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Rogerthorpe Manor

By Geraldine May

It might be a little off the beaten track, but a visit to Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel is definitely worth it!

Popular for all occasions including evening dining, wedding receptions, business events etc, it’s also a great place to call at lunchtime and enjoy a pint and a bite to eat in the more recently added Jacobean Pub.

Set in the middle of rolling countryside, this hotel is part of the Best Western chain, and has much to offer with its outdoor seating area, great gardens and peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of nearby town and city life.

To discover the delights of Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel for ourselves, we set off on a midweek family outing. After driving through the nearby centres of Ackworth and Upton, we easily spotted the hotel direction sign and set off towards Badsworth and Thorpe Audlin.
The hotel really does sit deep in rural Yorkshire but, judging by the cars in the car park and people eating in The Jacobean Pub, it has already been discovered by both locals and visitors alike.

So we parked up and found ourselves a round window table in the more recently built pub extension which has been sympathetically detailed with solid wood beams and given an appropriate oldly-worldly feel. Lovely and cool inside as well on a hot day.

Despite the old-world charm however, The Jacobean Pub has a wealth of recent sporting memorabilia on its walls with signed football shirts, photographs etc hanging around the bar and eating areas. Particularly appropriate at the moment in the midst of the World Cup.

So to the menu! With hungry tums, we look at the extensive choice and soon decided on three traditional pub grub dishes, which we should soon discover had been given a modern twist in the presentation, contemporary crockery and attention to detail.

Our orders were taken from the main dishes selection, but there are also light bites, sandwiches and a senior citizens two-course menu deal to cater for all tastes, all budgets and all appetites. A particularly good offer is the £5.65 senior citizens deal, available Monday to Saturday 12noon to 6pm.

For this diners can choose from a choice of six starters, eight mains and five desserts and round it all off with a tea or coffee. A good deal and one which offers traditional roasts, fish, pasta and vegetarian options.

Our choices made, we sat back and contemplated what `The Jacobean’ steak pie, the Masham pork sausages with scallion mash and the home made beef lasagne would be like.

On arrival at the table all dishes were piping hot, well presented and certainly lived up to expectation. Needless to say all three quickly disappeared and all that was left were three clean plates.

The pie was declared delicious, the sausages and mash got the thumbs-up and the lasagne was equally good. All pudding fans will be delighted to know we didn’t let the side down and ordered two traditional hot puddings – one treacle sponge with custard and one rhubarb crumble (to share between two of us).

I suppose we should expect rhubarb on the menu as we were in `rhubarb country’ and in the middle of England’s top rhubarb producting area. However, that suited us fine as rhubarb is a particular favourite.

The dessert menu offered other tasty temptations including fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream as well as chocolate and orange bread and butter pudding – maybe next time!

To round it all off, we ordered three coffees and then sat back in our chairs to contemplate the rest of the day. A good lunch had certainly set us up for the day and I don’t think any of us would be rushing to eat anything else for a good number of hours.

One of the good things about Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel is that the recent pub addition has given a great facility to local people as well as business customers and tourists visiting the area.

With a good pub on the doorstep, serving a good mix of cask ales and lagers etc and a good choice of food, there’s always plenty of local people to be found in The Jacobean Pub or sat outside on a good summer’s day.

The inhabitants of the manor house itself can be traced back to the early 1600’s.The hotel’s managing director Richard Metcalfe explained to us that although he has managed to discover some of the house’s history, for some reason there don’t seem to be any old photographs available.

“It’s such a shame. We would like to find out more about the history of the house. If anyone from the local area has any knowledge or even photographs, we would be delighted to hear from them,’’ he said.

It is believed there has been some human activity on this site since the Stone Age and records show that the hotel was once included in the Honour of Pontefract which was owned by Ilbert de Lacy of Pontefract Castle.

Prior to it being a hotel, the house was an exclusive country club with a waiting list of over two years and a membership of important politicial and influential people including Lord King of British Airways.

In 1992 the hotel was purchased and refurbished to its current high standard. Today it is owned by the Metcalfe family.

As well as The Jacobean Pub, the hotel has the more formal Oak Room Restaurant for evening dining and a host of function rooms, ideal for business meetings, parties and wedding receptions.

As our visit to this old historical building grew to a close, it was with full stomachs that we turned the car in the direction of home and left the stunning old manor house until our next visit. How nice to see that this massive old manor house is being put to such good use today!
It might be a little off the beaten track but that’s the way locals and visitors like it. Peace and quiet in the midst of stunning English countryside – next time you’re having a `lunch out’, head for Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel.

For contact details and further information for the
Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel click here

Published Summer 2006. All information correct at time of print

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