Wayside Cottage

Holiday cottages for two rarely have the seclusion and style of this cute cottage near Richmond and Barnard Castle. Wayside Cottage is small but perfectly formed if you are looking for a romantic bolthole in a rural location. Sitting a mile outside the village of Gilling West, there are countryside views from every window, including the patio doors at the foot of the generously-sized bed. There’s a hot tub outside, a pub within walking distance and, yes, you can bring the dog!

This one-bedroomed cottage is a small barn conversion with its former life exposed in high ceilings, beams and stone walls. Now, though, the mod cons of this holiday home stretch as far as underfloor heating, WiFi and a smart TV – not to mention its well-equipped kitchen. It’s not just what’s here that makes this place though, it’s also the quality of the finish. Everything is high spec, contemporary and clean and little extras like a welcome hamper of local produce make a stay here better still. Wayside ticks all the boxes for a couple who want to stay in comfort and explore the North Yorkshire countryside.

Easily reached from the A1, it sits four miles north of historic Richmond and 11 miles east of Barnard Castle. Both make for good days out and there are plenty more of those to be had with the Yorkshire Dales National Park stretching away to the west. Walking, cycling and sightseeing in the Dales could keep you well occupied for more than a week, but if you’re on a whistle-stop tour of the North, the North York Moors National Park is a short drive away and even the Lake District is only an hour away by car. You might, however, be content with the smaller pleasures offered by a stay at this little hideaway. There’s the cross-country walk to The White Swan in Gilling West, the chance to watch farmland birds while you sip coffee on your patio and the simple joy of waking up to those lovely countryside views... or soaking in the scenery from that hot tub of course.