Kirklevington Hall: Historic hotel set for restoration as five-star luxury spa hotel

The property developer bought the site in May 2023 after its sudden closure in March of that year.

The hall was originally constructed in 1888 as a rural retreat for the Richardson family of Hartlepool. It remained a private residence for decades, until being adapted as lodgings for circuit judges who were visiting the North East to preside over court proceedings, and was then developed as the Judges Country House Hotel.

Chris, the man behind the Wynyard Park housing and business development, now intends to invest an eight-figure sum to restore the hall and develop it as a premium five-star luxury spa and boutique hotel destination.

He said: “As someone born and bred in Tees Valley, I have always looked to do what I can to invest in the area and to help drive prosperity and job creation – and that’s exactly what I want to do with the development of Kirklevington Hall.

“The building and grounds still retain many of their historic features and its location is perfect for a top-drawer boutique hotel and luxury spa.

“This will make a lasting difference to the local economy with higher spending, longer staying visitors attracted to the new venue on top of the investment we will be putting into the local supply chain and the new local jobs that will be created at the hall.

“I’m really excited about what the future holds for Kirklevington Hall and can’t wait to get started on a transformation which will set the place up for decades to come.”

It is estimated that the investment and development programme will create up to 265 jobs both within the new hotel business and in the local supply chain.

Experienced hotel and restaurant operator Kymel has been appointed to operate and help bring forward the transformation of Kirklevington Hall.

Kymel has experience redesigning, repurposing and working with special buildings and destinations, operating venues including the Crab Manor Hotel and Crab & Lobster Restaurant in Asenby, North Yorkshire.

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Paul Mackings, chairman of Kymel, said: “The new boutique hotel at Kirklevington will offer a comprehensive mix of experiences for a variety of guests from good quality dining (for business and leisure), to overnight stays in the hotel, in the walled garden hot tub rooms or tree houses in the woodland, to a luxury spa weekend or day to an unforgettable bespoke wedding experience.

“We will offer Stockton, Yarm and Tees Valley visitors an unforgettable, visually impactful, quality-orientated hospitality experience right across the year.”

A pre-application document has been submitted to Stockton Council and a public consultation about the plans has been carried out. A formal planning application is expected to be submitted in the coming weeks.

Wynyard Park, another of Chris’s projects, is a growing housing and business development in Stockton-on-Tees. It was designated as a Garden Village by the Government in January 2020, giving it access to funding to fast-track developments, including a new community of up to 6,800 new homes.