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08
Jan 2021
Pateley's Harefield Hall determined to survive a year of blows
Elaine Little was looking forward with optimism to 2020, which was shaping up to be a record year for Harefield Hall.
The four-star country guest house in Pateley Bridge, with its restaurant, bar, 14 en-suite rooms and bunk room for groups of cyclists and other travellers, had record bookings.
Then came covid and the first lockdown in March, which proved to be just the precursor to nine months of stop-start misery for the hall, which once belonged to the Archbishop of York.
Ms Little, the director of the hall, told the Stray Ferret:
The insurance claim is still to be resolved, as the pandemic has delayed the settlement processes.
The damage caused in June meant the hall could not reopen in July. Accommodation and restaurant bookings were lost, as were bar takings.
The premises remained closed until mid-October, then within a fortnight of reopening the second lockdown in November, effectively wiped out the pre-Christmas trade.
Now the third lockdown has dealt another huge body blow. Ms Little said:
In spite of all this, Ms Little is determined that a rainstorm and three lockdowns will not blow her and her remaining team of four off-course.
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She said:
Amid the countless calls to insurers and suppliers, Ms Little is looking to the future.
She sees potential in attracting more cyclists who are seeking hospitality and an overnight stay at Harefield, with its woodland and riverside setting.
Nature lovers, looking for the abundant variety of birds that are attracted to Nidderdale’s natural environment, also offer business opportunities, as does the opening later this year of a self-catering holiday cottage within Harefield’s grounds.
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