and I particularly loved the ‘welcome touch’ – a hot towel rub for my tired feet. The spa also features a steam room, sauna, aromatherapy room, salt inhalation room, ice cave, foot spas and a cosy relaxation area, where I saw some ladies happily sleeping.

Originally built as a coaching inn in the 19th century, the hotel later expanded and now features 33 individually designed bedrooms, 22 of which are suites.

All bedrooms are fitted with Bang & Olufsen televisions with integral DVD and CD players, L’Occitane toiletries, Egyptian cotton bedding and a toy sheep with a “Do not disturb” name-tag.

The hotel features a professionally lit gallery area and lots of original prints and collected art, mostly from local artists and I was seriously considering buying the apparently very popular “Feversham Cow” charcoal sketch (£245.00) that I kept seeing everywhere in the hotel.

The manager informed me that the hotel is a popular place for wedding celebrations, birthdays and anniversaries, while others just like walking in the North York Moors National Park, exploring the coast or visiting Helmsley’s shops and galleries.

Feversham’s Food & Beverage director, Michelin-starred chef Chris Staines, was recruited from London’s Mandarin Oriental hotel where he had run the Foliage restaurant.

He and head chef Simon Kelly (who worked with Michel Roux at the Waterside Inn) have improved the afternoon tea menu (£22.50 per person) and introduced a 5 course tasting menu (paired with wine) and a 3 course a la carte menu as standard. Both dining menus cost a decent £45 per person.

At the afternoon tea table, the ladies and I cleared the crab, crème fraiche & coriander sandwiches and were very impressed with the passion fruit mousse with coffee jelly and lemon posset.

I’m a devout macaroon lover and even though the violet & lavender and blood orange & lemon macaroons were good, they didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

However, the food at dinner was exceptionally good, thanks to the ingenuity of both chefs. I had yellow fin tuna with hazelnuts, Iberico ham and balsamic reduction as a starter; wild sea bass with Jerusalem artichokes, chicory and Parmesan beignet for the main course;  and we finished our meal with a huge plate of cheese each.

The waitress rolled out the massive trolley with 18 different cheeses and gave a deep sigh when we asked to name them all. That was probably our mistake and a waste of time, because by the time she finished, I could only remember one name: “The Stinking Bishop”.

After a truly satisfying meal I retired to my beautiful spa suite to enjoy some of the great films in my room (Godfather, Casablanca, The English Patient and “Y tu mama tambien” to name a few).

But then the Yorkshire Sheep Dip lavender bubble bath caught my attention and I lit the incense and the candle and ended up in the very comfortable bath with one of my favourite magazines, and placed the toy sheep with “Do not disturb me” tag outside my door.

Website: www.fevershamarmshotel.com

Address: Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, YO62 5AG

Phone: +441439 770 766

Read our guide to the best luxury hotels near London.

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