Our family retreat in Yorkshire

Dear mummy, it’s that time of year when the weather is heating up and the days are getting longer. It’s time we got away from the city! Daddy’s stressed at work, you’re bored with the routine and I’m climbing the walls, so we pack our bags and head…..North!

Yes, ordinarily people would seek out the coast, but our expedition is taking us deep into the heart of England. We’re heading up to Yorkshire, home of fabulous tea, rolling countryside, lots farms and fresh air! I’m sure it’s known for a lot more than that and this is why we’re staying here, to find out more about this beautiful part of the country.

Our journey starts in Amazingstoke, (Basingstoke to non-locals) up the M40, M1 towards Leeds. We’re staying in between Leeds, Selby and York, like a Bermuda Triangle of cool Yorkshire locations. Our main reason for staying near Tadcaster was that we are attending a family wedding nearby. Instead of opting for an expensive hotel weekend break in Leeds/York we decided to extend our stay in a Hoseasons lodge. For an extra £100 we could stay a whole week, get a whole lodge to ourselves, a hot tub and loads of outdoors space to roam around in. It was a no brainer really.

The lodge we’re staying in is called Beech Lodge and it’s one of four holiday homes available on Home Farm in Stillingfleet, Yorkshire.

My mummy and daddy picked it because of its location and the fact it had a hot tub!! Yes a main selling feature! It has two bedrooms and my Grandparents are also staying with us. That means I get to bunk up in the same room as my folks! Oooer….I hope they behave! I hope they don’t snore!

The drive is long and odious. It takes over four hours to get to our destination, luckily I sleep for some of the journey. It’s hard being in a car seat for all that time, I watch some DVDs and I get to stretch my little legs when we stop at the services.

We are greeted by sunshine when we arrive! The facilities at the Beech Lodge are good. It’s clean and basic. It’s a two bedroom lodge and you get to choose whether you want twin beds or a double in the second bedroom. Perfect for families. There is no bath, only a shower…did I mention the outdoor hot tub?!? 😉

The grounds are fantastic and the lodge is situated right next the river Ouse. It’s very picturesque, there are a lot of cows and a farm right next door!

The owners are very welcoming, however we struggle to understand their deep Yorkshire accents as they do like to get to get to know you! 😉 Us ‘Southerners’ need to get out more 😉 The check-in and check-out was very swift and we needed to be out by 10am on the day of departure.

I go around for lodge exploring every nook and cranny, while mum and daddy unpack. My bed is a travel cot that mummy has brought with us, however you can rent a cot for £10pw from the lodge owners. It really is beautiful here. We have a very relaxing break for a week. There is no internet browsing as we have no wifi and mobile coverage was limited on both O2 & Vodafone – which is a blessing in disguise as it forces mummy and daddy to talk, read and watch a little telly together. Just what we needed.

I sleep during the night, allowing mummy and daddy to explore York on their date nights while my grandparents babysit….from the hot tub! The lodge isn’t overlooked (unless you count the cows!) as it has a high hedge both sides, which gives you the added privacy. There is parking for 2 cars behind the lodge and out-of-the-way and the flower beds are immaculate and very pretty! The lodge also includes:

• TV/DVD (Great for watching Frozen on repeat!)
• CD/radio
• Kitchen including microwave
• Shower
• Bed linen, duvets and towels (some of the softest bedsheets we’ve felt)
• Beds made up for your arrival
• Verandah with garden furniture
• Barbecue
• Triple glazed and centrally heated (it’s very toasty – great for when you leave the hot tub cold and wet!)
• Gas and electricity included
• The hot tub gets cleaned everyday by a very nice man!

During the day we explore York (6 miles away), Scarborough (41 miles away) and attend a family wedding. Every morning I wake at the crack of dawn to see the cows out the window and play hide and seek on the timber balcony. Much to my folks disapproval as they have hangovers from drinking too much in the evenings!

We were sad to leave at the end of the week. We waved goodbye to the cows and tractors and head home…back down south. We’d recommend staying at Hoseasons, Beech Lodge, Home Farm any day! We were so impressed that we might book next year! Keep posted for our other Yorkshire posts….coming soon! *well, as soon as my little fingers can type them up!*

Love Bella x