Woodcroft Cottage

The two bedrooms of Woodcroft Cottage in the Yorkshire village of Hudswell each have an en-suite bathroom. As it also has a hot tub, a log-burning stove and is a walk away from a friendly pub, you might not think that’s headline news, but to us it’s important. It means that this well-appointed holiday home on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales is as good for two couples as it is for families. Either way, no one will be fighting for the bathroom here. In addition, this end-of-terrace cottage is dog friendly so whoever your holiday companions are, you can rest assured they’ll be welcome.

Thanks in part to those en-suites, each with a bath and a shower, the feel of the upstairs is that of a boutique hotel. A TV in each room, quality linen and tasteful decoration help, too. The master bedroom has a comfy king-sized bed while the second bedroom has the option of a super-king or twin configuration. Downstairs, things are more homely than hotel in style, although the quality remains the same. The living room is made cosy with a wood-burning stove, while the adjacent kitchen/dining room is perhaps the heart of the house. It has its own sofa and yet another TV, and opens via bi-fold doors to the patio and hot tub outside. Everything here feels well chosen, well crafted and well kitted out.

The village of Hudswell was, not so long ago, chosen as Yorkshire Village of the Year – not because it’s chocolate-box pretty (there are plenty of them in this partof the world) but because of its unusually strong community spirit. The George & Dragon pub, for example, is community owned and home to a village shop – and, by the way, is a two-minute walk from the front door. Head out the back and it’s not much further until you’re on a riverside walk. It can take you all the way to the market town of Richmond, just over two miles away, where the castle, shops and eateries will keep you occupied, while in the opposite direction you’ll find 40 miles of the Yorkshire Dales to explore.