Tucked away in the storybook folds of the Cumbrian countryside, Farlam Hall feels less like a hotel and more like a dream, one woven from ivy-draped walls, serene gardens and centuries of history. It’s an enchanting 18-bedroom 4 AA Red Star and 1 Michelin Key hotel with all the character of a traditional country house situated close to Brampton and the iconic Hadrian’s Wall.
Just a short drive from Carlisle Station, or a perfect pitstop if you are on a road-trip to Scotland, Farlam Hall has us charmed from the moment we lay eyes on it. After a warm welcome, a cup of tea and just out of the oven scone in the lounge, we explore the grounds. We are amused by a couple of sheep who have escaped a nearby field and are being wrangled unwillingly back to it by a member of the hotel staff. We’re definitely not in London anymore! With rooms in the main hotel building, all individually, and charmingly designed, we are staying in the Stable Suites. Sleeping from between two people to six, these suites are the perfect bridge between self-catering and hotel luxury. With sitting rooms and kitchens, staying here with friends or family means you have privacy, but can pop to the main building for your meals.
Speaking of which, the food is really why we’ve come all this way. While the Hall’s heritage may root it in the past, the food is anything but old-fashioned. At the heart of the hotel lies The Cedar Tree, a Michelin-starred culinary gem that’s redefining rural fine dining. Under the expert hand of Chef Patron Hrishikesh Desai (yes, he of BBC’s Great British Menu fame), guests are travelling from far and wide to experience his chef mastery. The setting? A recently renovated dining room full of light, elegance and polished calm. Think high ceilings and tranquil views across the gardens and lake.
For those craving even more intimacy, HRISHI’s Table, a 6-10 seat chef’s table launched last year, offers a deeper dive into Hrishikesh’s artistry. We are in a private room and start with a Farlam Hall gin and tonic from nearby multi-award-winning Hawkridge Distillery. Then we are on to bespoke wine pairings, starting with Taittinger, and this 14-course tasting menu is nothing short of transcendent. Each dish arrives with a quiet theatricality, delivered by Hrishikesh, who guides us through the provenance, inspiration and precision behind every plate. With ingredients pulled from the on-site kitchen garden, and produce sourced locally, the menu captures the soul of the region while embracing bold techniques. Drawing on his experience training under Michel Roux, and his South Indian heritage, some of the first dishes are a play on Indian street food, and there is even a bread course, including laminated brioche and some incredible flavoured butters. It’s the challenge of a lifetime not to eat all of it, but knowing we have another seven or eight courses to go, we apply some restraint! White asparagus, cauliflower steak, Cornish cod, corn-fed chicken, every dish is a masterpiece of design and taste. This is more than just dinner. It’s an immersive, world-class experience, and one that quietly, yet confidently, places Farlam Hall at the pinnacle of British destination dining.
We sleep well in our oh-so-comfortable rooms (made even better by a lovely turndown service), and by some miracle find room for a delicious breakfast the next morning. The human body never ceases to amaze! We do need a walk though, so set off to nearby Talkin Tarn to walk around the lake. With a bird observatory and star gazing ‘nest’ it’s a peaceful walk in stunning surroundings. In fact, this is an area with minimal light pollution, on the fringes of one of the largest Dark Sky Parks in the world. This means when the sky is clear and there is little or no moon, then conditions are perfect for seeing the night sky. There are lots of walks you can do setting out from the hotel, and there are maps available, detailing the level of fitness required, and the hotel will send you off with a picnic (and umbrella!).
We bid a sad farewell to Farlam Hall, but we have time to pop into Carlisle Cathedral before our train, and we are glad we do. We have a wonderfully knowledgeable guide who tells us about the Cathedral’s chequered history, and when you’re a building that’s been around for over 900 years, there are lots of highs and lows to share! When we first step inside, one of the most significant things we notice is a beautiful blue and gold ceiling. The main timbers of the ceiling date back to the fourteenth century, but the decorations we see today were created by restoration work carried out in 1853. The design follows the medieval original, but the colours and the addition of the gold stars were the work of Owen Jones, one of the great and most famous decorative artists of the day. Absolutely stunning, we are still thinking about it when we get on our train home.
It’s been a short but sweet escape from the hustle and bustle of London, and we feel restored by the fresh air and beauty of the hotel and its surroundings, not to mention very full up after such a fine dining experience.
