Brownber House CUMBRIA The hoteliers behind Brownber Hall launch a new private hireplus offer overlooking the Howgill Fells. Words: Catherine Martin Photography: © Jake Eastham
I
f there’s one type of accommodation that the
Walker however, closure wasn’t an option. In
UK does better than anyone, it’s the classic
2016, the duo left the stresses of London life
country house hotel. Set amongst rolling hills
behind and moved 300 miles north to realise
at the end of a winding lane, the archetypal
their dream of running a guesthouse. They
country pile with roaring log fire is a frequent
spent four years renovating and repositioning
sight in rural locations across the British Isles,
Brownber Hall – a Victorian mansion built
with many once occupied by aristocracy and
in the 1800s – and were in the midst of an
handed down through generations before
expansion project when Covid-19 took hold.
eventually being converted to hotel use. And
“We used lockdown as a time to rethink our
while the traditional look of heavy drapery,
offer,” explains Amanda. “Brownber Hall was
deep colourways and heady combination of
a small, very intimate hotel, so with the current
check and chintz may have served well in days
climate and people not being comfortable in
gone by, a new breed of hoteliers are favouring
public spaces, we were a nervous about being
a softer, lighter, more elegant aesthetic that has
able to reopen.”
effectively reinvented the country house hotel in recent years.
As it became clear they could no longer operate in the same way, Peter and Amanda made the
But when the global pandemic hit, the sub-
difficult decision to pivot to private rental, and
sector suffered more than most; what was
at the same time launch a second property in
originally a USP – cosy, intimate spaces that felt
Brownber House, which they acquired earlier
more like a living room than a lobby – became
this year. The four-bedroom farmhouse
a drawback, with prolonged social distancing
occupies the same estate as Brownber Hall,
measures forcing some to close their doors
overlooking the Howgill Fells and close to the
permanently. For Peter and Amanda Jaques-
market town of Kirkby Stephen. It was already
083