YHA chief executive Caroline White, William Hague, centre, and YHA chairman Chris Darmon stand outside one of the camping pods in the grounds of YHA Grinton Lodge. Photo: SLB Photography

YHA chief executive Caroline White, William Hague, centre, and YHA chairman Chris Darmon stand outside one of the camping pods in the grounds of YHA Grinton Lodge. Photo: SLB Photography

The Foreign Secretary William Hague paid a visit close to home to see facilities at his local youth hostel.

Mr Hague, MP for Richmond, was invited by YHA to tour Grinton Lodge after its recent upgrade.

The hostel near Reeth in in the Tory MP’s North Yorkshire constituency, which also contains a large section of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk from the Cumbria boundary in the West to the foot of the Cleveland escarpment in the East.

His visit to Grinton Lodge came following the extensive development of a disused wing and grounds of the historic former shooting lodge.

The £647,000 development of the youth hostel was funded, in part, by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The popular hostel re-opened its doors to the public in June after a four-month programme to develop the grounds, accommodation and facilities.

The investment in Grinton Lodge enabled YHA to expand capacity and improve educational and camping facilities, as well as create jobs and boost the local economy following increased visitor numbers.

Mr Hague said: “It’s great to see the successful redevelopment of YHA Grinton Lodge. I am particularly impressed by the accommodation for families, especially the camping pods. It is clear youth hostelling has entered a modern age.”

YHA chief executive Caroline White said: “We are delighted that we have such a senior cabinet minister at Grinton, immediately after a group of young people taking part in the National Citizen Service have just left after their stay.

“We want to double the number of young people who experience YHA, its sense of sociability and community, and all that it can offer them and their families.

“We play a special part in many communities and in the lives of young people and we’re really proud of the work we do with volunteers and with partners, including the National Citizen Service.”

The development of Grinton Lodge is part of YHA’s capital investment programme. Over the past five years YHA has invested £19.5m in its network of youth hostels in England and Wales.