Northcote Hotel
Ian Jones, Food and Drink EditorVisit now
Northcote Hotel
Need a break from the manic pace of life in the city centre of Manchester or Liverpool? Pencil in a trip to Northcote, just an hour or so away from both, in the heart of the Ribble Valley in Blackburn. Here, you’ll find stunning views and a sense of peace you’ll be hard-pressed to find in Ancoats.
As well as the Michelin-star restaurant, Northcote has 26 luxury rooms and suites, of which many have been renovated recently. These have been redesigned in chalk, dove grey and soft neutrals inspired by the surrounding landscape, each with air conditioning, a new bathroom, a Hypnos bed and Bamford toiletries. The rest are due to follow over the coming months.
There are 18 guest rooms in the Manor House, in the same building as the restaurant and cookery school. Across the gardens, the Garden Lodge is home to seven luxurious junior suites and the awe-inspiring Master Suite. The latter feels like something out of golden-age New York City, with a bathroom bigger than most of the flats I’ve ever lived in.
Thanks to this and the cheerful, welcoming staff, you’ll never feel like you’re at a faceless McHotel – rather, it’s the best of Northern England: stylish, friendly and surrounded by miles and miles of beautiful scenery.
There are big plans for the future, including another restaurant, more rooms and even a spa. And outside, a new kitchen garden is taking shape, with a Victorian-style greenhouse now in place. This supplies many ingredients for the restaurant’s acclaimed menu – one of the very best in all of England, let alone the North.
As somewhere to enjoy a luxurious break in the Northwest, it’s hard to beat Northcote. The staff are as charming as the hotel itself, and locations don’t get much easier on the eye than this.
