£30m transformation of Gisburne Park to create luxury members’ club and holistic wellness retreat

A £30 million transformation of Gisburne Park is set to turn the historic Lancashire estate into a luxury members’ club, boutique hotel and holistic wellness retreat.

Alison Brooks Architects has been commissioned to lead the redevelopment of the 400-year-old estate, which occupies 1,000 acres of countryside on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. At its centre, the practice will restore and revitalise Gisburne Park’s Grade I-listed Georgian mansion, introducing contemporary hotel, dining, gallery and wellness spaces.

The project will combine heritage restoration with a new approach to destination wellness, incorporating a California-inspired health spa alongside fitness and lifestyle facilities, therapeutic experiences in nature and access to a 70-acre wildlife sanctuary.

Landscape architect Todd Longstaffe-Gowan has joined the project to sensitively enhance the estate’s 68-hectare parkland and woodland setting, with ambitions including the restoration of a former lake for wild swimming.

Alison Brooks said:

“Gisburne Park Hall is perched on the edge of a sublime cliff above a river valley, with a fascinating history, spectacular views and extraordinary Baroque rooms. Restoring the Hall to its former glory is our starting point and inspiration for a fully contemporary country-hotel experience, including new health spa pavilions, guest accommodation and convening spaces. I’m thrilled to work with Guy and Amber Hindley who are both deeply committed not only to the health and wellbeing of their guests but also to the house and its landscapes.”

Wellness at the heart of the estate

The new destination is being developed by estate owners Guy and Amber Hindley, who envisage Gisburne Park as a modern interpretation of the country club: a place where members can stay, socialise, exercise, access wellness treatments and therapies and spend time in the surrounding landscape.

The concept takes inspiration from American private clubs as well as established UK country-house destinations including Babington House and Cowley Manor, placing longevity, restoration and holistic wellbeing at the centre of the hospitality offering.

Earlier development plans for Gisburne Park have outlined an extensive wellness proposition spanning spa, fitness and longevity. These have included treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming, cold plunges, wild swimming, a Himalayan salt steam room and indoor and outdoor infrared saunas, alongside a large gym, Pilates and yoga facilities and a sports rehabilitation centre. Longevity and recovery technologies previously proposed have included red light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cold immersion and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy.

The latest architectural brief confirms a holistic spa with wide-ranging sports and fitness provision as a central element of the scheme, alongside hotel accommodation, dining and social spaces and an art gallery showcasing local artists.

Amber Hindley said:

“My vision is centred around helping people feel energised, connected, purposeful, and truly alive for as long as possible. I am excited to bring this to the Yorkshire Dales, creating a wellness offering that feels both globally inspired and deeply connected to the natural beauty and slower rhythms of the countryside.”

The latest plans build on a much wider revival of the estate. Guy Hindley inherited Gisburne Park in 2003, after its mansion had previously been separated from the estate and operated as a private hospital. Guy and Amber subsequently established Ribblesdale Park, bringing holiday accommodation, hospitality, weddings and glamping to the grounds before repurchasing the mansion during the pandemic and reuniting it with the wider estate.

Previous investment has already transformed part of Gisburne Park into a holiday destination incorporating 84 lodges, 10 cottages, a restaurant, wedding venue, glamping village and event spaces.

Restoring a historic landscape for a new generation

The restoration of the mansion and surrounding landscape will form a major part of Alison Brooks Architects’ work, balancing Gisburne Park’s historic character with contemporary additions required for the hotel and wellness destination.

Founded in London in 1996, Alison Brooks Architects has worked across residential, cultural, educational and civic architecture and is the only UK practice to have received the RIBA Stirling Prize, Manser Medal and Stephen Lawrence Prize. Alison Brooks was awarded an OBE for services to architecture in 2026.

Guy Hindley said:

“For this project we wanted someone who was as much an artist as an architect. Alison’s work immediately jumped out to us, especially The Smile, which we saw as an installation piece of extraordinary beauty, workmanship and joy.

Gisburne Park has evolved over hundreds of years, shaped carefully over time, and it demands an architect with a genuine sensitivity to its history, landscape and character. We believe Alison has the ability to create something that sits in harmony with what already exists – enhancing and enriching the estate rather than overwhelming it.”

The project has now reached a key stage following Alison Brooks Architects’ appointment. Concept development is scheduled for summer 2026, with planning applications anticipated in November 2026 and completion targeted for 2028. The boutique hotel, members’ club and wellness retreat is expected to open in 2028.