Find out everything you need about Pond Farm Woodlands in Ugthorpe, North York Moors and whether this holiday rental is right for you.
This log cabin’s stylish three bedrooms, one en suite sleep six and the double aspect sitting room opens up onto an outdoor entertainment area second to none.
There is decking with hot tub plush seating, as well as an open-fronted boma dining room and a barrel sauna with woodland views from its glass window.
This woodland setting is in the heart of the North York Moors, famed for its cycling trails and walking routes and is six miles from the nearest beach. Travel 10 miles to Whitby harbour with the abbey ruins looming overhead and, closer to base, the nearest pub is only a two-minute walk.
This is a holiday home that is in a league of its own with a double aspect open plan sitting room that leads to decking equipped for BBQs and alfresco dining. Outdoor meals don’t end here because there is an open-sided straw hut that has a dining table and chairs. Beside it is a spacious hot tub and glass-fronted private sauna.
Indoors, the bespoke kitchen with a breakfast bar is well-equipped and there is a utility with everything from a washing machine to a doggie shower. It accommodates up to six guests in its three bedrooms – the main has shower en suite and the bath with a shower overhead is shared by the double and twin rooms.
It’s only a two-minute walk to the Black Bull Inn in Ugthorpe’s Postgate Way and it is open every evening, for lunch on Sunday and closed on Tuesdays. It is a solid community pub that sells real North Yorkshire ales and great pub grub.
Lythe with its Mulgrave Castle is a place to check out and is part of the Geocache Arts Trail. The Castle was built by the Normans after William the Conqueror’s invasion. It is just three miles from the cabin and the ruins are nestled in a lovely valley. It is a private estate, but if you go on Wednesday and weekends, except in May, you can explore the wooded estate that’s steeped in history. St. Oswald’s Church in Lythe has some interesting Anglo-Scandinavian stones and while you are there you will have great views of both Sandsend and as far afield as Whitby.
If you can pull yourself away from this spell-binding world of woodland and wildlife, then the closest beach is Sandsend, just six miles from the cabin. It is a pretty sandy beach that is especially appealing when the tide go out. The rock pools are full of sea life from small fish to shrimps and crabs. When the tide is in you can try your hand at surfing and the Whitby Surf School down the road offers lessons in the sport, as well paddle boarding. Fossil hunting is popular here too, yielding the odd ammonite, along with ichthyosaur (fish lizard) bones on the shales on the foreshore. Backing the beach is its charming fishing village that has a couple of good pubs and a coffee shop.
Pond Farm lives up to its magical surroundings, set in lush woodland with a pond close by. The outdoor living is second-to-none with an open-fronted boma-style dining area and games room festooned with fairy lights, a state-of-the-art private sauna and a hot tub. The double-aspect sitting room opens up on to large decking that has room for luxury alfresco dining and BBQs. Inside, it’s all about comfort. There’s a sumptuous dining area, kitchen with a breakfast bar, and a utility room with complimentary doggie treats, organic food, towels, shampoo and conditioner, and even a shower.
Ugthorpe is a small village situated on the edge of the North York Moors, eight miles west of Whitby. It is not on main tourist routes and has retained its tranquillity which only adds to its charms.
The seaside villages of Sandsend and Runswick Bay are close by and both provide lovely, sandy beaches, fossil hunting and beachcombing. Ugthorpe is in an ideal location, with easy access to the steam railway at Grosmont, the Danby Moors Centre, the market towns of Pickering and Hutton-le-Hole and all the seaside attractions of Whitby.
