Armathwaite Hall Hotel and Spa
Little did I know, as I walked through the grand trappings of the reception area at Armathwaite Hall, that we were just weeks away from a nationwide lockdown and unimaginably life-changing year. It was early spring, frost glittering in the grass, and after a long journey from London, I was ready to dive into the comfort offered by this countryside retreat.
The moment I entered Armathwaite Hall, I knew things were special. The ornate surroundings had barely been taken in before I was being offered a glass of sherry - a warm measure to chase off the last remaining chill. You often find with beautiful hotels that the beauty is a blanket of defence for imperfectness elsewhere: shoddy service, disappointing meals, basic amenities. Not so here, with each element of my stay meeting the expectations set before it.