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The Fitz
Spectacular Lakeland home with games barn, hot tub and barbie lodge.
Hot tub, gardens and grounds
A half-acre of prime parkland sprawls before you, perfect for a pre-prandial stroll or for wearing the kids out. Out there in the walled garden, there’s swings and a playhouse, and a ball to kick into the open goal. In summer, there’s cricket and croquet or just Pimm’s and a paperback.
Head to the stable for more toys. Take a bottle and glasses to clink because two bubbling seven-seat hot tubs await. Dry off and get competitive around the pool table, the table tennis or table football.
On the terrace, table and chairs await al-fresco dining in the rural air. Sizzle your sausages on the gas barbie as the kids race across the lawn and rediscover the lost joys of vitamin D.
If you’re here in winter, note that Northridge Hall is part of the Ledston Estate. That means shoots from October to February that you’ll hear from the house. Of course, for you, gunshot and the flap of a falling bird could just add to the authentic country feel of the manor. It’s your call.
Living spaces
The ceilings are sky-high and the cultural feel even higher, with artwork splashed across the walls from Cheltenham art students sponsored by us on a three-week placement at The British School in Rome. Many, such as Betty Harrison, Lily Musker and Cheryl Brooks, have gone on to great renown.
There’s a piece of fine art donated for each student year. Track them down and let a little culture elevate your spirit further.
In the living room, stoke the fire beneath the marble mantle and make yourself at home. There’s space here to make merry or just chillax with a drink and a book. Monster sofas were made for cards or charades.
To catch a movie, head to the drawing room or to the snug to get a fire going as you hunker down in front of the 58-inch TV or tap into the fast satellite broadband.
Cooking and dining
If you don’t want to get down and dirty with the four-oven Aga, you can always use it as a heater while we ship the experts in. Say the word and Friends 4 Dinner will rustle up buffets, breakfasts or formal dinners, and even load the dishwashers afterwards. Takeaways? Try Fuller Chinese or Caesar’s Indian.
Eat around the chunky hunk of a dining table underneath the chandelier and in front of exquisite artwork from students we’ve sponsored. Get a couple of dozen together, break the bread, pour the wine and get the party started. Alternatively, if you like your pork pulled and your meat smoked, the gas barbie awaits.
Eating out? Take your pick from French, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Lebanese and more in cosmopolitan Leeds and upmarket York. A five-minute walk brings you to the Chequers’ cosy alcoves, for pan-fried salmon or pheasant. The White Horse in Ledston and the Queen o’t’old Thatch in South Milford are five minutes by car.
There’s Italian, complete with mood lighting and a curved bar at La Belle Vita in Garforth. Try authentic Indian at The Thaal in Bretherton, Saffron in Sherburn-in-Elmet, or Aagrah in Garforth, go gastro at trendy The Licorist, or head to Thorpe Park for cocktails on the terrace and dinner by the fire.
Bedrooms
Northridge Hall redefines deep sleep. In the main house, six sprawling bedrooms come with giant windows, superking beds and tons of original features. In the wing, a further three bedroom plus a sofa bed in the lounge make the place ripe for a guestfest of up to two dozen.
The en-suite master bedroom comes with superking bed and walk-in shower. There’s a freestanding bath with piping water from which you might never emerge. Bedroom two is a superking double or two zip-and-link singles. Bedroom three and four offer the same, plus en-suite with walk-in shower.
Family-flexible bedroom five sleeps four in a superking or zip-and-link, plus two singles, while bedroom six is another superking with zip-and-link option. Bedrooms one to five will take an extra bed, and a couple of roaming zed-beds add to the flexibility.
In the wing, bedroom seven is a superking with optional zedbed, while bedrooms eight and nine are superkings with zip-and-link options. A small lounge comes with a double sofa bed. The wing bedrooms share a bathroom, which comes complete with an electric shower over the bath.
What People Say
Fishing, shooting and shows
Kids can start with a mighty roar at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, enjoy go-karts and tractor rides at Farmer Copley’s, and ski the slopes at Xscape. Grown-ups can fish and shoot at Yorkshire Field Sports, walk over to the wild side at Fairburn Ings, or catch a show at the Grand Theatre. Finish with a cocktail at The Alchemist.
