Have yourself a very merry Christmas......

Why is it we know when Christmas is every year, the date doesn't change, but it always creeps up on you?
Here we are on the 20th December, the shortest day is tomorrow and we'll be welcoming back some familiar faces and new faces to our cottages this weekend and next, for their Christmas and New Year break in Nidderdale, Yorkshire.
This time of year is when I prepare myself mentally and physically for the year ahead.  Historically it's just after Christmas when people plan and book their summer break or perhaps book a last minute break to recover from the busy Christmas holidays.  In previous years, running a self catering business was just 'seasonal', now I am pleased to say it's all year round, and why not?!
Tim and I stayed in our cottages during December and enjoyed very much being in their company!  We lived liked a local and ate and drank in the local pubs, did our favourite walks and took some time out for ourselves, perfect.
Getting away, just for a few nights can really make all the difference.
What will 2013 bring?  Hopefully another busy and blessed year.  Filled with happy faces, tail wagging dogs and hopefully a little more sunshine! 
So wherever or whoever you are spending this Christmas with, be happy, merry and enjoy!

Best wishes to you and yours for a great Christmas and happy and healthy 2013.

Sarah, Tim and Riley x

A Special Welcome Back Gift for 2013 from Yorkshire Bolt Holes

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/A-Special-Welcome-Back-Gift-for-2013-.html?soid=1107401835225&aid=uExJLKQrejM

Hey strangers!  I know, I am so sorry for being a bit tardy about writing lately, I suppose from a business point of view it's great to be so busy I don't have the time to blog, but now that Christmas is fastly approaching and the maintainence jobs are nearly all done, it gives me a bit more time to write.

We've loved 2012, it's been so busy and we are very excited about 2013 and welcoming new and familiar faces to our cottages.

So if you fancy staying with us next year then why not book by next Friday 14th December 2013 and receive a rather special welcome hamper filled with delicious Yorkshire goodies.

Just our way of saying ' thank you'.

Best wishes

Sarah and Tim Manby

Escape to the Country this Autumn

Autumn in Yorkshire

Oranges, golds and the odd splash of red.

Log fires, country pubs, walks by the River Nidd.

Great local food.

Beer from Theakston and Black Sheep.

Come for a short break, Come for the week!

For our latest rates and dates then please visit

http://.www.yorkshireboltholes.com

See you soon,

Sarah, Tim and Riley x

Sunshine, Seagulls and Seashells!

The Manby's have been away again!  I know!  I feel rather embarrassed to tell you that both Tim and I are born and bred North Yorkshire folk and that it's taken us until now to experience the stunning North Yorkshire coast together!
We've recently returned from a long weekend based in the old village of Staithes - a picture postcard former fishing port which houses many quirky cottages and houses, a butcher, gift shops, gallery and two real ale dog friendly pubs!  The perfect recipe!
We walked along the stunning coast of Yorkshire from Staithes to Runswick Bay, the sun shone and Riley just had the best time as you can see below!
We also walked along the beach from Sandsend to Whitby (boy oh boy Whitby was busy, and it was on a Monday during school term too!)  We ate delicious fish and chips from the Magpies' takeaway, keeping one eye on the seagulls who were after our lunch and one on Riley who was also on the look out!
On our final day we went along to Robin Hoods Bay which is also a delight, and all this just over an hour from home and our cottages in Nidderdale!
So returned home, tanned and refreshed having thoroughly enjoyed our break together.
Have fun,
Sarah, Tim and Riley x

September Sunshine!

September, September how I love September!  I know, friends think I am crackers for loving the start of Autumn.  For me, it's the brighter, crisp mornings, dew on the grass, that nip in the air.  The trees turning and being able to light the log burner again!  I guess for me and our business, it's also a time for reflection.  How the year has gone, what we have achieved and remembering all the lovely people that we have welcomed to our cottages over the last few months.  We've had a fantastic year and have welcomed guests from all over the globe which is truly inspiring.  Why Yorkshire?  Why not?  We have so much to offer and the experience changes throughout the seasons.  From the lambs in the spring, to the green lush fields and purple moorland in the summer, to the amazing autumnal colours of our woodland and snow capped hills in the winter. 

For us, our business is all year round and unlike many other holiday cottages owners, we decided a few years ago now, to offer short breaks to our guests all the year round too.  It's great to get away, even for just a few days, to recharge and relax.  We also want to offer our guests a simple and fair pricing structure.  Why should you pay more to visit our cottages in July and August or at Christmas and New Year?  I find that all very old fashioned.  So when you stay at one of our cottages, there's one price for a weekend, one for a midweek stay and one for the week.  We hope you like our thinking and ethos as much as we do.

We've got a few improvement plans up our sleeves for the winter, so watch this space, you know I like to have a project on the go!

We recently had a quick break away on the Northumberland coast over the Bank Holiday.  Even the sun shone with time well spent on the beach, here's a piccie of Riley for you who loved his short break away with us. 

Have a fabulous month and Autumn, bring it on!

Best wishes

Sarah, Tim and Riley x

Yorkshire goes for Gold at the 2012 Olympics!

Well what do you know?  We knew that Yorkshire has created some stars in it's time; cracking scenery, down to earth locals, fantastic food and brilliant beer, and now we have created some amazing athletes too!  We should all be very proud, well done Yorkshire!
It's been truly spectacular watching the Olympics, hosted by us, Lord Coe, what a fab job you have done!
We loved the opening ceremony, with the beautiful cauldron that was designed from a shed in Harrogate, North Yorkshire no less! To the 'doves of peace' being crooned to by South Yorkshires' Artic Monkeys - boy we put on a great show! 
So here we are, at the beginning of August, the year is flying by and we have welcomed new faces as well as familiar ones.  Guests from overseas and guests from just down the road.  Honeymooners to hikers, couples to cyclists, the mix is varied and I love to meet everyone of you.
We are busy until October so if you fancy a relaxing short break in the Autumn, a wonderful time to visit the Yorkshire Dales, then do get in touch soon.  We offer weekend, midweek or weekly stays, all the year round from just £250.
We've just welcomed our local inspector from Sawdays who came to re-visit us at Ashknott Cottage, Kirkby Malzeard recently, will look forward to reading their report very soon.
We've been hitting the internet headlines too!  The Independent travel section featured Bewerley Hall Cottage recently in their 'Top 50 Best Places to stay in Britain' and just yesterday, 'Cool Places' have featured us in their guide to the Yorkshire Dales.  We might not have won a gold medal but we are pretty chuffed to say the least!
So for those of you taking a break yourselves over the next few weeks, enjoy, relax and take a moment to feel proud of where you come from, I certainly do!
Best
Sarah x

It's Showtime in Harrogate!

Hello everybody!
Just come back from a long walk with Riley and the preparations are gearing up down at the showground for the 'Great Yorkshire Show'.  It comes around every year and historically was when the local farmers from across the County get together, to show off their livestock and to let their hair down!  That still goes on and a bit of business is done too around the Members tent!  The food hall and cookery demos are a big hit with visitors as are the various trade stands, fashion shows and rural craft tent.  It's next week so if you fancy a visit you can buy your tickets at http://www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/
So what have we been up to?  Well..... our latest improvements have now been completed at Ashknott Cottage and Bewerley Hall holiday cottages.  The photos have been taken and the websites updated, to take a peek please visit http://www.yorkshireboltholes.com/ and visit our Facebook page to let us know what you think!
We have welcomed lots of returning guests recently, which is just the icing on the cake for Tim and I.  Speaking of cakes, am getting a few requests for the homemade lemon drizzle cake recipe that I make to welcome our guests with.  Am going to post it onto our Facebook page later today.  It's dead easy and truly delicious!
Both cottages are busy now until late Summer, to view our latest availability please check out our websites at Ashknott Cottage http://www.ashknottcottage.com/ and Bewerley Hall Cottage http://www.cottageinbewerley.com/.
We are also accepting bookings for 2013 and are guaranteeing that our prices will remain the same for next year when you book by 31st December 2012.
We are looking forward to the start of the Olympics and enjoyed the torch procession through the streets of Harrogate recently, cannot believe it's nearly here!
Well take care folks,
See you soon,
Best

Sarah, Tim and Riley x

From across the globe with Yorkshire Bolt Holes!

Well here we are at the end of May.  How did that happen?  It was a bit damp at the start and then went from lighting the log burner to getting the BBQ out!  How we love the British weather! 

We have welcomed many guests this month, from across the globe, which is just fantastic.  Amsterdam and Canada are visiting this weekend.  Yorkshire Bolt Holes is now truly international!  We have also been lucky enough to look after a few of you celebrating your weddings, and with the recent fabulous weather, we were so happy for you, Yorkshire is truly spectacular when the sun shines on it, there is no place like it.

The interior design fairy has been working her magic on both Ashknott Cottage and Bewerley Hall Cottage and we are thrilled with the results.  Our friends at Stay Classy Creative are coming down  next weekend to take some gorgeous new photos, cannot wait!  Keep an eye on our websites to see what we have been up to!  http://www.yorkshireboltholes.com/

We are nearly fully booked throughout the Summer, however we do have the odd gap here and there at both our cottages so please check our websites for the latest availability.  We are even starting to get bookings coming through for 2013 - you have been warned, we hate to disappoint.

For our doggie friends out there, can you believe it, we have shared our life with Riley our rescued black lab, one year today!  How that time has truly flown.  Tim and I picked him up this time last year.  He didn't stop panting for about 48 hours and wouldn't settle that first night, but here we are one year on, and boy oh boy, what a difference that year has made.  He's happy, fitter and trimmer, loves his ball, adores swimming and really does have the life of Riley!  (This picture was taken on our first holiday with Riley last November down in South Wales).

Well this forthcoming weekend sees the true start to the Jubilee celebrations, hope you have fun whatever you decide to do.  We are sharing it with neighbours and a glass or two....  Then we've got the Olympic torch coming to the local area from Monday 18th June 2012 and then of course the Games in London commence in July!  It's all happening in 2012!

Best wishes

Sarah, Tim and Riley
Yorkshire Bolt Holes Ltd

Spring Lambs, Wild Garlic and Bluebells

Hello everybody, well here we are in May!  The year is passing us by yet again!  How I love Spring!  Just walking the dog down by the River Nidd recently in Nidderdale, I noticed that nature had got a spurt on too!  Riley and I passed fields of Spring lambs, skipping around and their Mums bleating at us loudly.  The smell of wild garlic wafting up into the air as we walked by and that glow of purple and blue from the woodland bluebells - how wonderful!  You know we can take so much for granted, it's good to just stop for a while and take in the sights and smells that are all around us, we are so lucky to live in such a special area. 

Business is great and we are nearly full this Summer.  We have the odd gap here and there so if you fancy a short break, do get in touch.  Alternatively why not look ahead and book something for late Summer?  It's a super time to come to Nidderdale and we do offer short breaks all the year round. Although the cottages are busy and we are even receiving bookings for 2013, I am always looking at how I can improve the experience of staying at our cottages for our guests.  At the moment I am busy putting together some fantastic local information packs for our guests to browse during their stay.  I do get to meet most of our guests and always point them in the right direction, but that is not always possible when guests are travelling some distance to reach us, so the best thing to do in this situation, is to provide these guests with my assistant - Sarah 2!  Within these info packs I've mentioned all the great places Tim and I like to visit when we are in the area, where we like to walk, which are our favourite pubs to enjoy a tipple and what are the 'must see' places to visit.  We hope you will love these places as much as we have enjoyed researching them!

Looking ahead, we are making some internal improvements to our cottages at the moment.  Just having some fantastic new solid wood furniture made by hand ,by a local company called 'Pine Junction' who are based in West Tanfield, Ripon for the bedroom at Ashknott Cottage in Kirkby Malzeard.  Carol Ayres, also from Kirkby Malzeard, who is in fact our neighbour up there too, has just made some gorgeous new curtains, blinds and cushions for Bewerley Hall Cottage.  Carol's work has really given a lift and a super fresh look to the place, so much so, we have decided to say cheerio to the four poster in the bedroom and it will shortly be replaced with a wonderful new king size wrought iron bed frame in cream - a bit more country living!

The improvements are not stopping there, watch this space and keep an eye on our website www.yorkshireboltholes.com for more updates as they happen!

Have a fantastic May, enjoy the Bank Holidays and get out there and enjoy nature at it's best!

Sarah, Tim and Riley x

Hot off the Press - our latest availability at Yorkshire Bolt Holes, Nidderdale, Yorkshire

Here it is folks!  Our latest remaining availability at our stylish holiday cottages just for two in Nidderdale, Yorkshire.  Don't leave it too late, you have been warned!
We'll see you soon,
Best
Sarah x

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Our-latest-and-remaining-availability-Summer-2012-.html?soid=1107401835225&aid=8dDHs9VsPis

The Yorkshire Dales - When are you coming?

Hello friends,
Hope our latest mutterings find you well?
Just wanted to share with you this brilliant new video which truly highlights why you should be visiting our great area. Makes me very proud to say I am from Yorkshire!  Enjoy.
We still have availability at our cottages http://www.yorkshireboltholes.com/  throughout the year, so
I suppose the question is, when are you coming?
See you soon!
Best wishes

Sarah x

We've just become a 'Firm Friend of Nidderdale'

Hi everybody, hope life is treating you all well?  Am writing this listening to this years' budget being read out on Radio 4, I know I am SO 'rock and roll'!  We have had a terrific start to the year, Ashknott Cottage and Bewerley Hall Cottage are back in full swing, our booking calendars are looking busy and we are welcoming back lots of familiar faces.  Just like any business, you cannot afford to stand still and we are always trying to improve our product and our service to our guests.  We have received terrific feedback regarding our new on-line booking system and hopefully you will all agree, just how much easier it is to use and find your way around.  We are very excited to learn that we have been featured in Aprils' edition of 'Living North' magazine where they have featured great places to stay including our own 'Yorkshire Bolt Holes'.  Thank you to Georgina Farrer - http://www.livingnorth.com for requesting our info. 
We are also delighted to become involved with a new venture that has recently taken off in Nidderdale and have just become a 'Firm friend of Nidderdale'.  By becoming a Firm Friend, we are demonstrating that our business take its environmental and social responsibility seriously and that we actively encourage the patronage of local shops and produce whilst our guests are enjoying their holiday in this stunning area of natural beauty.  More info can be found at http://www.nidderdalefirmfriends.co.uk
Well back to it folks! 
Sarah x

Making booking with Yorkshire Bolt Holes, that little bit easier!

Hello there!  What a busy week it has been, lots happening within the towers of Yorkshire Bolt Holes!  A few of you may have noticed that we have recently re-launched our Ashknott Cottage website, hope you love it as much as we do?  We didn't want to leave our home page of http://www.yorkshireboltholes.com out, so why not take a peek at what our friends at http://www.stayclassycreative.com have created for us!  Think you will agree that it gives you a great feel for what we do and how we like to look after our guests at Ashknott Cottage and Bewerley Hall Cottage in Nidderdale, Yorkshire.  We didn't want to stop with just an improvement on the design and feel of the websites, so have taken, what I think is a brilliant step forward, the implementation of a brand new on-line booking system, which we hope will help you when you are checking availability and wishing to book on-line.  In the last couple of years we have seen a tremendous increase in the amount of on-line bookings that we receive and we wanted to offer you much more flexibility when you make your booking with us through this channel.  The new calendar is clear, concise and allows you to book short breaks on-line for the first time too!  You can choose your payment method, whether you wish to pay by cheque, BACS or by card and if your date of stay is outside of six weeks of booking, you just need to pay the deposit only. 
Hope you love the changes - let us know what you think, always on the look out for feedback in everything that we do.
Until the next time,

Best wishes
Sarah & Tim Manby

Ashknott Cottage website now re-launched!

Hi everybody, just a quickie to let you know that we have just re-launched our website for Ashknott Holiday Cottage in Nidderdale.  We would love to know what you think.  The guys at Stay Classy Creative have really captured the feel and atmosphere of the cottage, hope you love it as much as we do!  And if you do, why not come along and see it for yourselves!  We are delighted to offer short breaks all the year round from just £250.  The kettle will be on and the fire lit if it's chilly, see you soon!
http://www.ashknottcottage.co.uk/

Holidays are good for the soul!

Practice what you preach!  Well we have done just that recently!  Just returned from a fantastic skiing holiday in France, the sun shone, the snow came down and we met some great people to boot!  It's great to get away, to recharge the batteries, read a good book, scare yourself silly trying to ski in a white out!  Hey ho!  Back home now and in one piece which is a blessing as we are already welcoming guests to our cottages and it's only the beginning of February!  So when you can get away - get away! 
Meanwhile, we are busy working on a shiny new website for Ashknott Holiday Cottage in Kirkby Malzeard and for Yorkshire Bolt Holes Ltd, we hope you will love the new sites as much as we are excited about them!  We are delighted to be featured in the new Alastair Sawday book 'Dog friendly Breaks in Britain', it's getting some fantastic press coverage currently and copies of it are literally flying off the shelfs, there's going to be some happy dogs and owners out there! 
We are also delighted to be featured on the Yorkshire Dales website as a 'Brilliant Business' no less!  Here's the link should you wish to read the feature http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/index/livinghere/sustainabletourism/brilliantbusinesses.htm.
Well had better get cracking, there's ironing to be done!
Have fun,
Best wishes Sarah, Tim and Riley x

Happy New Year, Happy New You from Yorkshire Bolt Holes Ltd

Hope you and yours had a terrific Christmas?  Well it's the New Year now, thoughts turn to what lies ahead in 2012 and maybe some of you have written down a New Years resolution or two?  Should it state 'more holidays', 'more short breaks' and 'time to relax, unwind and recharge', then you are just in the right place.
We have some great offers available during January, please check out our websites below for our latest availability and rates.  It's a fantastic time to visit our cottages.  Get out there and enjoy the great outdoors of Yorkshire, whether it's walking, horse riding, mountain biking or just relaxing in front of the log burner, have some time for you.  Remember at Yorkshire Bolt Holes we offer relaxing short breaks all the year round, so why not plan ahead and have something special to look forward to?
Our popular one week holidays are booking up fast, so to avoid disappointment do have a look at our websites to see what is still available during the busier months of Spring and Summer.  Our rates include Egyptian Cotton bedlinen and towels from the White Company, locally sourced organic toiletries from Sedbergh Soap Company, welcome hamper of goodies upon arrival and no extra charge for your holidaying dogs.  We are featured on Alastair Sawdays Special Places, in their guide book Slow North Yorkshire and in Sawdays Dog Friendly Breaks in Britain.  So what are you waiting for?  We'll have the kettle on....  Best wishes Sarah, Tim and Riley the dog.
http://www.ashknottcottage.co.uk/
http://www.cottageinbewerley.com/