Grange Lodge

Dating back to 1698, Grange Lodge is one of those large, comfortable houses that have evolved as owners have added and altered over the years. Today it’s the home of Norah and Ralph Brown, easygoing, friendly folk who offer guests the warmest of welcomes. Norah has won many awards for her outstandingly good food and runs regular cooking classes. Be sure to book dinner when you make your reservations. Norah serves coffee in the lovely drawing room or in the den, a cozy room where, on colder evenings, a log fire bids a cheery welcome. The Browns are inveterate collectors and as a consequence lovely furniture, old china, pewter, stoneware, and fascinating bygones fill every nook and cranny. Upstairs are the very comfortable, individually decorated bedrooms, all with their own pretty bathrooms full of little extras. Acres of gardens ensure peace and quiet though it’s just a minute’s drive to main roads, making this an ideal touring base for the northern counties. Nearby are two National Trust properties: Ardress House, a 17th-century manor, and The Argory, an 1820s house with a lot of original furniture.