Augill Castle is a multi-turreted edifice of reddish stone, a Victorian folly in a green valley between Lune Forest and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. What interested us was its convenient location, 16 miles (26km) off the M6 at Tebay junction 38, almost exactly halfway on the 11-hour drive from London to our holiday house in Argyll. Augill Castle turned out to be one of the swankiest motorway stopovers ever.

The place reminded me not of a snobby country house hotel, but those grandiose, slightly-run-to-seed châteaux in France that open a few bedchambers to the B&B trade. There is no reception — the castle’s owners, Simon and Wendy Bennett, and their children tend to hang out in the kitchen, and displayed a level of casualness that was most encouraging for visiting families. Indeed, our hosts were seeing off a bottle of wine with friends when we arrived at 10pm on a Bank Holiday Friday frazzled by traffic, and immediately showed us the wine cellar so we, too, might feel better.

There was an aura of madness about the decoration: Gothic wood panelling, moth-eaten stag antlers, crossed swords, big open fires, and huge leather sofas for drinks when you arrive. There were piles of bizarre books everywhere, and a strange jumble of antique and salvaged furniture. Our bedroom was freshly wallpapered, with new thick yellow damask curtains, and a four-poster with crisp white sheets. There was also a sofa, a pile of old-fashioned leather suitcases and a tea tray set with home-made biscuits, Hildon water and a decanter of sherry. The bathrooms had been replumbed, with good showers, big white towels and Molton Brown soap. In the room for our three children, there were stairs down to a huge bath with a vast curtained canopy.

While we lay in bed the next morning, our kids played on a trampoline outside and ran riot in the grounds with the owners’ children. A sign coming up the drive says: “Free-range animals and children.”

We had breakfast around a huge communal table in a high-ceilinged room. Everything was available: Cumberland sausage, scrambled eggs, good toast and breads, homemade jams, yoghurt, cereals, and fresh orange juice.

I only wished we were staying for two nights, and not just a stopover. We would have liked to spend more time exploring the lanes, dales and Hadrian’s Wall near by. Augill was not cheap for a B&B; indeed it was more like a stage set for an Agatha Christie murder. In many ways, it would be better to take over the 10 rooms with friends and have a fantastic house party for the weekend.



Bottom line: Kate Muir paid £140 for a double, including breakfast.

Sampling the fare: The full English breakfast was epic — and mostly organic.

What we think: Great place for a weekend house party.

Best thing: Mad decoration.

Worst thing: You have to enjoy communal eating.

Access all areas: One room suitable for wheelchairs and all other facilities on the ground floor.

Need to know: Augill Castle (01768 341937, www.augillcastle.co.uk), Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria.

Room: 8 out of 10.

Food: 7 out of 10.

Service: 7 out of 10.

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