The Herriot's Way 2010
Accommodation Review
Aysgarth - Yoredale House B&B
We arrived here in the late afternoon to a lovely welcome from Sandra and Steve. We sat in the tea room and ordered up tea and cake, and when Steve found out we were staying told us it was on the house. The room was very clean, freshly decorated and comfortable. Breakfast was superb and the service was second to none. I've stayed at a lot of places over the years and this one is right up the list of good ones. A bonus for me was the lay-by opposite the tea rooms where I parked the car safely for 4 days without charge. The packed lunch sandwiches were yummy - definitely a place to revisit.
We had an evening meal in the nearby pub which was ok but a little expensive for the fare. Mine host wasn't exactly welcoming either and to top it off they play muzak - Elvis - into the restaurant area. Definitely a thumbs down for the George and Dragon Inn.
Hawes - Black Bull Hotel B&B
We planned this walk over 4 days starting out on a
Friday and the only problem I had booking accommodation was
in Hawes. Many wanted a minimum 2 nights booking, but we
managed to get a room at the Bullshead Hotel. It's just a
B&B though, but an added bonus is the honesty bar down in
the lounge. We had the Swaledale room that overlooks the
high street and is above the lounge. It was fine but nothing
special and the bed wasn't the best. Breakfast was good with
good service - it reminded me of one of the old commercial
B&B's that housed sales reps. Not just walkers that stay
here. Overall it was ok.
We ate in a small restaurant (tea room in the day) called
Chaste just down from the B&B. It was a
great choice - the food was excellent as was the atmosphere.
It's worth booking a table to avoid disappointment. Great
service as well - a big thumbs up for
www.chaste-food.co.uk
http://www.bullsheadhotel.co.uk
Keld - Butt House B&B
I suppose if you are planning to do
this walk, or the C2C, or the PW then you should book your
accommodation in Keld first as there isn't much choice. I
believe both Butt House and the Lodge are under the same
ownership. We had a superb welcome, very friendly - boots
off and stored on a rack in the reception area which is a
bit like an old farmhouse kitchen - a glorious jumble of
paperwork and evidence of how busy they are. We were shown
up to our room which was freshly decorated and comfortable -
the only downside of the room was that it didn't have a
chair to sit on. All the eating done here is at a shared
table - there are two tables for both dinner and
breakfast...so choose your company carefully! We did and had
a very enjoyable evening. The food was good and as it is
licensed we could have a bit of refreshment as well.
Breakfast was fine as was the entire stay.
http://www.butthousekeld.co.uk
Reeth - Cambridge House
Cambridge House is a little way above the village of Reeth,
about a 15 min walk uphill, but nothing too strenuous. We
again had a good welcome from Sandra who directed us to the
boot room. Once we had deposited the bags in our room we had
tea and cake in the conservatory, accompanied by a running
commentary from Les the co-owner. Les is a former cyclist -
a 100 mile a day man and he looks pretty fit for his age,
but you wouldn't think so after he has described all his
ills of the last year. If you like typical Yorkshiremen then
Les will suit down to the ground. The room was neat and tidy
, very comfortable and reasonably quiet. Breakfast was
around one big table and was good quality. A pleasant stay.
We ate down in Reeth at the Black Bull pub
as the local restaurant was closed. For pub grub it was very
good and the beer wasn't bad either. We happened to be lucky
as it was a Sunday night and not too busy so service was
fairly quick. Overall it was good value and the food didn't
weigh heavy as we made our way back to the B&B. The
King William looked a bit run down so I would avoid
that one.
http://www.cambridgehousereeth
One final word about the baggage service from The
Sherpa Van project - everything worked, bags there
on time everyday. Just make sure they are ready early enough
for collection.