I was lucky: two heatwaves, and each time I had no work commitments. I searched for hotels where I could swim outside, read by the pool and relax in gardens without spending more than £200 for a one-night escape.
Thankfully, I found two hotels within about an hour’s drive of Leeds, both offering a double room with breakfast for less than £200.
Heatwave 1: Saltmarshe Hall
Monday 26th May was a bank holiday; it was also unusually a scorcher, with Leeds temperatures rising to 33 degrees. My first escape was a Swim, Dine and Stay package at Saltmarshe Hall, a bargain at £189.
Saltmarshe Hall feels completely rural but is only 10 minutes from the M62 and Howden town centre. The Georgian Grade II hall is set in 17 acres of parkland beside the River Ouse. Since Kate and Roland Whyte moved to Saltmarshe in 2012, only the third family in 900 years to own the hall, they have transformed it into an attractive hotel and wedding venue.
Arriving around 1pm, we were pleased to hear our room was already available. Wasting no time, we checked into an attractively decorated king room and headed to the walled garden to swim, slowing only to appreciate the Hall’s herbaceous borders and calming ornamental pond.
Flowers, lawn, and trees surround the swimming pool, creating a lush green space with blue water at its heart. Most people at the hall were celebrating an 80th birthday at a barbecue, so we initially had the pool to ourselves; the water was refreshingly cold, the sun beds comfortable, and the next few hours became a simple rhythm of swim, read, relax and doze.
That was our cue to explore what else Saltmarshe could offer. I was tempted by the selection of growing herbs and little linen bags guests could use to make their own herbal tea in the garden outside the bar, but Pimm’s and lemonade on the lawn won out.
The offer included a £30 credit per person, enough to cover two courses, although we opted for three. The standout dish was my partner’s starter of beef croquettes and saffron risotto, while my pork chop was less successful because it turned out to be gammon and rather salty for my taste. The thick brick walls meant the restaurant, bar and library lounge stayed comfortable, though our second-floor room needed open windows, a removed quilt and the provided fan to make the heat bearable.
It is possible to walk along the banks of the Ouse in either direction from the hotel. We took short walks after dinner and before breakfast, the only times the air was cool enough, but most of our time was spent outside enjoying the gardens, parkland and pool before leaving exactly one day after our arrival.
Heatwave 2: Dewars
A month later and the mercury was again due to rise above 30 degrees. My earlier search had highlighted Dewars, a restaurant with rooms at Kirby Misperton near Malton, and a new search revealed that dinner and breakfast were now available seven days a week, so we booked for Tuesday 23rd June.
Dewars is near several tourist attractions. We stopped for lunch at Castle Howard, a fifteen-minute drive away, and remembered that we would like to revisit nearby Eden Camp when the weather was less punishing. Dewars is also close to Flamingo Land, run by the same company, although its boutique-hotel feel is distinct from the theme park’s self-catering and camping accommodation.
Dewars opened as a hotel, restaurant, and wedding venue in 2023. The former Grapes pub was extended by adding accommodation around a central garden, swimming pool and sauna. The first thing I noticed was a sense of silent calm. There is some traffic noise if you are in the restaurant, bar or adjacent gardens around 10am and 4pm, when Flamingo Land is filling and emptying. However, this noise does not penetrate to the pool and accommodation area and for most of the day, the whole hotel is quiet.
Again, we arrived around 1pm and were fortunate that our room was ready. Each room was named after a plant or tree and individually decorated; Camellia was a joyful pink-and-green creation that echoed the main building’s colour notes, without tipping into theme-park branding. With thick door curtains, a tall portable fan and a cotton cover in place of the quilt, the room felt manageable for sleeping.
The pool is central, with all accommodation pointing towards it. Outside our room was a patio set, handy for drinking the provided Taylor’s coffee in the shade, and a few steps more took us to two sun loungers. The heated pool was warmer than Saltmarshe’s and felt modern and stylish, with jacuzzi jets for relaxation and a resistance jet for exercise that guests can switch on and off.
We were not the only couple to have booked an impromptu break because of the hot weather, and the pool was also used by local families who had booked into the restaurant. However, the space and variety of seating meant it never felt overcrowded.
Dinner was not included, but we made use of attractive weekday offers: two cocktails for £12, followed by two main meals for £30. The pie of the week and chicken in a bacon, Brie and garlic sauce were generous enough that we skipped dessert and took a glass of wine outside to enjoy on the terrace.
After dinner, we managed a short walk to the Flamingo Land site, which felt oddly atmospheric at dusk. In the morning, we crossed the road to look at the sandstone St Leonard’s Church, enjoying its impressive wooden ceiling and cool air before the heat built again.
The night before, we had both selected the full Yorkshire breakfast. We ate yoghurt and fruit while the chef went to work, and the portion sizes were again generous; I particularly enjoyed the tomatoes, cooked on the vine and full of flavour.
We checked out after breakfast but stayed to use the pool, leaving at 1pm after another restorative 24-hour holiday.
Summary: Saltmarshe Hall is the better choice for a romantic, garden-led country-house escape. Dewars offers the stronger pool facilities and better year-round potential. For a heatwave, both are terrific value at under £200, both delivered that rare luxury of a restorative outdoor swim without a long journey from Leeds.
www.saltmarshehall.com www.dewarshotel.co.uk
Main image: The pool at Dewars.
Photography by Debbie Rolls.
