Here’s our guide to Yorkshire holiday cottages, for those wanting a self catering holiday in the gorgeous county of Yorkshire in the North of England.
It’s a wonderfully diverse county and if you’re looking for a stay in a seaside retreat, upland farmhouse or fisherman’s cottage, Yorkshire has something for you,
Below are the main areas to explore. For each there’s a link to cottages from our partner holidaycottages.co.uk – find the perfect base for your trip and book online.
Yorkshire Dales Holiday Cottages
Probably the most famous rural area in Yorkshire is the Dales.
A ‘Dale’ is a river valley and there are several in the West of the county, forming part of the Pennines hill range that runs North to South in northern England.
Each Dale is (usually) named after its river. So Swaledale is the Swale river valley, Wharfedale contains the Wharfe etc. The main exception is Wensleydale, which is the River Ure’s valley.
Here are some of the best places to stay on the Dales:
Swaledale
As we’ve already mentioned Swaledale in North Yorkshire is the river valley of the river swale which runs west to east through the Yorkshire dales national park and ultimately into the North Sea.
Upper saleable contains some lovely villages including and hamlets in Swaledale include Reeth, Grinton, Low Row, Gunnerside, Muker and Keld. all of which would be an excellent case from which to explore the rest of the Dale and its surroundings.
Further downstream is Richmond, the perfect example of an English market town which also has has a great castle which looks over the swale in the middle of town.
Wensleydale
Just south of Swaledale is Wensleydale, famous for its cheese. Great villages for a base include Askrigg and Hawes, home to the cheese factory.
Great places to visit in Wensleydale include Bolton Castle, one of the best preserved castles in the north of England.
Wharfedale
The Wharfe forms the Yorkshire dales largest Dale.
Upper Wharfedale is full of lovely little villages such as Kettlewell, Starbutton and Buckden. All of which have several lovely holiday cottages.
Lower down the valley there are great towns such as Grassington and Ilkley which would also be a good place to base yourself for a great Yorkshire Dale’s holiday.
Nidderdale
The river Nidd passes through several lovely villages and towns including Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough.
Other notable dales
The rivers Aire and Calder also have some lovely areas but are more industrial. The former for example runs through Leeds, the largest city in Yorkshire.
Here are cottages in the Yorkshire Dales >>>
Yorkshire Coast Holiday Cottages
The East of the county borders the North Sea forming a long coastline that includes several pretty fishing villages such as Staines and Robins Hood Bay and larger seaside towns such as Scarborough and Whitby:
Whitby
The gorgeous fishing villages of Whitby is both a pretty place and still an important part of the local fishing industry.
It’s also a great place to stay to enjoy the local food and countryside.
Scarborough
The archetypical Victorian seaside resort, albeit a little more genteel than others such as nearby Bridlington and Blackpool on the Lancashire coast.
It maintains many of the attributes that made it the place to summer in Victorian England, including the majestic grand hotel, Peasholm Park and the many stucco hotels on the front. Being still a popular resort accommodation is plentiful including lots of great cottages to stay.
There’s also the fantastic Scarborough castle overlooking the bay to visit.
Staines / Robins Hood Bay
Both Staines and Robin Hoods Bay are pretty fishing villages, full of lovely old fishermen’s cottages.
Here are cottages on the Yorkshire Coast >>>
Yorkshire Wolds Holiday Cottages
The Yorkshire Wolds are an underrated series of rolling hills just inland of the coast, towards, York.
Their location makes them an ideal place to stay away from the crowds off the coast, whilst being close enough to get to the beach if that’s your thing.
There are several lovely towns such as Pickering and Malton, plus villages such as Welton and South Cave.
Here are cottages in the Yorkshire Wolds >>>
York Holiday Cottages
The city of York is one of the most historic cities in the UK.
Founded by the Romans and expanded by the Vikings York has also been a religious centre for centuries too. Its Archbishop is the second most senior figure in the Church of England – the most important is the Archbishop of Canterbury – who’s based in York minster, one of the great churches of Europe.
The Minster, the city walls, the ancient castle and, especially, the cobbled medieval streets make this one of the most popular tourist spots in the UK.
There are therefore lots of places to stay either in the centre or in one of the many areas just outside.
Here are cottages in and around York >>>
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