Gorgeous countryside in this neck of the woods, rolling and lush, with a posse of sheep round every corner. The house, cottages and six acres of orchard and paddock stand on their own, with heart-stopping views. Warm smiling Louise lives in the main house, keeps hens, ducks and geese and is passionate about North Yorkshire. Two stunning cottages – one new, though you’d never know it – with rug-cosy, stone-flagged sitting rooms and kitchens to love. The style is an enticing mix of modern and vintage: smartly upholstered wing chairs, a squishy old chesterfield, a fine pine cupboard. Gamekeepers Cottage has two bedrooms downstairs and a master up top. We loved the ground-floor double bedroom, calming and cosy, but the top suite is a wow, with three separate spaces and a French-style bed. Cross Cottage has two charming ground floor bedrooms – one double, one superking/twin. Snuggle up by the wood-burner for a cosy night in with a basket of logs and a plasma TV; in summer, drift onto the patio (each has its own garden) with furniture, barbecue and views. As for pubs, you’re spoilt: the Coach & Horses at Bolton by Bowland, the legendary Inn at Whitewell, the Spread Eagle at Sawley, down the road. Lovely.
