Judges Country House Hotel, in Kirklevington, near Yarm, closed for good in March 2023 following weeks of speculation after its online system stopped taking bookings.
Several months later, the property, originally built in 1881, was snapped up by Teesside property mogul and Teesworks developer Chris Musgrave OBE, with hopes it could be transformed into a new hotel and spa.
It’s been almost two years since the hotel closed for good – and now a public consultation is set to be launched on proposals for a five-star boutique hotel to replace Judges.
Documents seen by The Northern Echo detail how the new owner wants to transform the hotel into 18 uniquely designed suites – each “offering a distinctive experience for visitors” – alongside high-quality facilities.
The entrance to the former Judges Hotel near Yarm (Image: GOOGLE)
Proposals also include an extension to the restaurant, a new spa, woodland lodges and an events pavilion, with the facilities available to hotel guests and other visitors.
Bosses say the proposed development will “carefully preserve the hotel’s historic features and enhance these where possible”.
While the name of the new hotel has not yet been confirmed, a new website attached to the public consultation document is set to be launched for Kirklevington Hall on January 20.
A small development of executive housing will support this proposal coming forward.
As previously reported, speculation surrounded the future of the well-known hotel in late February after several people reported their events or weddings had been cancelled.
An email seen by The Northern Echo at the time described how Judges was “in the process of being sold to a new company in the coming weeks” which meant the hotel was “not able to fulfil wedding bookings”.
It was one week later that Judges officially confirmed it had closed for good before the commercial property entrepreneur was announced as the figure behind the purchase in May.
Since then, the signs have been taken down and access blocked off to the estate.
Two drop-in events where members of the design and project team will be available to discuss the proposals are now set to take place later this month.
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They will be held at Kirklevington Village Hall, in Kirklevington, on Monday, January 20, from 3pm until 6.30pm and on Thursday, January 23, at St Mary’s and St Romuald’s Church Hall, in Yarm, between 3pm until 6:30pm.
For those not able to attend in person, the website will present the details of the proposed development and provide the opportunity to give feedback.
Views are accepted until February 7 before an official planning application is lodged.