Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, drives into the heart of North Yorkshire and finds himself in a stress-free zone

EVER since going there on a school coach trip in the 1970s, I’ve had a soft spot for the market town of Helmsley.

I can vividly remember the excitement of being inside the ruins of a real castle, with a deep, grassy moat, and firing invisible arrows at imaginary invaders.

Helmsley is magical, with a cobbled marketplace, and an eclectic mix of shops, galleries, tea-rooms and pubs, in which you can lose yourself for hours.

Up and over Sutton Bank, with spectacular scenery, and gliders arcing silently overhead, it is less than an hour’s drive from Darlington.

Ideally located for Yorkshire and the Tees Valley, it’s the kind of place which makes you wonder why it’s been so long since your last visit.

Through the marketplace, and past the majestic All Saints Church, The Feversham Arms stands so unassumingly on the corner that it would be easy to drive by without knowing that it is an award-winning luxury hotel and spa.

Originally an old coaching inn, it was rebuilt and renamed in 1855 by the Earl of Feversham on the site of an older hostelry. Behind its walls these days, lie temptingly comfortable lounges, 33 luxurious bedrooms, including 22 suites, and a spa leading to a heated outdoor pool which is open all year round. It all adds up to an ideal place to get away from the daily grind and unwind.

My wife and I arrived on a Friday evening and booked in to a suite overlooking the bright blue, inviting pool. Dinner was served in the spacious restaurant, which was awarded three AA Rosettes last year.

My wife chose blue cheese mousse, radish, quail’s egg and lemon dressing to start, followed by chive and parmesan gnocchi, samphire, confit onions and broccoli, and a dessert of camomile set cream, honey, lavender, and orange.

I opted for heritage tomatoes, lemon thyme goat’s cheese and pistachio grapefruit dressing, followed by corn-fed chicken breast, pod peas, pancetta and sweet corn polenta. It was splendidly finished off with strawberry cornetto, with white chocolate and mint.

It all sounds delicious, doesn’t it? And so it was. Like the hotel and Helmsley itself, head chef Simon Kelly’s menu is that little bit different, and restaurant manager Antoine Bouquerel is charmingly attentive.

We were also tempted by the Tasting Menu, which gives customers the chance to try a little of several dishes, but it was a case of being spoilt for choice, and we stuck with a la carte.

In the morning, it was a good old-fashioned Yorkshire cooked breakfast for me, and smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for my wife, before we headed for the spa, featuring saunarium, aromatherapy room, salt vapour room, monsoon shower, ice cave, foot spa, outdoor hot tub and rasul.

From there, we spent a pleasant few hours relaxing by the outdoor pool. The cocoon – a large pool-side piece of garden furniture – is highly recommended. Shaped like a huge ball, you can climb inside, snuggle up amongst the cushions, and forget the stresses of everyday life.

“We try to create somewhere special for people to escape,” says Feversham Arms director Roddy Whiteford, who has a wealth of experience at the upper end of the hotel trade. “As soon as people arrive, the emphasis is on chilling out and switching off for a while.”

The Feversham Arms is a favourite haunt for shooting parties, walkers, and those looking for somewhere to celebrate a special occasion.

Tennis courts can be found within walking distance and running trails are located around the village and countryside.

We headed home at lunch-time, but not before a leisurely stroll around the shops, where my wife couldn’t resist buying a silver ring in one of the lovely craft shops… or two new dresses in Browns department store.

The invisible bows and arrows of my childhood are long gone, but the magic of Helmsley remains irresistible.

Packages

Muddy boots: Two night’s dinner, bed and breakfast and the chance to explore the beauty of the North York Moors. From £105 per person per night.

Food lovers break: Includes cream tea on arrival, pre-dinner champagne cocktail, gourmet six-course tasting menu, full Yorkshire breakfast. From £135 per night.

Stress buster: Includes £45 towards dinner, per person per night, full Yorkshire breakfast, entry to Verbena Spa heat facilities, deep tissue muscle massage. From £110 per person per night.

You and Me Time: Includes one night’s accommodation in shared room or suite, £45 allowance towards evening meal, full Yorkshire breakfast, Elemis Me Time treatment each (75 minutes), full use of Verbena Spa heat experience. From £179 per person per night.

Factfile

Location: Less than 30 minutes from York, 45 minutes from Teesside and Harrogate and 50 minutes from Leeds by car. The hotel is 15 minutes from the A1.

Notable historic sites within easy reach: Castle Howard, Rievaulx Abbey, Byland Abbey, Helmsley Castle, Duncombe Park, Nunnington Hall and Newby Hall.

Telephone: 01439-770766

Email: reservations1@fevershamarms hotel.com

Website: fevershamarmshotel.com