Cat Hole Cottages

From the Blog

See The Dales Come Out of Hibernation

As we slowly creep out of winter and towards spring, the Yorkshire Dales will begin to come out of its shell and transform into another magnificent season – the Dales simply doesn’t have a time of year when it’s not stunningly breath-taking. Plus, during these quieter months, a stay in a cosy holiday cottage becomes an affordable option for everyone, so if you’ve never stayed with us before it’s the perfect opportunity. Our local area is beautiful all year round, and whatever time of year you decide to visit us there’s always so much to do and see in the local area.

There are plenty of tourist attractions to visit, footpaths to explore and events to involved with in the winter and early spring. As we always say, you don’t even need your car to enjoy the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. Our holiday cottages have a wide variety of walks straight from their doorstep so wrap up warm and venture out into the countryside, around this time the rivers are at their fullest following winter rains, making the waterfalls more dramatic. Why not pay Aysgarth Falls or Hardraw Force a visit for some impressive sights or take a look round one of the charming little market towns nearby and treat yourself to some tasty local produce.

There is plenty of history in the local area, so why not immerse yourself in the past and pay a visit to one of our local castles. Nestled in the small village in Wensleydale, Bolton Castle is an excellent place to visit when staying in one of our cottages. The castle provides a huge range of exciting things to do, all in one place. There are Birds of Prey displays in the garden, Archery demonstrations that your children can have a go with too and Wild Boar feeding in the boar park. Throughout the day they also offer trails, medieval games, traditional crafts and more! Have a look at their events calendar for special event days too. Luckily, the castle reopens on 15th February just in time for half term, so the kids can blow off some steam. A little further down the road, we also have the Norman castle of Richmond as well as a castle in the small market town of Middleham that are both great to explore.

There are also more attractions at the top of Wensleydale, in Hawes, where you’ll find the Dales Countryside Museum, Outhwaite Rope Maker, and the famous Wensleydale Creamery. The creamery is the home of Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese and visitors can get involved in their new interactive experience, including cheese-making demonstrations, viewing gallery and museum which is a perfect activity for the whole family. You can also try a variety of different cheeses while you’re there! Why not make a day of it and explore Hawes in its entirety, visiting all the museums as well as the quaint and quirky shops scattered throughout the marketplace?

After a busy day adventuring our local countryside there’s always one thing that’s guaranteed, a cosy Yorkshire pub with plenty of friendly faces to welcome you alongside warm and toasty log fires. There are a huge number of local pubs in the area no matter where you are staying that offer great food and some great local ales too! Whether you’re looking for finer dining or classic pub grub you’ll be spoilt for choice. Most of the local pubs are child-friendly, and even dog-friendly too, but make sure you check before you arrive – you don’t want your four-legged friend getting turned away!

Not only is there plenty to do during the day, but the darker nights we have during the cooler months gives visitors the opportunity to gaze up into the fascinatingly dark skies of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with a huge array of stars on display. The lack of light pollution in the Dales makes our night sky such a special place. From 14th February to 1st March, the local National Parks are coming together and are holding their annual Dark Skies Festival, to celebrate the beauty in our solar system. Stargazing makes for a great romantic activity for couples, or an event that the whole family can enjoy together. On a clear night, you can see as many as 2,000 stars, the Milky Way, the northern lights and maybe even some shooting stars.

Whatever you decide to do in the Yorkshire Dales, we have plenty of accommodation to offer, making for the perfect retreat after a long day exploring. Our cottages sleep from 1 to 10 guests and range from cosy hideaways to roomy homes with fantastic views, so there’s an option for everyone. Why not check out our range of cottages nestled throughout North Yorkshire’s picturesque countryside and book your escape to the Dales now.

 

 

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