24 Hours at The General Tarleton, Tommy Banks’ Yorkshire Pub with Rooms

Sometimes 24 hours is all you need: a good Sunday lunch, a cosy room, a proper night’s sleep and a bit of time away from the usual rush. That’s what brought us up to North Yorkshire and the recently restored General Tarleton. Overnight bag packed, it was a matter of two hours between us, King’s Cross and a small break.

Sat in Ferrensby (near Harrogate, Knaresborough or Thirsk), The General Tarleton is an 18th-century coaching inn that’s the lovechild of Jeopardy Hospitality, a new group from Tommy Banks, Matthew Lockwood, James Banks and Neil Armstrong. It’s their first pub with rooms, and there’s a sense that this is a total passion project from the first entrance. The interiors retain the character of an old inn – exposed beams, stone floors, an open fireplace – but are set up with considered, fresh details: soft leather, brass fixtures, beautiful wood. It’s undone and unfussy, and coupled with a super-friendly front of house team, it’s a total winner for drop-your-shoulders old school hospitality: relaxed, warm, genuine.

The General Tarleton. © Esme Mai

The rooms are cosy and splashed with helpful amenities. The bath house soaps and shampoos are from Dent in Cumbria, and the beds are Monarch pocket-sprung luxury mattresses dressed in cotton and satin sheets. More cute touches: homemade cookies waiting for us on arrival, and a tea and coffee station set up with an Opal coffee machine, Yorkshire Tea and Taylor’s herbals, promising an early-morning coffee in bed. Or a mid-morning one, if you fancy lingering later in those cotton and satin sheets.

But don’t linger too late, because the Sunday roast was among the best I’ve ever had. Tommy Banks has built a reputation for his connection to produce and has tested his fine-dining chops in multiple kitchens including The Black Swan. This menu is still elevated, but it’s rooted more in classic British pub food.

Elevated pub grub. Photo credits: Andrew Hayes-Watkins

There was a lovely selection of starters, and roast options for both meat eaters and vegetarians, which is always nice to see. Even in 2026, the vegetarian option can feel like an afterthought, but here it had clearly been well thought through, perhaps a surprise given Banks has made his name cooking up local meats. The Sunday menu includes proper roast options – salt-aged beef sirloin, pork and the rest – seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes and rich gravy, with details like cauliflower cheese with aged cheese and black garlic, and glazed carrots with tarragon and star anise. The vegetarian roast, made with lion’s mane mushroom from a local female-founded supplier called Wild Spore, felt like a really great alternative. I always love seeing vegetables and mushrooms treated with the same care and respect as meat.

We had a long, slow lunch, played games and just enjoyed being there. The pub had that Sunday-in-a-village feeling: a mix of people staying, locals coming in to eat, plates arriving, glasses being topped up and everyone taking their time. Alive in the best way. After lunch, we didn’t do very much, which felt exactly the point of a weekender – sometimes the best part of going away is not having a big plan. We rested, read, wandered a little and enjoyed the quiet of being somewhere else. We slept really well and woke up the next morning to a gorgeous breakfast, again with a strong focus on local produce, simple and very well done.

The area around The General Tarleton is also lovely if you want to make more of a weekend of it. Knaresborough is nearby, with its riverside walks, castle ruins and pretty town centre. Harrogate is also close, with RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Bettys, independent shops and the Turkish Baths. For a longer countryside day, Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks are both within easy reach. For us, it was exactly what we needed: a cosy room, a really good meal, kind people, a proper night’s sleep and a little bit of Yorkshire air. We’ll definitely come back, and next time I’ll stay for the weekend.

C&TH Key Notes

• Dish to order: The Sunday roast. The vegetarian lion’s mane mushroom roast is a proper centrepiece and so delicious.
• Drink to order: Something from the wine list, or one of the seasonal cocktails. The Rhubarb Negroni sounds very much worth trying.
• Room detail to love: Homemade cookies and a proper tea and coffee station for early morning coffee in bed.
• Must-do nearby: Spend time in Knaresborough, visit RHS Garden Harlow Carr, or make a day of Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks.

BOOK IT

Rooms at The General Tarleton start from £130 including breakfast. generaltarletonferrensby.co.uk