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