Throstlenest Holiday cottages are the perfect base from which to explore the Yorkshire Dales National Park, lying on the outskirts of Leyburn in beautiful Wensleydale.

At Throstlenest we have six cosy and comfortable self-catering holiday cottages which have been converted from two stone barns. All of them have a glorious, south facing, unspoilt panoramic view over Wensleydale, encompassing fields and hills, the meandering River Ure, historic Middleham with its castle, Witton Fell, Penhill, and the high fells of Coverdale beyond.

Felt at home the moment we arrived – beautiful, comfortable, high quality, clean cottage with a stunning view. Will definitely return.

Our cottages offer the best of both worlds. They are located in a quiet rural environment, surrounded by fields where sheep graze, and where you can observe the natural world from your doorstep – rabbits and pheasants abound, as do a myriad variety of birds, and shyer creatures such as stoats and foxes. On a clear night the sky is unsurpassable – a place to see the stars in all their glory and listen to the owls calling to each other. Yet the cottages lie only half a mile and a short, easy walk away from the bustling market town of Leyburn, where you can find all you need to help you enjoy your holiday – a wide range of shops, restaurants, public houses, tea rooms, post office, cinema, leisure club, tourist information and access to public transport.

The town serves a large part of the surrounding Dales, with a busy weekly market, a monthly farmers’ market and regular livestock and antique auctions. From the cottages you can enjoy the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, familiar to some as the Herriot country of the TV series ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. Walkers will be spoilt for choice within this beautiful landscape of idyllic dales, rivers, waterfalls and high fells, with ancient tracks providing a huge variety of superb walking and constantly changing vistas. You don’t need to be a walker to explore however – the views are stunning whichever route you take, and with picturesque villages, markets, castles, abbeys, gardens and museums on the doorstep you will wish you had more time to see it all.

Another two, very pleasant and enjoyable weeks spent at Throstlenest. The view is fantastic and never fails to delight! We’ll certainly be back.

Leyburn’s central position also means that many places beyond the Dales are accessible during your visit – beautiful and historic towns and cities such as Ripon, Harrogate, York and Durham, or the lovely North York Moors and coast to the east and Cumbria and the Lakes to the west. Throstlenest cottages are where you can experience one of England’s most beautiful and unspoilt landscapes, whether you want to be busy and energetic or just relax and enjoy the view. A great many of our visitors who return time and time again will tell you that, but don’t take our word for it –  see our customers' comments.