Christian Holiday Cottage, Yorkshire Dales

Christian Holiday Cottage, Yorkshire Dales — At the Source of the Wharfe

This charming Christian holiday cottage, Yorkshire Dales, sits in the tiny hamlet of Oughtershaw, about as remote and peaceful as this National Park gets. There’s no Wi-Fi, no landline, and barely any mobile signal — a proper digital detox, with an open fire and cosy electric storage heaters to keep things warm instead. Oughtershaw Beck runs past the bottom of the garden, with a small waterfall and pool just upstream for anyone brave enough for a dip, and the cottage sleeps two comfortably (four at a squeeze) in a traditional stone building that’s been part of this hamlet for generations. A good sound system, a stack of vinyl and a shelf of books and games make up for the lack of screens.

That beck outside the garden is more significant than it might look. Just a short walk downstream at Beckermonds, Oughtershaw Beck meets Green Field Beck, and from that exact point onwards the water is officially the River Wharfe — one of Yorkshire’s best-loved rivers, which goes on to flow some 65 miles through Kettlewell, Grassington, Bolton Abbey and Ilkley before eventually joining the Ouse. It’s a rare thing to stay literally at the source of a named English river.

Hubberholme church, already a short walk down the Dales Way, has one more claim to fame. As well as its rare rood loft and carved mice from the workshop of Robert Thompson, the ‘Mouseman of Kilburn’, its churchyard is the resting place of the writer J.B. Priestley, who loved this stretch of Upper Wharfedale so much he called it the ‘smallest, pleasantest place in the world’ and asked for his ashes to be scattered there after he died.

Further north in Hawes, the Wensleydale Creamery has its own good story. Cheesemaking here traces back to Cistercian monks who settled in the dale in the 12th century, but the modern creamery came close to closing for good in 1992 when its then-owners shifted production to Lancashire. Local workers and managers clubbed together to buy it back within six months, and production has stayed in Wensleydale ever since — helped along, more recently, by Wallace and Gromit’s very public fondness for the cheese.

Just beyond Hawes, on the road over to Swaledale, the Buttertubs Pass is one of the great drives of the Dales — a high, twisting road named after a cluster of 20-metre-deep limestone potholes near its summit. Local legend says farmers taking their butter to market at Hawes used to lower it into the cool depths of these potholes on hot days rather than carry it the whole way, which is as good an explanation as any for the name. The pass featured in the Tour de France’s 2014 Grand Départ and is regularly rated among England’s finest roads.

This Christian holiday cottage, Yorkshire Dales, is perfect for:
Clergy and church workers wanting a genuine digital detox
Couples seeking real peace and quiet, off the beaten track
Walkers based right on the Dales Way
Anyone happy with an open fire, a good book and no signal

For more Christian-friendly places to stay across the North East and Yorkshire, browse our North East and Yorkshire properties. And if the Yorkshire Dales themselves have caught your interest, the National Park Authority has more on walking routes, wildlife and visiting well beyond Oughtershaw.

Location

Danehill Farm Cottage, Oughtershaw, near Buckden, Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire

How to get there:

Normally by car.

If you are coming from the A1, leave at Leeming Bar, then continue on the A684 through Leyburn all the way to Hawes. Hawes is a great place to stop for supplies (it is a good idea to pick up a bag of coal at the Spar). Leave Hawes on the Gayle Road, passing the Wensleydale Cheese Factory. The road heads uphill, and eventually (after about 6 miles) downhill into the hamlet of Oughtershaw. The cottage is part of the first building on your right.

If you are coming from the Skipton end of things then head north on the B6160 through Kilnsey and Kettlewell. At Buckden turn off left to Hubberholme. For a while you follow the beck on your right, then after crossing the bridge on your right you drive with the beck on your left. The road then turns sharp right and a few minutes later you see some stone houses. This is Oughtershaw. Danehill Farm Cottage is part of the last building.

The cottage now has a green front door and there is a parking space on the grass directly in front. The key is in the keysafe. We will give you the code on booking. Please just leave it there when you leave.

Nearest Towns:

Buckden 6 miles, Hawes 7 miles, Kettlewell 9.5 miles; Grassington 16 miles, Skipton 23 miles

Local Area

Travelling south, the first village is Hubberholme, which has a pub called The George, serving food. Beyond Hubberholme is Buckden, which has a small shop, and a good pub called The Buck, with a restaurant. The shop is more rudimentary than that in Kettlewell, but serves well for emergency milk (or chocolate). Carrying on south, the village shop at Kettlewell has a wider variety, and has more local produce. There are also a number of outdoor shops and tea shops.

Travelling north, Hawes is a small market town, with tempting local shops. Tuesday is market day at Hawes. The Spar is the nearest thing to a supermarket, while Elijah Allen’s has a more exotic range of food. Our favoured butcher and baker is Corbetts, past Elijah Allen’s down the right-hand cobbled fork towards the PO. All their meat is sourced locally. Finally, don’t miss the chance to sample the cheeses at the excellent Wensleydale Creamery shop. This is in Gayle, the village you pass through immediately before you come to, or leave, Hawes.

There are many other interesting local market towns, including Leyburn, which has its market day on a Friday, and Grassington, which also has an excellent Spar. There is also a brilliant farm shop at Kilnsey.

Oughtershaw is in a remote and stunning part of the Yorkshire Dales, and is crossed by the Dales Way. There are countless excellent walking, cycling and mountain biking opportunities ranging from the 3 Peaks for the energetic to gentle rambles close to coffee shops.

There is a rich bird life with regular sights including Peregrine Falcons, Sparrow-hawks, Buzzards and Owls. We often see a short eared owl flying around in broad daylight, only metres from us over the top of the pass: a breathtaking sight.

There are many local historic buildings. Hubberholme church is a beautiful place to visit, and in which to worship. It has one of the few remaining “rood lofts” in the country, and over 50 carved mice in the woodwork, from the workshops of the Mouse Man of Kilburn. It makes a fine day out to walk down the valley along the Dales Way to go to church, and then to have lunch at the George, before walking back.

More details about local attractions can be found in the folders provided and there are maps of the local area.

Facilities

Danehill Farm Cottage is a traditional stone cottage in a stunning remote hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales. There a parking space on the grassed area in front of the cottage. There is a double bed and a single day bed upstairs. At a push another 2 can be accommodated on the double sofa bed in the main room, but this is a bit of a squeeze. There is no Wi-Fi or landline and mobile reception is poor so it is a brilliant place to retreat and have a digital detox.

We are too remote to have gas, but it keeps cosy with the recently installed electric storage heaters and the open fire in the main room (as well as woolly jumpers). There is a good sound system and a collection of vinyl records, old DVDs and videos as well as books and games. There are folders and maps with ideas for day time activities.

The kitchen has a range of utensils and pans with a electric hob and oven, microwave and fridge. There is usually some emergency food in the cupboard.

Upstairs there is a bedroom with a double bed and a single day bed. There should be fresh linen on the bed and fresh towels in the bathroom.

The switch for the hot water is in the cupboard in corner of the bedroom. The bathroom has a bath and toilet with underfloor heating and a towel radiator.

There are a number of steps inside and also in the back garden with a short drop from the patio to the grass. Oughtershaw Beck runs past the bottom of the garden and so children need supervision outside at all times. There is a stone barbeque area on the patio. There is a lovely little waterfall and pool just upstream, so do cross the stile and have a look. Bathing in the waterfall is quite refreshing – for the very hardy and only if there is a good swimmer present.

Smoking is not allowed inside, and neither are pets.