£2m boutique hotel to open in Richmond, North Yorkshire

A new boutique hotel and restaurant is to open within the grounds of a Georgian manor house in Richmond, North Yorkshire, following a £2m transformation of its stable block.

Set to launch in the autumn, the Coach House at Middleton Lodge will feature nine-bedrooms, overlooking a paddock and croquet pitch, and a 2,000 sq ft restaurant.

Middleton Lodge stands within a 200-acre estate owned by James Allison, who lives in an apartment within the house. The Allison family has owned the property, which is hired out for weddings, parties and corporate events, since 1980.

Allison said: "The Coach House has been a labour of love for all of the Middleton Lodge team. We are so excited to launch and share our stunning estate with our guests.

"Throughout the transformation process we wanted to make sure that the restaurant and hotel felt contemporary and relaxed, but that its traditional soul was still retained. It was vital to keep as many of the original features as possible, filling each room with quirky antiques and original pieces created by local craftsmen."

Head chef Gareth Rayner, who has joined the Coach House from his previous role as sous chef Wynyard Hall in the Tees Valley, will be working closely with Middleton Lodge's kitchen director, Caroline Whalley, to oversee the new restaurant.

He said that he is committed to using best seasonal produce from within North Yorkshire.

"I am so excited to get started, I have so many plans to make sure it's the best I can create every day, which will entail redeveloping menus not just in my first few weeks, but on a daily basis," he explained. "The seasonal menu will be ever changing, plus we'll have a daily market menu showcasing a variety of strong rustic flavours, but with the finesse that diners enjoy today."

The Coach House at Middleton Lodge will open on 3 October.