Last month my mum and I took a weekend trip up to York. It’s one of her fave places and I wanted to treat her to something special. After a bit of research I booked Gray’s Court, a real hidden gem right in the centre of the city, and we were so impressed, I wanted to share it with you.
Gray’s Court is a beautiful old building, in the shadow of the York Minster. It’s one of the most historic buildings in England with a cracking history AND it’s the oldest inhabited house in York. Pretty cool. Parts of the house date back to the 11th century and since that time it’s been home Lords and Ladies, a Chancellor of the Exchequer and some really important folks. Add to that, three royal visits and now, perhaps most illustrious of all – a visit from me and my mum!
Arriving at Gray’s Court
The title of this blog gives it away but this really is a hidden gem. As we drove into the city (and I mean INTO the city, I wasn’t sure the sat nav was quite right. But lo and behold, we turned a corner and found ourselves in a pretty cobbled courtyard. We’d made it to Gray’s Court. If you want to park there, you need to book in advance as parking is limited. I think it was £10 from memory for the stay and well worth it for the location as I think parking elsewhere would have meant a bit of a trek.
The inside space is stunning. From a tasteful entrance hall on the ground floor to the Jacobean long gallery on the first floor, we loved it all. The long gallery runs the length of the property, with a bar one end and doors opening onto the garden at the other. There were several comfortable places to sit and we did indeed enjoy a few tipples there both before and after our meal out! I particularly loved this window seating area. Isn’t it gorgeous?
The Fairfax room
We stayed in the Fairfax room, a small but comfortable double. I chose it because it was one of the rooms with a roll top bath (we both enjoyed soak). They have 12 rooms in total, all of which look beautiful. Ours was no exception, with a lovely view over the cobbled courtyard and the medieval Treasurer’s House – a National Trust property, next door to the hotel. And of course, we could see the top of the Minster too!
Our room was equipped with a fancy Dualit coffee machine and we had a selection of delicious truffles on arrival. Large fluffy towels, bath robes and slippers sealed the deal and we enjoyed them later in the day with our afternoon baths! Weirdly, our bedside tables were really high, in comparison to the bed. They looked nice and in keeping but I’d argue that as two women below 5ft 3″, not overly practical.
The garden
Gray’s Court is the only privately owned building in York that has direct access onto the city walls. They keep it closed to stop people just wandering in but isn’t that cool? And the garden is beautiful, really lovely and a great spot for a pre-dinner G&T from their Garden Bar. We loved sitting there, looking back at the building and seeing all the different bits changed and added over time.
Breakfast and goodbye… until next time
We really couldn’t fault our stay. A huge shout out to the staff who were all excellent, from the moment we arrived to the time we left. They were helpful but not overbearing and at times, funny! A big shout out to Helen, the owner, too. We spent some time with her that evening, chatting about life at Gray’s Court and how the team coped through the pandemic. What she’s achieved at the hotel is incredible and she should be so proud.
Breakfast was slow but tasty. They had a full dining room and as everything is cooked fresh, we didn’t mind the wait. Mum assures me the coffee was excellent and as she didn’t want a full cooked option, they did her a bowl of fresh fruit with muesli and yoghurt. I had the eggs benedict (obvs) and it was delicious. Thick cut smokey salty bacon with unctuous hollandaise and bright orange runny yolked eggs. What’s not to love? We also had toast with whipped butter and homemade marmalade. The marmalade was delicious but a bit runny. A tiny critique!
Final thoughts
This is a really lovely little hotel and worth the money in my opinion. The staff were excellent and made us feel special from arrival to departure. As my first trip away without Mini Bites, and a special treat for my mum, it was just perfect. Overall, the decor of the hotel is in keeping with the age of the property but one thing struck us as unusual. As you go up to the bedrooms, there is a series of black and white photographs depicting scenes from (I guess) someone’s travels. Many of them feature kids and people from around the world and they’re all pretty modern. We commented that they seemed at odds with the rest of the property. That’s a tiny criticism though and really, I’m picking at straws
As you’ve probably gathered, overall, we loved it. We’ve already agreed that we’d like to return, next time with my sister in tow (she was very jealous that we’d gone without her!). Maybe next time, we’ll book into the Bow Room restaurant too, to complete the Gray’s Court experience. It was closed during our visit but the menu looks excellent, with much of its produce coming from their own kitchen garden.
*I paid £260 for our overnight stay in the Fairfax room plus £10 for parking. This was a Sunday-Monday visit and rates vary depending on room and when you’re visiting.*