Through the keyhole: Birdsall House and its new nightclub

LIFE is full of surprises for Cara Willoughby.

As a young graphic design student in the 1990s at the iconic Charles Rennie McIntosh-designed Glasgow School of Art, never did she dream that one day she would be 'lady of the manor'.

Fast forward 30 years to now and Lady Cara alongside husband James live at Birdsall House - seat of the Willoughby family for centuries, now a popular wedding venue nestling between the Vale of York and the Yorkshire Wolds.

Before moving to Yorkshire following her marriage to James in 2005, there was a spell living in London, working as a milliner with celebrated couture hat-maker to the rich and famous, Philip Treacy.

"That was really fun. I loved that. It really brought out my artistic side," says Cara, as we meet at Birdsall for a tour of her latest project.

Cara is immediately open and welcoming, greeting me with a warm smile, a hug and an offer of coffee.

And as surprises go, this new venture is a biggie.

"We've opened a nightclub!" says the 48-year-old mother of three, grinning widely, almost as if she doesn't quite believe it herself.

It appears that she and her husband are still pinching themselves that they really have opened what they hope will be the hottest night spot in the north.

"We woke up the morning after the opening party and James said: 'Oh my God we've just opened a nightclub in our basement!'."

The 'basement' is in fact the old kitchens of the main house - long forgotten and closed off for decades.

The Old Kitchens - Birdsall House. Photo credit Martyn Hand

They were originally built in 1873, a time Cara describes as the 'hey day of the house' (although it actually dates from 1540 and increased in size in the Georgian era).

Abandoned after the Second World War, a two-year project has brought the former kitchen complex back to life offering, what Cara says, is a "unique event space" for this corner of the country.

Located in a separate wing to the main house, but connected through a new staircase, entry is via the front garden and down a flight of stairs crafted by a local company in Leavening ("Everything in this project was made or came from within a 20 miles radius of the house, it is all very local," says Cara).

And the surprises keep coming. The Old Kitchens have been recast as a 1920s, old-style gentleman's club. "We were aiming for the old Annabel's - trying to bring a bit of London to the north," she says enthusiastically.

There's a nod to the speakeasy of the prohibition era as you explore this subterranean labyrinth of rooms, moving from the dance hall to a drinks area and then into the simply stunning lounge and bar area where vintage posters for classic cocktails hang on the wall and leather sofas and plush velvet chairs invite you to sit, relax, and enjoy an Old Fashioned or a Martini.

Stunning lounge area of The Old Kitchens at Birdsall. Photo: Martyn Hand

Ingeniously, Cara's even managed to capture the feel of a place in a bespoke candle, named The Old Kitchens and featuring 'leather and pomegranate', which has been made by a new perfumery in York, Guggle and Torquith.

The old pantry can now serve a buffet. The whole place can cater for up to 200 - and Cara hopes it will be used for wedding parties as well as other celebrations such as big birthday bashes and the like. "It's nicer than a marquee in the garden," she insists.

It was the rising costs of marquees that led the Willoughbys to come up with the idea for creating a bespoke event space indoors.

Two-years in the making, Cara and James were completely hands-on with the project.

"We had a quantity surveyor and an architect but did the whole thing in house," she says.

Luckily, she and James work well as a team. "James is good at figures - I am dyslexic but I'm very visual."

Cara's artistic eye is apparent at every turn in The Old Kitchens. The palette is dark green, with splashes of vibrant colour on fabrics and walls.

Lady Cara at the launch night of The Old Kitchens

The loos are rather special - another surprise!

"We had a person come round who used to design nightclubs and they told us that you have got to make the loos really, really good. If you have got good loos, you have good a good venue."

Cara took on that advice and the loos are definitely worth a visit. William Morris wallpaper - a nod to the interior design of the main house - lines some of the walls. In the gents, glossy dark green tiles frame the urinals, with pictures of old Malton hanging above.

There is a spacious disabled loo, in the former coal store. "The entire space has full disabled access," says Cara.

Tour over, we return to the main house and into Cara's award-winning family kitchen - which seems to stretch across the entire width of the house ("we made six rooms into one to make our kitchen," she tells me). The space is knock-out and incorporates a sofa/TV area, modern fitted kitchen, and large pantry/utility area. There is a generous family dining area with views over the west-facing, bloom-filled, gardens, complete with lakes, which were designed in 1735 by Thomas Knowlton, a pupil of Capability Brown.

The windows are floor to ceiling allowing light to flood in. But the best spot is reserved for the family's four dogs - labs Otter and Maple, and spaniels Inky and Teasel, who can lounge on generous day beds in front of the walls of glass.

Does she like to cook? "'I am a home cook," says Cara modestly, adding that tonight she may make risotto. "Last week I cooked dinner for 30 Americans who were here for a tour and dinner; I made chicken with Parma ham. If we have more than that, I will get a cook in."

For food shopping, it is either a trip to the nearest Morrisons, a food delivery from Tesco, or a trip to Malton town centre - just a short five-mile drive away. "Malton has so many different places, the fish shop, the butchers, it can be nice to go and get a little bit of everything."

In term time, the couple's three teenage children, Tom, Flora, and Rupert, are away at boarding school. "Life is either zero or 60 [mph]," says Cara. "The diary fills up running the business, then the children come home and it's all about spinning plates.

"Now they are older, there are lots of opportunities for them here. It is good for them to meet people and get their confidence up. Who else gets to hang out with Liz Hurley and John Cleese in their own house?"

Indeed! During Covid, Birdsall became a film set and three feature films - starring Hurley, Cleese, but also Caroline Quentin - were made during lockdown. It was a lifesaver financially because the pandemic brought the wedding industry to a standstill.

Today, the house is still a popular location for films and photoshoots - adding another revenue string to the Birdsall bow (the house has been hosting weddings since 2017).

Birdsall House near Malton

And like so many other country homes, diversification is the key to a successful business.

A run through of the Birdsall diary for the week highlights the diversity of its money-making ventures.

"Yesterday we had gun dog training,"begins Cara. "Tomorrow, we have the Country Landowners Association AGM. On Wednesday there is a historical conference; Thursday we have the Irish Georgians in - they are a historical group and will bring their vintage Rolls Royce cars and have a tour and lunch. Then on Sunday we will have 500 competitors here for the Yorkshire Mountain Bike rally. We have four routes - from 25km to 80km - round the estate which we open up and run just once a year. People come from all over Europe to do it."

An early riser, Cara's day starts around 6.30am when she gets up to feed the dogs, who also get walked daily.

And for relaxation? "It's fun to go out to dinner. We sometimes meet friends in Leeds or York. We recently went to Nola in York and liked the downstairs jazz, and the food. Roots is fab and I really want to go the Byland Abbey. We are real foodies!"

Holidays are often in Scotland - on the isle of Tiree. As a child, Cara grew up partly in Scotland and holds a soft spot for it.

But home now is Yorkshire - with a mission to steer Birdsall into great shape for the next generation.

It's a life of surprises - and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Every single day is different here - I would not be able to do a job where I was at my desk every day. The fact this is so different makes life interesting."

Find out more at: birdsallestates.co.uk

This article first appeared in Yorkshire Life magazine. The latest edition of Yorkshire Life is out now, available from newsagents and supermarkets across Yorkshire and magsdirect.co.uk. Subscribe at greatbritishlife.co.uk/subscribe/yorkshire/