Unique cottages

Sproxton Hall Cottages are set in beautiful, peaceful countryside with unique views overlooking the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North York Moors National Park. There are walks from the doorstep into both, plus a country ramble into Helmsley (c. 2 miles) on the Ebor Way.

Guests with families love Helmsley’s castle, heated outdoor swimming pool (summer months only) and the National Centre for Birds of Prey.

You can stay in a hidden gem but be within easy reach of North Yorkshire’s best scenery and attractions. are perfectly located for exploring North Yorkshire’s two National Parks, Whitby and York. You don’t have to travel far once you reach the cottages – here are some suggested days out and activities. Feel free to ask us for suggestions for others or take a look at visitor facing websites such as the North York Moors National Park and English Heritage (Yorkshire).

Within walking distance

You can walk into Helmsley from the cottages, over picturesque fields alongside the River Rye (day light only and you need trainers/long trousers). From Helmsley you can access the Cleveland Way, walk to Rievaulx Abbey and enjoy the grounds of Duncombe Park.

Helmsley is a tourist hotspot (and a 1.5 mile drive). Helmsley welcomes visitors throughout the year and is well known for its dog friendly shops, eateries and market. Helmsley Castle and the Walled Garden, plus the start of the Cleveland Way provide opportunities for getting fresh air in beautiful surroundings. The heated outdoor swimming pool (summer months) is a popular choice, and if you have all the cottages booked we recommend reserving a private session at the pool too. The National Centre for Birds of Prey is located within Duncombe Park and welcomes guests of all ages.

The Ebor Way runs close to the cottages and takes you through the undulating countryside of the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You can also walk into the North York Moors National Park.

A short drive (c. 5 miles)

The National Park Visitor Centre at Sutton Bank and the White Horse offer stunning views (described by James Herriot as being the best in England), with walks on the Cleveland Way and to Lake Gormire. We like the cafe at the gliding club.

Nunnington Hall, Rievaulx Abbey and Terrace are a short drive away, as is Ampleforth Abbey. A walk around Byland Abbey and a trip to the tearooms combine into a relaxing couple of hours.

A walk on the North York Moors is refreshing and invigorating – there are many walking routes on the moors and dales around Helmsley. Hutton-le-Hole is a picture perfect moorland village with an impressive museum. Continue your drive up to Rosedale for breathtaking views.

Try something new – go horse riding over the North York Moors (Bilsdale Riding Centre) or soar in the sky on a glider flight.

Within easy reach (up to 25 miles)

York is a year-round city bursting with history, culture and visitor attractions. Voted as one of the best destinations for visitors in the UK, we are around 22 miles/45 minutes from York. We recommend the Park and Ride, then a walking tour of the City Walls, Minster and Shambles. Allow plenty of time for shopping, particularly during the famous Christmas market, and for refreshments – some of the best restaurants and bars can be found in York.

Castle Howard is the location for many TV shows (most recently Bridgerton), with a stunning stately home and grounds, adventure playground, garden centre and arboretum. Time your trip to take in an outdoor concert or event – from the proms to headline bands, and from Countryfile Live to drive in cinema, and the Christmas display are a ‘must see’ attraction.

The North York Moors steam railway (Pickering) is the best way to take in the scenery on route to Goathland (Heartbeat, Harry Potter station) and Whitby (see below).

Dalby Forest (just beyond picturesque Thornton le Dale) is popular with walkers and cyclists – with miles of forest trails, and you can swing through the trees at the Go Ape forest climbing experience.

Flamingo Land theme park and zoo provide a fun day out for all the family. Try Lightwater Valley too in Ripon – which is also the location for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey.

Day trips

The Yorkshire coast is a must for many families and dog owners. Everyone loves Whitby – think abbey, Dracula, quaint streets and picturesque harbour. Robin Hood’s Bay was infamous for its smugglers and Staithes with its traditional fishing heritage, offer historic villages set right on the coast. We love Filey for dog walking, plus Fraisthorpe and Runswick Bay. We can recommend beaches suitable for uncrowded dog walks throughout the year. The coast is about 35 miles away.

The Yorkshire Dales (the film location for the original and current James Herriot series) are a popular day out – showcasing green dales and dry stone walls, impressive waterfalls, and picturesque towns.

Make a full day of it with a trip up the A1 to either Beamish or Hadrian’s Wall.

Planning a get together for a special birthday or anniversary, or a reunion with friends? 

Sproxton Hall Cottages provides an idyllic setting for your celebration.  Our 4 cottages can be booked as a group, sleeping a total of 17 people, for long weekends, mid-week breaks and week-long holidays.  Spending Christmas or New Year away from home creates special memories.  Plan and book early – we have limited availability when all cottages are available together.  

Imagine being able to wake up to the sounds of nature, having a leisurely breakfast before heading out to explore the shops and attractions of Helmsley or the beautiful surrounding countryside with your chosen companions.  Spend a relaxing afternoon catching up in the cottage gardens, followed by a group BBQ or buffet before sitting out under the stars to reminisce and reconnect over a glass of wine.  

Being together yet private

Individual cottages provide more peace and privacy than one large house, as well as offering more flexible accommodation.  Multi-generation groups find something for everyone – children love to play in the paddock and large lawns, families relax at the picnic benches, and older guests are comfortable in single storey Ryedale Cottage which is step free.

Planning for perfect memories

We can help plan your celebrations – we can recommend suppliers and eateries suited to larger groups, plus activity providers who are guaranteed to create some lasting memories – think horse riding, private outdoor swimming pool hire or a group zumba class. Check out our blog on planning your countryside celebration.

Sporting groups

Part of a sporting group looking for a challenge on the moors?  We welcome cycling, walking and running groups who find our location accessible to the Cleveland Way, and events such as the Hard Moors long distance running, Struggle Moors cycling events, and Castle Howard triathlon.

Relaxing get togethers

We host relaxing, low-key celebrations rather than parties, so decline requests from stag and hen groups, or other parties more suited to a city base.  We are surrounded by nature and livestock so we do not permit fireworks, or Chinese lanterns etc.  If you book all 4 cottages you will be the only guests in the holiday cottages.  We live on site – our cottage is directly behind the holiday cottages and shares use of the drive, but we have our own garden.  

Each cottage has a well-equipped kitchen with microwave, fridge, toaster, kettle, hob/oven. Kirkdale, Bilsdale and Riccal Dale cottages have had new kitchens fitted, including dishwashers. Kirkdale Cottage has a washing machine. All cottages have gas fired central heating, log burners and free wifi access.

We provide bed linen, towels, tea towels as well as essentials to get you started including tea, coffee, sugar, toilet rolls, washing up liquid, hand sanitiser and soap. There is a small supermarket less than 2 miles away, plus a bakery, delicatessen, butchers and greengrocer.

All cottages are non-smoking. Parking is available for up to 2 cars cottages, including disabled spaces as required.

Dogs are welcome to use the exercise paddock and shower.

We welcome up to 3 dogs in Kirkdale and Bilsdale Cottages, and 2 dogs in Riccal Dale Cottage.  There is no extra charge for dogs on holiday and we offer many dog friendly features, including an enclosed exercise paddock and country walks from the doorsteps.

A safe space to run free

Our enclosed dog exercise paddock is perfect for your dogs to run free.  Relax on the paddock seating and admire the view whilst tiring your dogs out off the lead.  Dog owners love the large space and the freedom it provides, just ask for more information about the fencing and gates – the area is enclosed, not escape proof.

Picturesque walks from the doorstep, quiet country trails

You can explore country trails from the doorstep, straight into nature and with stunning views. Check out our walking guide into dog-welcoming Helmsley (laminated copies in cottages).  We can point you in the direction of some quiet forest trails and views across moorland only a couple of miles away, and stunning scenery in the North York Moors National Park.  These are a real retreat into nature and perfect if your dog prefers peace and quiet.  

In rural North Yorkshire you will be spoilt for choice. We have two national Parks – we are on the edge of the North York Moors National Park (pictured in the collage below) and the Yorkshire Dales National Park is a short day trip away.  Combined with the rolling hills of the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (our location and views) and the soaring cliffs and sandy beaches of the Yorkshire coast, there are walks for all dogs great and small.  Helmsley is the start of the Cleveland Way and our cottages link into the Ebor Way.

Dog friendly cafes, pubs and shops

Helmsley is well known for being dog-friendly.  Many pubs, restaurants and shops welcome dogs into their premises, with many cafes having outdoor seating areas too. 

Days out with your dog

As well as the moors, dales and forests, there are large areas of dog friendly beaches open throughout the year in North Yorkshire – some of the best include the walk from Sandsend to Whitby; Fraisthorpe to Bridlington; and the miles of sandy beaches at Filey.  All are 30 – 40 miles away.

Home comforts and peaceful surroundings

After an exciting day out, rest assured that there is somewhere to clean up and dry off.  Whether it’s the dog shower, towels or both, all dogs love to relax in front of our log burners.   We have a stock of towels/drying mits, bowls, poop bags, and throws to add to the home comforts.  Bilsdale and Riccal Dale Cottages have hard floors downstairs; Kirkdale’s living area includes carpet. 

If you are planning a holiday around the 5th of November or New Year we are a great escape from the fireworks, but you need to book early.

Find out more

Check out our blog posts about selecting dog friendly holiday accommodation and keeping pets safe during fireworks.

We like to think that we are dog friendly and have struck a balance that keeps both dog owners and non-dog owners happy, but we aren’t a dog ‘free for all’! We expect all our guests (whether two or four legged) to abide by certain standards which mean that the cottages remain clean and fresh, and everyone stays safe. You can find out more information on these pages and in our booking Terms & Conditions. If you have any questions or special requests about our dog friendly facilities and policies, please just ask.

Most guests book 3, 4, 7, or 14-night breaks, starting on a Monday or Friday. We usually ask for a minimum three-night stay and can be flexible on duration beyond that – longer breaks of up to 28 nights are an option. The cottages are open all year. Please check our Booking page for availability and prices – booking direct with us gives you the best value.

For new bookings in 2022 we are introducing a security deposit (of £200 per cottage/ £500 if all cottages booked as a group). We work hard to keep our cottages looking clean, fresh and comfortable. Unfortunately we had unprecedented levels of damage during 2021 and, on some occasions, cottages were left in a very dirty condition. We are taking this step rather than increase our prices and by using the ‘security deposit’ function within our SuperControl booking system we are able to place a ‘hold’ on the deposit value (leaving it in your account). If all is well on departure, the hold is released. More information about how we will operate security deposits are contained in our booking terms and conditions (2022 edition, see our Booking page). If you have any concerns, please let us know before you book. Generally the deposit will be activated 7 days before your stay (using the retained card details used at the time of booking) and released 7 days after your stay.

Our location is popular for road and mountain bikers, with cycle hire and routes available at the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre and Sutton Bank. With a myriad of forest trails and dales to explore, there’s a picturesque route for all abilities.

Please refer to our Booking page for our full set of booking terms and conditions. The arrangements for cancellations and refunds are copied below for ease of reference. If you have any questions, please let us know before you book.

1. Lockdown (including local / semi-lockdown restrictions) and compliance with Covid-19 restrictions

If we are required by government to close or reduce capacity (for example including but not limited to national or local restrictions and lockdowns), and if guests prefer a refund rather than to rebook we will provide guests with a full refund of the funds we have received.  This will be the limit of our liability to you.

2. Other Covid-19 related cancellations by us

We reserve the right to cancel your booking or shorten its duration if we believe that we cannot open or remain open safely or if circumstances beyond our reasonable control mean that the accommodation is no longer available for the dates booked.  We will provide a full or pro-rata refund dependent upon how your stay is affected. This will be the limit of our liability to you.  Whilst we do not envisage cancellations being necessary, examples include but are not limited to new government restrictions with which we are unable to reasonably comply, or Covid-19 cases confirmed here.

3. Other cancellations by us

You will be refunded in full if your booking has to be cancelled because Sproxton Hall Cottages has to close due to Force Majeure, meaning any of the following circumstances which may hinder or prevent the performance by us of the Contract, including but not limited to: 1) acts of God, flood, drought, earthquake or other natural disaster; 2) epidemic or pandemic; 3) terrorist attack, civil war, civil commotion or riots, war, threat of war or imposition of sanctions; 4) nuclear, chemical or biological contamination or sonic boom; 5) any law or action taken by a government or public authority, including any restrictions, prohibitions, or failing to grant a necessary licence or consent; 6) collapse of buildings, fire, explosion or accident; 7) non-performance by our suppliers; and 8) failure of utility services.

4. Cancellations by you

Cancellations due to the lead guest (the guest who made the booking and based on the address given at the time of booking) being subject to a Covid-19 lockdown rendering you unable to travel at the start of your holiday will be refunded in full.

Cancellations for all other reasons (including inability or disinclination to travel) will be treated on a sliding scale, based on the likelihood of being able to rebook the cottage(s):

• Cancellations received from the date of booking up to 60 days before the arrival date will be refunded in full.
• Cancellations received between 59 days and 14 days before the arrival date will be refunded at 50%;
• Cancellations received between 13 and 7 days prior to the arrival date will be refunded at 25%;
• Cancellations received less than 7 days prior to the arrival date will not be refunded;

If we rebook the cottage at the same price a full refund will be made minus a £35 non-refundable administration fee which covers our advertising, financial, and administration costs associated with cancellations and rebooking. If we rebook at a lower value than your booking value, we will refund in proportion to the relet period.

Guests must cancel their reservation in writing. For speed and to enable us to start re-advertising please email us at info@sproxtonhallcottages.co.uk as soon as possible.

Bookings made via online travel agents will be subject to the external organisation’s cancellation provisions, which may be more stringent or more flexible than the above.

We strongly recommend that you take out a suitable holiday insurance policy to cover the risks of potential cancellation and to protect your property against loss and damage, as we will not be responsible for damage to vehicles parked on our premises, nor for any theft or loss of personal belongings. Several policies now provide cover for Covid illness/self-isolation as well as traditional cover for other illnesses/reasons for not being able to come on holiday such as jury service, vehicle breakdowns, injuries, and family emergencies.

If you do not have insurance and need to cancel, you may be out of pocket – please see our Cancellations section above and our booking terms and conditions.