The owners of the acclaimed Askham Hall have welcomed the first guests to a newly acquired and refurbished 17th century pub, as part of the rebranded ‘Askham Collection’.
Charles Lowther has transformed The Queen’s Head in the picturesque village of Askham, bringing it under the umbrella of both Askham Hall and the George & Dragon at Clifton.
It is part of a wider vision to create a new health and wellbeing hub in the Lake District, with the Queen’s Head also sitting on the doorstep of the village’s newly-established ‘Health Barn’. The 18th century rustic barn offers treatments and workshops, ranging from the only flotation tank of its kind in Cumbria to naturopathic nutrition and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
The Queen’s Head will have a foodie ethos of healthy, hearty meals cooked using produce from Askham Hall’s kitchen gardens and the estate’s farms during the day. By night, there will be modern British tapas-style charcuterie, mezze plates and cheeses, alongside freshly prepared desserts.
A ‘pop up restaurant’ will also be open every other Friday evening from 14 June 2019, under the dual guidance of Richard Swale (Head Chef at Askham Hall) and Gareth Webster (Head Chef at The George and Dragon). Themed monthly set menus will be matched with perfect wines, getting underway in June with one of Askham’s resident rare breeds, shorthorn beef.
Meanwhile, six bedrooms have been refurbished along similar luxurious principles to Askham Hall. Four are family-sized bedrooms, including two with separate annexes. All are dog-friendly.
Guests at the Queen’s Head are also bring offered expansive options for local adventure, from the challenge of wild swimming and mountain biking to family activities and more gentle guided walks with the Lowther Estate’s deer stalker. The underlying aim is to help visitors embrace the broad principles of wellbeing in an awe-inspiring landscape away from the more traditionally tourist-orientated parts of the Lake District.
Owner of the ‘Askham Collection’, Charles Lowther, says; “I have a deep personal love for the outdoors and wanted to celebrate Askham’s unusually accessible relationship with nature compared to many parts of the Lakes. People can explore from the door without a car, so by linking the Queen’s Head with nature and the health barn we are looking to cement Askham and Lowther as THE place to go in the Lakes for adventure and holistic wellbeing.”
Rooms at the Queen’s Head range from £130-190 per night, based on two sharing on a B&B basis. The pop-up restaurant is £45 per person and an additional £35 with paired wine.