Castle hotel
Hazlewood Castle & Spa
Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
Level 5 True CastleLevel 5: a castle built after a 1286 licence to crenellate. Nine of the 32 rooms are inside the historic castle, the rest in later courtyard buildings.
Some rooms inside the walls
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Hazlewood Castle & Spa is a Grade I listed castle hotel near Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, built after a 1286 licence to crenellate. Some bedrooms sit inside the medieval walls, others in later courtyard buildings, making it a match for weddings and short breaks rather than budget stays.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 5: True Castle
- Where you sleep
- Some rooms inside the walls
- Built
- Late 13th century, with 15th-century and 1760s additions
- Architecture
- H-shaped medieval castle with an 18th-century neo-classical interior attributed to John Carr
- Heritage status
- Grade I listed
- Rooms
- 32
- Star rating
- Four-star (Booking.com)
- Guest rating
- 7.9 out of 10 on Booking.com (September 2026)
- Dogs
- Dogs are welcome only in the St Margaret's rooms, at a nightly charge of £15 for up to two dogs per room. Unattended dogs must be kept in a crate, and dogs are not allowed in the restaurant or in public rooms other than the Flemish Hall and the library. (hotel policy)
- Restaurant
- Yes (hotel website)
- Weddings
- Yes (hotel website)
- Exclusive use
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- Spa, Restaurant, Family rooms, Parking, Free wifi
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Hazlewood Castle & Spa
Hazlewood Castle stands on a site first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, when the manor passed to the Norman Mauger Le Vavasour. The castle itself followed later. Historic England records a licence to crenellate granted to William Vavasour in 1286, and the building is Grade I listed, with the earliest surviving parts including a window in the Great Hall from that period.
A 15th-century tower and a newel staircase were added within the following century. The interior was remodelled around 1760 in a neo-classical style attributed to the architect John Carr, adding a Greek Doric colonnade and marble fireplaces alongside the medieval fabric. The Vavasour family, whose coat of arms still appears throughout the building, held the estate for generations.
The hotel's own history pages say that Maud Le Vavasour, who married the outlawed Fulk Fitzwarren in 1207, is the local basis for the legend of Robin Hood and Maid Marion. From 1939 to 1953 the castle served as a maternity hospital: the hotel states that more than 2,500 babies were born there, some in what is now called the Victoria Room. The Carmelite Friars took over the property in 1972, and it later opened as a hotel.
The sleep
Rooms at Hazlewood Castle & Spa
The hotel has 32 rooms split across three buildings. Nine rooms are inside the castle itself, with views over the garden and the gallop. 12 rooms are in St Margaret's, reached across a bridge, and 11 more are in St Leonard's, entered through what the hotel calls the secret door.
Room types range from standard doubles to suites, master suites and two four-poster rooms with their own sitting rooms. If sleeping inside the historic walls matters to you, ask for a castle room when booking, since the courtyard buildings are later additions rather than part of the medieval structure.
Dogs are allowed only in St Margaret's, at a nightly charge for up to two dogs per room. Unattended dogs must be kept in a crate, and dogs are not allowed in the restaurant or in public rooms other than the Flemish Hall and the library.
The table
Eating at Hazlewood Castle & Spa
Meals are served in the Vavasour Restaurant. The hotel also offers afternoon tea and hosts cookery masterclasses on selected dates. Non-residents can book a table without staying overnight.
Dogs are not permitted in the restaurant, though they can join owners in the Flemish Hall and the library elsewhere in the castle. The hotel's site does not publish a sample menu or set opening hours, so check current availability when booking.
The grounds
Around Hazlewood Castle & Spa
Hazlewood Castle sits in 77 acres of woodland off the A64 between Tadcaster and Aberford, reached from junction 44 of the A1(M) and along a private drive of about 1.5 miles. A Coastliner bus stops at the entrance, and the hotel says it can arrange helicopter landings with advance notice.
The grounds include a woodland amphitheatre and a clear-span garden marquee used for weddings, an outdoor activity programme the hotel calls Hazlewood Adventures, and a wooded trail it markets as the Secret Forest. The estate lies within reach of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks, and of York Racecourse.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- Only nine of the 32 rooms are inside the historic castle; the rest are in the St Margaret's and St Leonard's courtyard buildings. Ask for a castle room if sleeping inside the old walls matters to you.
- Dogs are welcome only in St Margaret's, not across the whole hotel, and unattended dogs must be kept in a crate.
- Exclusive hire closes the whole castle to other guests from 11am on the day until the next morning, so a wedding booking there can affect availability for other dates.
Who it's for
Who Hazlewood Castle & Spa suits
Hazlewood Castle suits couples planning a wedding and travellers on a short country break who want the option of a room inside a medieval building, since nine rooms sit within the original castle. It also suits dog owners who book St Margaret's, where pets are permitted. It suits budget travellers less well, since standard rooms are in later courtyard buildings rather than the castle, and exclusive-use wedding weekends can close the hotel entirely.
Where Hazlewood Castle & Spa is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
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Hazlewood Castle & Spa: questions
Is Hazlewood Castle a real castle?
Yes. Historic England records a licence to crenellate granted to William Vavasour in 1286, and the building is Grade I listed. Nine of the 32 bedrooms are inside the historic castle, with the rest in later courtyard buildings called St Margaret's and St Leonard's on the same estate.
Who built Hazlewood Castle?
The Vavasour family, who held the manor from the 11th century, built the castle after William Vavasour received a licence to crenellate in 1286. A 15th-century tower was added later, and the interior was remodelled around 1760 by the architect John Carr.
Are dogs allowed at Hazlewood Castle?
Dogs are welcome only in the St Margaret's rooms, for a nightly charge, up to two dogs per room. They must be kept under control, crated if left alone in the room, and are not allowed in the restaurant or in most public rooms.
Can you get married at Hazlewood Castle?
Yes. The hotel hosts weddings in its function suites, a garden marquee and a woodland amphitheatre, and offers exclusive hire of the whole castle from 11am on the wedding day until the following morning, for an additional charge on top of the wedding package.
Can you visit Hazlewood Castle without staying overnight?
Yes. Non-residents can book a table in the Vavasour Restaurant for a meal, or pay for up to 60 minutes in the thermal spa, with spa prices varying by day of the week. An overnight stay is not required for either.
Where do you park at Hazlewood Castle?
Free parking is available in the resident's car park, with additional visitor parking a short walk away if it is full. The private drive off the A64 is about 1.5 miles long, and the castle is reached via junction 44 of the A1(M).
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- britishlistedbuildings.co.uk: Grade I listing, listing date, building description, materials, construction phases, history summary
- hazlewood-castle.co.uk: 77 acres of woodland, spa and restaurant confirmation, contact details
- hazlewood-castle.co.uk: 32 rooms split across Castle (9), St Margaret's (12) and St Leonard's (11), room types, four-poster rooms, dog policy detail, parking
- hazlewood-castle.co.uk: dog policy detail, parking, check-in and checkout times, day-visitor dining and spa access, wedding minimum numbers, exclusive hire terms
- hazlewood-castle.co.uk: exclusive use of the whole castle, wedding facilities and packages
- hazlewood-castle.co.uk: Domesday Book mention, Carmelite Friars use, national park and York Racecourse proximity
- hazlewood-castle.co.uk: Vavasour family history, Maid Marion and Robin Hood legend attribution, maternity hospital 1939 to 1953, Carmelite Friars from 1972
- hazlewood-castle.co.uk: A1(M) junction 44, A64 and A659 routes, private drive length, Coastliner bus stop, helicopter landing