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We had envisaged waking up to the sound of York Minster's pealing bells and were sorry when our taxi from the station went through the beautiful city centre, past the famous Gothic cathedral - and then continued out the other side.

Although Marmadukes is only half a mile from the city walls, you are either in York or you are not. And instead of bells, at one point we endured chants from the nearby York City football stadium.

We arrived at 2pm and needed to dust ourselves down before heading out to meet friends for a birthday lunch - a quick turnaround in other words.

A slice of classic British hospitality: Marmadukes Hotel occupies a leafy residential street in York

Unfortunately, the receptionist had other ideas.

She told us in no uncertain terms that check-in did not start until 3pm.

I pushed it a little because the hotel has 20 rooms and we thought one of them might be available, but she wasn't budging. In fact, I thought she might send me to the castle dungeons if I asked anything else.

But then the manager appeared, a far friendlier no-nonsense Yorkshire woman. 

Come in, take a seat: The hotel lounge is fitted out with comfortable sofas, wide windows and wooden flooring

She announced that our room was 'good to go' and handed us the key. We were on the first floor with a view of a boarding house for nearby St Peter's school.

The high ceilings and large bay window drew in the flinty Yorkshire light; the Victorian-style bed was inviting; there was a wife-pleasing-sized dressing table and spacious wardrobe.

No hints of modernity. Americans might call it quaint.

Marmadukes markets itself as the former 'townhouse home of a Victorian gentleman', which is a touch misleading given that it's really two suburban red-brick buildings.

Bright and breezy: The hotel offers rooms with high ceilings and broad windows that draw in the light

It felt a little like a provincial doctor's surgery, only with tourist leaflets rather than copies of Reader's Digest to read while waiting. But it was comfortable and its owners have clearly made huge efforts to spruce up the place.

There is no restaurant. Breakfast is taken in a spacious modern conservatory - but it was full when we stumbled down and so we took our full English in the drawing room, which we had to ourselves.

It was just what we needed ahead of a day roaming York's bustling streets.