LIVE THE DREAM IN THE JUDGES LODGING

As a child I can recall passing the building in Lendal known as The Judges Lodging with my mother on our regular weekly trips into York. I was fascinated by the building and have been ever since.

As I grew older I wanted to know more about its history and my mother who loved delving into local history explained its origins to me.

Fast forward a couple of decades after my career and travel got in the way and The Judges Lodging once again became a fascinating place for me and a regular pitstop for morning coffee or a cheeky cocktail on my way to the station after an assignment or a spot of retail therapy in the city with my friends.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine all those years ago as a child that the day would dawn when I would be staying at what has become one of York’s most prestigious superbly preserved historic hotels.

We decided to travel by train to York. It was only a very short taxi ride to the hotel and is easily walkable but we had laptops and luggage for further staycations. The driver dropped off us off at the Museum Garden Gates. We had only to cross the road and it was only around a 2-minute walk to the hotel.

As I walked up the historic 19^th century staircase to reception, I could hardly believe that after all these years I had finally made it to stay in this piece of history right in the centre of York.

The site of the Judges Lodging was first mentioned in a charter dated between 1145 and 1148 and moving forward in 1711 the building that is now known as Judges Lodging was built and made into a private residence for Dr Wintringham, a physician at the York County Hospital.

Over the ensuing years many extensions were added and in 1806 it was bought as the official Judges residence in York, for use when they were attending the quarterly sessions at the Assize courts and it remained so until 1979 when it was bought for use as a hotel.

This Grade1 building, now owned by Daniel Thwaites, has undergone extensive renovations over the years but these have been done sensitively without spoiling the historic ethos of the building that is now a five-star hotel

Enter through the heavy oak doors and the reception says it all with its eclectic mix of contemporary and antique décor. I loved the high stools at reception so you can sit and fill out your paperwork in comfort without feeling uncomfortable trying to reach the desk.

After we checked in there was a lovely touch at reception. I was asked if I took milk in my morning tea or coffee. I said yes and was handed a cold metal flask of milk to put in my room fridge – I loved that as I hate the plastic pots of what my gran used to call ‘sterilised milk’.

We were asked if we wanted help with our luggage and I took advantage of that as a recent tumble had left me rather bruised and sore on my shoulder and my partner could only carry so much as we were heading off from here to another two staycations – and both had laptops.

As we turned the corner I was literally blown away by the sight of the oak Georgian staircase – the only one in the United Kingdom. This sweeping staircase has no supports and its shining polished wood is a standout feature.

Once up the curved staircase we found our room titled The Dispensary – in memory of the doctor who first built a dwelling here. Opening the door I was absolutely thrilled by what was before me – I could have been a guest in some aristocratic stately home – I almost imaged a personal maid appearing from behind the door!

Our room was large with original window seats and shutters plus a very ornate marble 19th century fire place and out of the two large windows you could see the Minster towers. The furniture was heavy oak and the upholstery fitted in wonderfully. There was no shortage of comfortable chairs and tables and some wonderfully ornate lamps, a great full length gilt mirror and a flat screen T.V. The king size bed did not look out of place and was just so comfortable and adorned with embroidered cushions and crisp white sheets.

Leading off our bedroom was a large bathroom and toilet. The bath was deep and had a Jacuzzi facility whilst the rainwater shower was large. The bathroom came complete with high-class toiletries, fluffy robes and towels and thank goodness I didn’t have to ask for one – a non slip mat. There were the usual tea and coffee making facilities including a Lavazza coffee machine and two cans of tonic with a miniature of the hotel’s home made gin.

Another wonderful touch was that if you needed more milk for your morning tea after you had tucked yourself up then you could hang the sign on the door saying more milk required and as if by magic it appeared very early in the morning!!!!!

But I had to laugh when I spotted two bell buttons at the side of the bed one saying Clerk and the other Valet – a lovely touch from the days when it was a Judges Lodging.

After unpacking we decided on a cheeky cocktail before getting ready for dinner and we were not disappointed by the choice. We chose to sit in the front courtyard as it was more lively and love watching the world go by although there is a rear courtyard and private terrace for those who like their own space.

If the weather is cold or inclement or you want a little privacy then the cellar bar with its vaulted ceiling is the place to be. Little breakout areas are perfect and comfortable and you can catch up on a piece of history by reading some old posters about the notorious trial of Dick Turpin. The Cellar Bar serves food from Morning Coffee, Brunch and has a full menu of hot meals and snacks served until late.

We dined in the new Asian Mediterranean fusion fine dining 1711 restaurant which is led by Philippine-born Head Chef Marlon Sanchez, who has brought a fresh new taken on this style of food.

The restaurant’s name 1711 is a nod to the history of the building and the room itself is a Grade 1 listed room and has been sympathetically furnished and decorated with dark green walls, gold gilded mirrors and an beautiful fireplace.

Marlon has a passion for creating modern cuisine with an Asian twist that also captures Mediterranean flavours and uses local and suitably sustainable ingredients and he redesigns his menu every few weeks.

For starters I chose a take on Tempeh- a traditional Indonesian Food made from fermented soya beans in the shape of a cake. Marlon’s take consisted of Polenta, Asparagus, Crispy Parmesan with a Corn Sauce. It was tasty and I loved the strong taste of the Parmesan

My partner chose the onion soup with Ribblesdale Cheese and sourdough bread. The soup was more of a consommé than the traditional thickness usually served but it worked quite well with the Ribblesdale Cheese.

I love fish and I was not disappointed by the Pan Seared Salmon. The salmon was glazed with a floral vinegar and served with lobster sauce, wild mushrooms and Arenka caviar – a caviar substitute made from herring rather than sturgeon perfect for this dish as it has much more flavour with salmon.

My partner had the Rack of Lamb which was a very big portion and cooked just as it should be. The meat was tender and succulent and the dish was well presented. We shared sides of seasonal vegetables and hand cut chips.

Heaven on a plate can only describe my Pavlova. It tasted as good as it looked the meringue was crisp and the seasonal fruits were fresh and tangy with a sprinkling of garden herbs and a sorbet.

My partner went for the Ube Sticky Toffee Pudding which he adored but it was a large portion so I had to help finish it off. The Ube gave the dish a nutty but vanilla flavour and the Pandan custard, an Asian custard usually made from pandan juice coconut cream, eggs and sugar made this dish so special.

After dining we decided to add a little magic to our stay by resuming our seats in the front courtyard and indulging in a bottle of bubbly – this time the trees were lit up with twinkling fairy lights and this part of York was very quiet even at midnight.

Next morning we took a fantastic Yorkshire breakfast in the Conservatory – and it was fantastic with everything cooked to perfection and a large choice of other dishes including everything from eggs Benedict,Florentine and Royale to pancakes and the most delicious hot home made porridge which we had to try as a starter before our main breakfast.

Soon it was time to bid farewell to the Judges Lodging and we had to admit since we checked in we had never left this historic hotel and its wonderful surroundings we enjoyed it so much – a first for both of us.