Cities packed with ancient pubs, arty villages in curving coastline and a food scene that’ll leave you a little heavier and a lot happier. There’s much more to England’s largest county than sheep and dry stone walls.

Our inspection team pick out places whose character and creativity drop you right into the middle of Yorkshire’s incredible diversity. We’ve found old stone farmhouses with open fires, high-beamed cottages that make you feel right at home, and remote houses with paths leading straight out across the hills.

Whether you’re hiking the Dales and the North York Moors, or exploring coastal villages and York’s cobbled alleys, our collection of unique self catering holiday cottages in Yorkshire give you a real feel for a region of natural beauty, history and charm.

Recommended holiday cottages in Yorkshire

Why we love Yorkshire

  • Stunning views, not just of The Dales and North York Moors, but the sweeping coastline
  • Seeing how the mining industry shaped the people and landscape, particularly in Swaledale, one of the wildest spots in the National Park
  • A no-nonsense style to daily life, a sense of craft rather than artifice
  • Feeling the change of character from the top of a dale to the bottom, or from one to the other
  • Yorkshire‘s two famous local tipples, ale or tea.

Things to do in Yorkshire

  • Visit York, not just for the history and the grand minster, but for the pubs and restaurants of a thriving city
  • Eat your way around foodie Malton, a town that showcases the county’s incredible produce
  • Find arty Staithes, tucked into a cleft in the coast and annually overrun by a festival of the resident painters
  • Challenge your balance on the stepping stones over the river Wharfe to Bolton Abbey
  • Hike the huge expanse of the Dales past forces, waterfalls and ruins, finishing at a great country pub.