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Augill
Castle, in the Upper Eden Valley stands in open country,
little changed for centuries. The castle's backdrop
is the dramatic North Pennines with gardens opening
out to views of the nearby Yorkshire Dales and the Lakeland
fells beyond.
Built
in 1841 as a Victorian gentleman's country residence,
the castle has all the fairytale romance of a turreted
hideaway. Augill Castle is not just a hotel but a country
house in its truest sense. Wendy
and Simon, together with their young family, do all
they can to ensure their guests leave feeling that they
have stayed with friends.
Not
here a formal reception desk to greet you, but rather
a collection of comfy leather chairs around a roaring
fire and a friendly Labrador. The castle provides the
chance for guests to step out of reality and into a
more relaxed place altogether.
It
is a place where the background is of creaking floorboards,
ticking clocks and distant laughter. Interesting antiques
lurk in every corner and artifacts on every mantle have
a genuine story to tell.
To
achieve this, Augill is, above all things, a real home
with children, cats and dogs, muddy boots kicked off
by the door and toys tidied carelessly into a corner.
Guests
can be part of the family or they can keep themselves
to themselves. Anything goes at Augill; anything that
is but hushed tones and false formality.
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