New name and coat of arms for Knaresborough hotel

A long-standing Knaresborough hotel is set to be renamed as part of a revamp by its new owners.

The Dower House on Bond End will become The Knaresborough Inn, in line with other premises in The Inn Collection Group‘s portfolio.

The chain is currently carrying out a refurbishment to turn the building into a “pub with rooms”, and has even been given its own coat of arms to fit in with its stablemates.

A spokesperson for ICG said:

“Following the brand style being adopted for all sites belonging to The Inn Collection Group, a new coat of arms has been created for the inn with iconography relevant to the history of both the town and the building itself.

“Made up of a shield flanked by two griffins, acknowledging the links of the building to the Slingsby family, the design sees the left-hand side contain a recurring pattern that combines a historical emblem related to St. Robert of Knaresborough and the white rose of Yorkshire.

“The right-hand side of the shield features further reference to the builders of the original Dower House with a white chevron, and a leopard’s head taken from the Slingsby family crest.”

The Knaresborough Inn logo and coat of arms

ICG acquired the Dower House in December 2021 and announced it would close its gym and spa last summer.

A planning application was submitted last year to extend the building and replace its leisure facilities and increase the total number of bedrooms to 57.

The hotel is currently closed while refurbishment work is carried out, with a planned completion and reopening date around the end of the summer this year.

ICG’s marketing manager Zoe Cooper said:

“We’re excited to confirm the new identity of The Knaresborough Inn as its reopening draws closer.

“We have embraced the history of the building and the site, as well as the wider area and we hope the new look will create a talking point that serves as a link to the past while the site embarks on an exciting future.”

The Inn Collection Group has also acquired Ripon Spa Hotel and the St George Hotel in Harrogate in the last two years.

The latter closed for refurbishment this week, with the loss of all of its 76 staff. The company said the work is expected to take 16 weeks.

Ripon Spa Hotel is due to reopen this spring.

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Knaresborough’s Dower House accelerates closure of spa and gym

Members of Knaresborough’s Dower House gym and spa have been told that the facilities will close next month, seven weeks earlier than originally planned.

The Stray Ferret reported last month the gym and spa were closing after the hotel was acquired by the Inn Collection Group (ICG) in December last year.

At the time the group said the gym and spa, which includes a swimming pool and sauna and provides beauty treatments, would close on August 31 as part of a “multi-million pound expansion” plan.

However, letters sent to members this week said the facilities will now close on July 11. Kate Bentley, rooms director for ICG, said the closure was brought forward due to a decline in users and rising operating costs.

She said:

“Since buying The Dower House in December 2022 we have spent a lot of time familiarising ourselves with the hotel and surrounding area while meeting and listening to customer feedback.

“Dower House — including the spa — is in desperate need of investment which is long-overdue. We have made the decision to accelerate the closure of this part of the hotel.

“We appreciate this may be disappointing for spa users, however we look forward to carrying out a significant investment in the building that a wide range of people can enjoy.”

The ICG has said that all Dower House members who chose to move to the Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge could have their joining fee waived. The Boroughbridge hotel is part of the Coaching Inn Group and also has gym, pool and spa facilities.

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Michael Ward, a member, said:

“I am disappointed at the closure, and the way it has been handled. The first I knew about it was when the story appeared on the Stray Ferret. I am not impressed with the Inn Collection Group.

“I will therefore not be taking up their offer of joining the Crown Hotel at Boroughbridge, despite the joining fee being waived. It’s disappointing because the Dower House is the only facility of its kind in Knaresborough.”