Domain Boutique Rooms

Having the chance to be king of the castle is the jewel in the crown when visiting lovely Lancaster.

And it’s even more fun to enjoy the “dirty rascal” and take a peek into how a famous claymation is connected to the area.

With a medieval fortress guarding the city, there’s no danger of not enjoying a good night’s sleep. But staying in fantastic new boutique accommodation, means it’s luxury all the way.

In June this year, architects and property owners Tom and Philippa Charrier opened the doors to Domain Boutique Rooms in the heart of the city’s historical quarter and a stone’s throw from the castle.

The seven rooms ooze class, and the attic suite is the cream of the crop and has a wonderful view of the castle.

Using their expertise, Tom and Philippa have transformed a former Georgian house into a modern piece of art.

Careful thought has been put into each of the rooms and the attic hideaway is not only spacious and features beautiful old beams and polished floors, but also a top of the range bed from nearby Barnoldswick’s Silent Night and a deep filled state of the art bath.

No expense has been spared, and the textiles and coverings are top notch as is the smart coffee maker, locally made furniture and a large, all singing, all dancing television.

A huge bathroom has a double shower and handmade organic toiletries and everything in the building has been designed to be mid-century inspired, warm and minimal but also sustainably restored using 100 per cent renewable electricity.

Targeting modern leisure and business travellers, Tom and Philippa have used their expertise to create an amenity which supports calm, comfort and well-being.

Everything is super modern, from the contactless mobile check-in, meaning no in-house receptionist to the 24/7 online support and there’s parking nearby, making for an easy stay.

As it’s accommodation only, Tom and Philippa have teamed up with the nearby Journey Social, a brunch and lunch café which is famed for its locally sourced and artfully created food.

Breakfasts here are delicious, with the avocado and pea mash, sour dough, sundried tomatoes, lemon, seeds, chilli and greens served with poached eggs, bacon, halloumi or chilli jam and washed down with high quality teas and coffees, a particular favourite.

There are plenty of eateries in the city and gastropub, The Borough in Dalton Square is a lively choice. Spread over three floors of a Georgian house, it has won many awards over the years for accommodation and food and drink.

The pub has a friendly, well-kept and old fashioned feel about it and dishes served up include starters such as Frickles with Lancashire cheese dip and sauce, along with crispy cauliflower florets with a romesco dip and roast garlic aioli. Mains star local classics, wild mushroom, chestnut and stout suet pudding, with savoy cabbage, roast carrot, triple cooked chips and a vegan red wine jus and Fleetwood fish pie full of the daily catch, with soft boiled eggs, wilted spinach, mashed potato, Lancashire cheese and buttered garden peas.

Warm rice pudding with rum stewed fruit and a pistachio crumb goes down nicely, as does the traditional sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and double Jersey vanilla ice cream, all washed down with non and alcoholic drinks such as a Shirley Temple and Raspberry Spritz.

Once fuelled and with time to explore, walking around the historic city is a joy. The Judges’ Lodgings is the city’s oldest town house and was built in 1625 and the museum has lots of interesting artefacts and current exhibitions include a textile one looking at working lives, a digital peek at how the housekeepers worked and the story of The Birmingham Six who served their time in the city.

Being a university city, lots of trendy bars including the newly opened Mono Loco, cocktails have sprung up, and the Lancaster is a haven for Indies, with its own coffee roaster and specialist retailers and clothing boutiques.

The seaside spot of Morecambe is a short drive away and next year will be celebrating in style its famous son, the comedian Eric Morecambe.

A 30 minute drive to the nearby city of Preston is where the Harris Museum is worth a few hours of exploring.

The museum reopened in September after a £19m revamp. This architectural gem is packed full of displays of art and local artefacts and is currently paying homage to a display all about the claymation sensation, Wallace and Gromit, which was the brainchild of local creator Nick Park, who grew up in nearby Walmer Bridge.

The exhibition features a replica of Wallace and Gromit’s front room, original sketches and models, plus a story video on Nick and television screens showing his best work.

It really is one of the highlights of a cracking day out and as Wallace would say “job well done lad!”

The Details

Domain Boutique Rooms, 14 New Street, Lancaster, LA1 1EG, England.

Tel: +44 (0)7495 018227

Website: www.domainboutiquestays.com

Email: hello@domainboutiquestays.com

The hotel is a seven minute walk or a six minute drive from Lancaster railway station which links high speed connections to Scotland and London via train.

Type of Hotel: Boutique Hotel

Number of Rooms: 7 deluxe double rooms.

Price Band: Prices fluctuate depending on seasonal demand but it’s possible to get accommodation from £153 room only, moving up to £168 including breakfast for one or £183 for two. Discount codes are available if you book direct.

Insider Tip: The castle view room really does give a king’s eye peek at history.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9/10

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.