A Weekend Away: Things to do near Osmotherley

Before arriving at Paddock View holiday cottage for a weekend in Osmotherley, make a stop in Northallerton to stock up with some flavorsome food and drink for the weekend. Head to Lewis and Cooper, a multi-award-winning independent gourmet food store for some of the best local produce as well as dropping into the famous Betty’s Tea Rooms for afternoon tea and a selection of cakes to treat yourself with!

Now that you are fully stocked up for your weekend away, make your way to Osmotherley Village, only 6 miles from Northallerton. A warm Yorkshire welcome awaits you at this rural retreat, make sure you look out to introduce yourself to the neighboring horses grazing in the opposite field on arrival.

Have a look around your weekend abode and if you can tear yourself away from the cosy log burning stoves and picturesque views from each window, you can unpack your bags and get out and explore the local village. Head to the top of the village and take a left turn, pass the pubs (if you can resist) and enjoy a gentle stroll (which takes no longer than an hour) to Cod Beck Reservoir, which is a popular beauty spot with calm waters surrounded by attractive woodland and moorland scenery.

Head back into the village for some dinner at one of the three great local pubs. One of the locals’ favourites is The Golden Lion, offering roaring log fires to keep warm in the cooler months as well as outdoor seating looking over the market cross on the village green in the warmer summer months. The pub offers fine dining as well as classic Yorkshire food such as Chicken Kiev and Steak Pie, using only local produce, all expertly cooked to enjoy alongside a local ale or two before your short stroll back to the cottage.

Eat and Drink…

With no alarm set, make sure you wake up early enough to fit everything in to your weekend in Osmotherley, you will struggle to get out of these large, sumptuous beds in the cottage but get downstairs to enjoy breakfast cooked from the Aga, before packing your bag for today’s adventure.

Within a half-hour drive across the ever-changing colourful Yorkshire Moors is the beautiful market town of Helmsley, which has plenty to offer all its visitors.

From a 900-year-old castle with a 250-year-old Walled Garden to the National Centre for Birds of Prey, with its daily flying demonstrations, or the impressive ruins of one of England’s most powerful Cistercian monasteries, Rievaulx Abbey, you can always find something new to explore or see. Enjoy a spot of shopping in the interesting local shops, galleries and boutiques before enjoying some food in any of the mouth-watering eateries and a local ale in the towns very own brewery. We suggest popping in for a glass of rosé and a slice of homemade cake at Mannions.

After your exploring, stop off at another of our favourite local pubs closer to home, The Owl at Hawnby, surrounded by acres of glorious Yorkshire countryside, where you can lose yourself for hours in the majesty of the Moors with oven-fired pizzas alfresco on a sunny day or a more extensive menu indoors in front of the fire on offer.

Put your feet up back at your cottage at the end of a day exploring North Yorkshire and have a family game of table football in the games room or watch a movie in the snug with the fire roaring before sampling some ‘award winning’ fish and chips from the chip shop in the village or get the BBQ going outside, whilst admiring the uninterrupted views across acres of lush fields and horses grazing nearby.

More Adventures…

Sunday is the best day to get dressed up in your best country attire and get involved in the local antics. Only a short walk from the cottage is Thimbleby Shooting Ground, one of the country’s premier shooting grounds, which is set within an impressive picturesque rural setting, perfect for trying your hand at some clay shooting or simply pop in for a coffee or a light bite and enjoy this day out with a difference.

If you enjoy walking, you might enjoy the circular walk around Osmotherly, which visits the reservoir, Arncliffe Wood and the medieval Mount Grace Priory. The Lyke Wake Walk starts from the car park so this is a good option if you’d like to continue your walking in the North York Moors. The Cleveland Way also passes nearby. You could follow the trails to nearby Arncliffe Wood or head south to the reservoirs on Thimbleby Moor.

If you would prefer to travel further afield, the thriving town of York is within an hours drive of this gorgeous cottage with everything you could need for a shopping trip with plenty of good food and drink on offer as well as the Jorvik museum which is a firm family favourite to witness the reconstruction of the Viking City. If you fancy a day out at the seaside, Yorkshire also has plenty of stunning coastline to discover, with white sands, arcades and award-winning fish and chips to impress, all within an hours drive of Paddock View.

More Walks…