Proprietors: Paul and Helen Klein

Beautiful location, great walking Good food, extensive menu Log fires, welcoming atmosphere

Paul and Helen Klein don’t know it yet, but they have the perfect marriage. In separate, off-the-record conversations, she describes it as ‘stormy’, while he describes it as ‘tempestuous'. Helen avoids Reception at The Blue Lion when Paul's there, while Paul avoids it when Helen’s there. She gives him four out of ten for his pheasant shooting. He gives himself four.

They are that rare couple - accidentally in agreement. We know they’ve met twice - they have two children - but it certainly wasn’t in Reception.

When Helen met Paul, she hadn’t the faintest idea what to do with her economics degree. Paul was chopping parsley in his father’s hotel at the age of six, but he can’t count. The obvious answer was to run a beautiful coaching inn together in Wensleydale. The Blue Lion is in a magnificent Dales village. Guests come to walk, shoot or simply sit about and admire the place. Its log fire welcomes the walker and its excellent restaurant delights royalty, farmer and celebrity. Come to think of it, Paul and Helen’s marriage is rather like a blue lion - zoologically impossible.

Nearest Towns/Centres for Retail Therapy
Harrogate (40 minutes) York (60 minutes)
Skipton (60 minutes)

Recommended Local Attractions
The Forbidden Corner, Coverdale (10 minutes)
Middleham Castle (10 minutes)
The Black Sheep Brewery, Masham (20 minutes)
Aysgarth Falls and Bolton Castle (20 minutes)
The Georgian Theatre, Richmond (25 minutes)

Nearest Station/s
Northallerton (30 minutes)

Nearest Airport/s
Teeside (45 minutes)
Leeds Bradford (60 minutes)

All timings denote typical journey time by car, unless specified otherwise.