How this writer's view of northern England as 'dreary' was transformed thanks to Michelin-starred dining and country pursuits at a stunning Lancashire hotel

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Wearing an eye patch and brandishing a gun is not how I spend an average weekend, it has to be said.

No, I was not rehearsing for a stage production of Pirates of the Caribbean (although that would have been fun) but trying out clay pigeon shooting deep in the Yorkshire countryside.

When young and inexperienced I thought the north was dreary. I associated it purely with visiting my house-bound grandmother in Huddersfield – trips that mostly saw my parents and me desperately racking our brains for interesting conversational titbits over badly made tea while grey clouds loomed outside.

Harriet recently spent a long weekend at Northcote hotel in the beautiful Ribble Valley enjoying its new Gourmet Country Pursuit Experience

 The break welcomes guests to the luxury hotel and its Michelin-starred restaurant for one or two nights with the option to add on a Land Rover driving experience and/or a clay pigeon shoot

The rooms are both cosy and sumptuous and, Harriet noted, bigger than her entire London flat. Although hunting for the hair dryer proved a surprisingly difficult mission given the plethora of nook and crannies

Thankfully, a trip to visit a friend in the Yorkshire countryside aged 16 made me realise there was an awful lot more to the North than I’d given it credit for - a belief that was firmly cemented when I recently spent a long weekend at Northcote hotel in the beautiful Ribble Valley enjoying its new Gourmet Country Pursuit Experience.

The break welcomes guests to the luxury hotel and its Michelin-starred restaurant for one or two nights with the added option of a Land Rover driving experience and/or a clay pigeon shoot.

Which is how I found myself holding a gun, sticky tape over one eye (as I am apparently incapable of closing just my left eye effectively) aiming at inanimate targets flying over my head.

‘It’s like getting a boyfriend,’ my silver-haired instructor Michael tells me out of the blue as I fail to aim and miss my shot. ‘It’s no use sitting at home and waiting for him to come to you, you have to go out and get him.’

Who knew a shooting range was the place to get romantic advice.

The half-day clay pigeon experience at Kelbrook Shooting School provides guests with full training and practice over four layouts including pheasant, rabbit, snipe and duck, as well as competitions

To Harriet's surprise, she hit multiple targets and felt a sense of exhilaration as her group divided into teams and went head to head. She even won a prize for being the best in her team. 'Finally, a sport that didn’t see me being graded an A for effort and a D for achievement,' she wrote

It turned out however – to everyone’s surprise – that my chances of getting a boyfriend are apparently rather high as I then proceeded to hit multiple targets and feel a sense of exhilaration I hadn’t anticipated, even winning a prize for being the best in my team. 

Finally, a sport that didn’t see me being graded an A for effort and a D for achievement…

Overall the half-day experience at Kelbrook Shooting School provides guests with full training and practice over four layouts, including pheasant, rabbit, snipe and duck as well as competitions.

And relationship counselling – if you’re lucky.

The morning spent off-roading with Land Rover Experience Yorkshire was equally thrilling. Together with two others I clambered into a Land Rover Discovery 4 (I say clambered as it proved hard to get into such a beast of a car with elegance) shortly after breakfast – a meal I would have skipped had I realised the half-day experience would be so akin to a theme park ride.

We spent the next few hours trialling out all the fascinating functions the car boasts: zooming up and down terrifyingly steep hills, navigating obstacles and driving though rivers. 

The morning spent off-roading with Land Rover Experience Yorkshire was equally thrilling

Harriet clambered into a Land Rover Discovery 4 shortly after breakfast – a meal she said she would have skipped had she realised the half-day experience would be so akin to a theme park ride

Harriet spent hours trialing out all the fascinating functions the car boasts, zooming up and down terrifyingly steep hills, navigating obstacles and driving though a river

Not only was Harriet (pictured) endlessly impressed with what the Land Rover could do, but the drive also provided the perfect opportunity to admire the beautiful countryside around the Broughton Hall estate

Not only was I endlessly impressed with what the Land Rover could do, but the drive also provided the perfect opportunity to admire the beautiful countryside around the Broughton Hall estate.

Keats would no doubt say that the autumnal season of ‘mist and mellow fruitfulness’ was in full glory here. The green hills rolled under the chill, clouded sky; semi-clad trees brushed with red, yellow and orange, shed their leaves like discarded garments whenever the wind blew – and I just couldn’t get enough of the view.

I even found myself inhaling huge gulps of fresh air as though I were capable of storing it in my lungs for safe keeping once I was back in the city.

Back at the hotel, just over the border in Lancashire, however, even more treats lay in store.

Not only was my sumptuous, cosy room the size of my whole London flat - complete with a most convincing imitation coal fire and the best toiletry selection I've seen - but I spent the evening eating what I strongly believe is the best meal I have ever eaten. The Northcote’s restaurant clearly didn’t get its Michelin star for nothing.

We dined at the Chef’s table right in the heart of Northcote’s kitchen, giving us a full view of the masters at work. Executive Head Chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen was creating our five course gourmet meal – and I think I might be a little bit in love with her.

Like King Midas and his gold, Goodwin-Allen transformed what I had previously considered uninteresting foods into mouthfuls of heaven.

Harriet dined at the Chef’s table right in the heart of Northcote’s kitchen, giving her a full view of the masters at work. Executive Head Chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen created her five course gourmet meal

Like King Midas and his gold, Goodwin-Allen transformed what Harriet had previously considered uninteresting foods into mouthfuls of heaven. Pictured: Orkney scallop tartare, organic leeks, fresh wasabi and caviar

Red leg partridge, bitter sweet barbecued orange, parfait and chicory was a divine second course out of the five

Particularly stand out was the caramelised celeriac and chestnut ravioli with celeriac tea and trompettes. ‘It tastes pretty good for a vegetable doesn’t it!’ Harriet's neighbour observed – which was spot on if not a dramatic understatement

The third course - wood-fired veal hanger, mead caramel, roasted chokes, truffle cream and skins xinomavro - was paired with Greek wine

Another highlight was the Brockhall Orchard apple cheesecake served with salted caramel and apple cider sorbet. This was no slap dash triangular slice but a magnificent concoction hidden inside the caramelised form of an apple, recreated right down to both the green and red hues of the fruit, which split open satisfactorily when cracked with a spoon

Each of the five courses came with a specially chosen wine complement the flavours. A superb array of local cheeses and Ramos Pinto tawny port rounded off the spectacular feast

My favourite was hands-down the caramelised celeriac and chestnut ravioli with celeriac tea and trompettes. ‘It tastes pretty good for a vegetable doesn’t it!’ my neighbour observed – which was something of a dramatic understatement.

This rich and flavoursome dish was paired with ikekame sake – a drink I had initially confused for wine that gave me quite a surprise upon my first gulp. However, when sipped following a bite of ravioli I felt all my Christmases had come at once.

Another highlight was the Brockhall Orchard Apple Cheesecake served with salted caramel and apple cider sorbet. This was no slap-dash triangular slice but a magnificent concoction hidden inside the caramelised form of an apple, recreated right down to both the green and red hues of the fruit, which split open most satisfactorily when cracked with a spoon. A glass of Louis Roederer – the hotel’s house champagne – complimented the dessert perfectly.

A superb array of local cheeses and Ramos Pinto tawny port rounded off the spectacular feast – not that I wanted any of it to come to an end – before we headed back to our palatial quarters, truly contented.

In short, northern England, I would like to extend my severe apologies for the initial underestimation.

It wasn’t you, it was me.