Northcote’s History
1880 – 1979
The land on which Northcote was built originally belonged to Henry Pete Esq, a well-known Lancashire landowner. Building commenced in 1880 on the house that was destined to be the private dwelling of Mary Elizabeth Yates, a local spinster. The exterior of the building is adorned with the Yates family coat of arms.
In 1886, Richard Farnworth moved into Northcote along with his wife and family. He made his fortune as a cornflour merchant and was from Preston. Their eldest son Harry followed in his father’s footsteps as a merchant while Arthur became an electrical engineer. The family had a servant whose main duty was to cook for the family of seven who resided here for 25 years.
An insurance broker bought the house in 1911. Joseph David Esq spent 18 years here and sold it to widow Annie Mary Birtwistle for the princely sum of £4,550. The property remained in the hands of the Birtwistles for 50 years until 1979.
1979 – 1983
Northcote became a four-bedroom hotel with a 50-seater restaurant and was owned by Mr Sittar, a businessman in the licensing trade, who owned a chain of off-licences named WIBIS. His family home was Langholme, which was opposite Northcote on the A59.
1983 – 1986
In September 1983, Northcote was purchased by John Wolstenholme of Westwood Garages. John, a family friend, attracted Craig Bancroft from his management training scheme in London to take over Northcote as Hotel Manager. Craig arrived in December 1983, and Nigel Haworth joined him in April 1984, again through a connection of a family friend. The pair together helped to create the dream of Northcote becoming one of the finest restaurants and country house hotels in the UK.
Mr Wolstenholme’s investment created sufficient car parking to run as a successful business, as there was none on arrival. The hotel changed from a 4-bedroom to a 6-bedroom property. His wife Sylvia took charge of the restorations and removed heavy flock wallpapers and the 1970s image.
1986 – 1989
Bill Kelly from BAS Holdings, along with Carol Yates, his partner, purchased the hotel from Westwood Garages, and at that time, brought Craig and Nigel on as directors and shareholders. Bill Kelly’s ownership had a good fiscal hand, and taught Craig and Nigel a great deal about how to run a profitable enterprise. However, his vision of becoming a mainstream brasserie didn’t fit with Craig and Nigel’s vision of Michelin Stars and culinary accolades, so a management buyout was engineered.
1989 – 1992
Craig and Nigel became sole shareholders and enjoyed success until the economic downturn of 1992. The soaring interest rates were crippling and the business started to struggle, especially within the economic climate. A late-night conversation in the cocktail bar with Jack Walker, who was a regular resident when staying in the area from Jersey, resulted in Mr Walker investing in the business to protect it for the future.
1992-2000
The Walker Family Trust and Craig & Nigel, with Mr Walker’s guidance, embarked on a large investment programme to be able to change the property into a 14-bedroom hotel. The increase in accommodation made the hotel a much better business proposition, along with the creation of the Private Dining Space.
Improvements to the kitchens at the same time and the general decor, as well as a dining room expansion, paved the way for Nigel to be able to gain Northcote’s Michelin Star in 1996. The winning of the Michelin Star was a proud moment and was announced and awarded at the Chester Grosvenor and assisting with the award ceremony was their great friend Paul Heathcote, who at the time, had two Michelin Stars. This was particularly significant, as it was one of the first times that the chef and the hotel manager were invited up on stage to receive their award together.
The year 1999 was the birth year of Northcote at the Rovers, which was something that Mr Walker never wanted Craig and Nigel to do.
Sadly, the passing of Jack Walker in August 2000 meant that Northcote thankfully stayed within the Walker Family Trust, headed by brother and sister, Ross & Michaela Walker, as majority shareholders.
2000 – 2011
In 2001, Lisa Allen joined the kitchen team at the age of 20. By the time she was 23, she was Northcote’s Head Chef, working alongside Nigel Howorth to help maintain the Michelin Star, which Northcote has done for 29 continuous years.
2001 also saw the beginning of Northcote’s Obsession Food Festival, which just celebrated its 25th Anniversary earlier this year, 2025. Created by Craig Bancroft, Nigel Howarth, Lisa Goodwin-Allen and Kaye Mathew, this event has grown and evolved over 25 years to be the biggest food festival in the UK, based in Lancashire.
More investment was provided in 2004 to improve the overall size of the bedroom accommodation, which was built in 1992, by extending lounge and bathroom facilities to reposition the hotel at the top of the luxury country house hotel market. At this time, we also created the Ribble Valley Inns group, with The Three Fishes opening in 2004. Followed by The Highwayman Inn in 2007, The Clog and Billycock, and the Bull at Broughton in 2011.
In 2007, Northcote became a member of Pride of Britain hotels, now referred to as PoB. PoB is a group of luxury hotels that spans across the British Isles, showing only the best experiences.
Craig and Nigel received the Special Award from the Cateys in 2009.
2012 – 2019
The hotel was purchased within the Walker family, and became under the ownership of Lynda and Richard Matthewman. Lynda and Richard changed the whole dynamic of Northcote by investing enthusiastically in a long-term dream to continue the development of Northcote to be centre-stage of the country house hotel market. The ambitious expansion plans created a further 12 bedrooms, making Northcote a 26-bedroom hotel, with a state-of-the-art kitchen, operating cookery school and chefs’ table, which at the time was groundbreaking.
There was further expansion of the Private Dining Space to occupy up to 60, which is now the Louis Roederer Rooms, the creation of the Garden Lodge and the extensive Northcote terraces. All in all, this catapulted Northcote into a rich vein of awards and praise from the industry at large.
2019-2024
In 2019, the Matthewman family sold Northcote to The Stafford Collection. Northcote was to become the sister hotel to The Stafford London and the London restaurant, Norma.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a grinding halt in 2020 and affected a large number of hospitality businesses. Craig and Lisa were forced to close the hotel and restaurant in March 2020, in line with the national lockdown. It was during lockdown that Northcote Gourmet Boxes was born. Lisa and the team designed boxes that could be packed up in the Northcote kitchen and delivered or collected, so that people could have a taste of fine dining and Michelin Star food in their homes during lockdown.
In 2023, Craig, or Mr B as he is more affectionately known, celebrated 40 years of service here at Northcote. From his beginnings in 1983, Craig has shaped Northcote into what it is today and continues to be a driving force in making Northcote the luxurious, welcoming destination it’s known as across the country. His unwavering dedication, warm personality, and impeccable attention to detail have left an indelible mark not only on the fabric of the hotel but on the countless guests, colleagues, and friends he’s met along the way.
Now
In 2025, Obsession Food Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary. Craig, Lisa and the team were thrilled to celebrate this monumental achievement with 22 world-renowned chefs, boasting an impressive total of 27 Michelin stars, who showcased their culinary mastery. Each crafted an exclusive Obsession25 menu, offering food and wine connoisseurs the rare opportunity to indulge in innovative, one-off dishes that may not be found anywhere else.
Obsession25 was an unmissable highlight of the culinary world, bringing together a dazzling roster of Michelin-starred chefs and leading figures from global gastronomy. From 24th January to 9th February 2025, the event returned to Northcote in the Ribble Valley, delivering an extraordinary gastronomic journey.
Northcote’s new owners, Alf and Clare Ellis, the husband-and-wife team behind the successful Pontefract-based kitchen manufacturer Ultima, have acquired us from the Stafford Collection and are thrilled to lead Northcote into an exciting new era.
To read more about our new owners and their exciting future plans, please click here.
