North East Leisure News

Issue 117

Housed within the beautifully restored Duchess School, this luxury hotel is a real regal retreat, blending heritage charm with contemporary elegance. For any fans of Northumberland (and let’s face it, who wouldn’t be?) it offers guests a luxurious base from which to explore all the region has to offer. I was invited to experience the Bailiffgate by General Manager Bernard Bloodworth, a pillar of the North East hotel scene and fittingly, a former pupil of the very school which is now the Bailiffgate. His warm welcome set the tone for a stay that was as memorable as it was indulgent. Arriving on a late-Summer Sunday afternoon, my wife Lisa and I parked with ease in the spacious grounds and were soon struck by the grandeur of the building’s Georgian architecture. Passing a lively courtyard filled with al fresco diners enjoying brunch and afternoon tea, we entered the reception area-a space…