Spotlight on... the refurbishment of The Old Deanery by owners Rebecca and Chris Layton

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Situated in the heart of historic Ripon, just steps from the awe-inspiring cathedral, The Old Deanery stands as a testament to timeless elegance and thoughtful reinvention. Once the residence of Ripon’s cathedral deans, this 17th-century Jacobean mansion has been lovingly restored and reimagined by its current owners, who have breathed new life into its storied walls.

In this interview, we sit down with the passionate duo, Rebecca and Chris, who are behind The Old Deanery’s transformation, to explore their vision, the challenges of restoring a heritage building, and how they’ve balanced preserving the past with creating a modern destination for fine-dining and unforgettable stays.

Tell me about yourselves and how you acquired The Old Deanery.

Rebecca: The Old Deanery is our second site, as we have operated Galtres Lodge Hotel and its restaurant, 'Forest', in York since the end of 2018. 

Prior to that, I had a background in hospitality, and Chris had his own business as a property developer specialising in Georgian listed buildings, so it made sense for us to join forces and take on Galtres Lodge Hotel. At the start, I ran the business while Chris transformed the public areas and bedrooms, highlighting the historic charm of the building, including uncovering original fireplaces, oak beams, and wooden floorboards.

During Covid, we enlisted my friend and former colleague hotel manager, David Macdonald, to help re-brand the restaurant, which is now called 'Forest', and grow the business by taking on site number two.

What made you fall in love with The Old Deanery?

Chris: Many moons ago, I was a postman working in Ripon, and therefore I knew Ripon very well. I have always been drawn to old, historic, or special buildings, and had always admired The Old Deanery.

Therefore, when the venue became available after Covid, naturally we were keen to take it on.

The building was unoccupied before your ownership; tell me about the changes you have made.

Rebecca: Prior to taking on the building in August 2021, the venue had been empty after the previous proprietors had closed it in the wake of the Covid pandemic; therefore, the building had been unoccupied for almost a year.

As we were still in uncertain times, we made the decision to open purely as an exclusive-use wedding and events venue, taking on most of the costs only when there was guaranteed income. This gave us some good foundations to build on before opening more widely in November, 2023.

The bones of the building have always been wonderful, but there were certain things design-wise that we wanted to change to make the venue feel more homely and less like a corporate hotel. We redecorated in a traditional style, such as old leather Chesterfield-style sofas, Farrow & Ball colour schemes on the walls, and oak bar tops. We also scattered the venue with personal quirky items, mostly chosen by Chris. Some key talking points include hand-painted boxes by friend Andrew Monkman and a biplane hanging from the ceiling (which was an impulse buy from Goodwood Revival!).

We did the main redecoration in four to five months, with the aim to reopen for weddings and events from February, 2022. Our first wedding booking was on Saturday, February 26, 2022, and then we decided that actually we would like the first wedding that we hosted to be our own, and so we were the new Old Deanery’s first wedding the week before on Saturday, February 19, 2022.

What was, and is, your vision?

Chris: Starting out, we knew that long-term business sustainability would be key. Many businesses overspend at the start and often sadly don’t last beyond six to 12 months: we have no external funding, and all the work and investment has been done by us. An exclusive-use wedding and events venue reduces the day-to-day operating costs of staffing, stocking, and heating the building whilst having uncertainty of the business levels at the start.

However, we always had the appetite to open more, as did the residents of the city of Ripon; many of whom were a little perturbed that they could no longer pop in for a cup of tea as they had been able to do before.

So, after two wonderful years of hosting many lovely weddings and events, we took the leap, and we now open our doors Wednesday through to Sunday as a 'restaurant with rooms' – welcoming guests for a quick cuppa, pint, or glass of wine, plus lunch, afternoon tea, evening meals, and of course overnight stays.

The Old Deanery is known for its Sunday lunches, tasting menu and overnight stays. Tell me about any other future plans for The Old Deanery.

Rebecca: We’re only just over 18 months into our 'restaurant with rooms' concept, and in our first year we were proud to achieve 3 AA Rosettes and a Michelin recommendation, so we’re still building on our successes at present.

Longer-term, the aspiration would be to open every day of the week.

What are your favourite local places?

Rebecca: We love Ripon City Cruises and the Ripon Walled Garden for activities with our two-year-old. We like to walk around Studley Royal with our dog. 

We also love a trip to Chimes café for a scone (despite also serving scones at The Old Deanery!).

To find out more about The Old Deanery, or to book a fine-dining meal at its restaurant, an overnight stay or a Sunday lunch, visit this link or call 01765 600 003.

The Old Deanery, Minster Road, Ripon, HG4 1QS.