Yorkshire, England - Part 2 - IgoUgo Yorkshire Journal

White Horse Cafe

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Restaurant | "White Horse Café "

White Horse Cafe Photo - White Horse Cafe, Yorkshire, England

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After an afternoon of touring North Yorkshire, we were ready for an early dinner. We had already prepared ourselves for what we expected to be limited opportunities for our evening meal. Many places don’t even begin serving until after 6:30 or 7pm. Well here in Thirsk, we were challenged to find anywhere that would be serving food at anytime on this evening.We tried several of the local and highly recommended establishments and were disappointed to find none serving dinner. We settled for the White Horse Café, a fish and chips take away place with a small seated dining area for those who were not interested in take away.Looking at the menu, of course there were fish & chips. They a...Read More

After an afternoon of touring North Yorkshire, we were ready for an early dinner. We had already prepared ourselves for what we expected to be limited opportunities for our evening meal. Many places don’t even begin serving until after 6:30 or 7pm. Well here in Thirsk, we were challenged to find anywhere that would be serving food at anytime on this evening.

We tried several of the local and highly recommended establishments and were disappointed to find none serving dinner. We settled for the White Horse Café, a fish and chips take away place with a small seated dining area for those who were not interested in take away.

Looking at the menu, of course there were fish & chips. They also had chicken sandwiches and burgers, but we opted for the fish & chips. Trying to avoid caffeine, I chose a canned diet orange pop called Tango. My was it tart! David thought he would enjoy a “thick chocolate milk shake” so that is what he ordered. When it arrived, however, it was not what he had expected. Not the ice cream based drink we know here in the USA, this was milk with a chocolate flavoring added, that had been shaken or blended until it was foamy and full of air. It was also not very cold; in fact it seemed to me to be closer to room temperature. YUCK!

When our meals arrived, they were all fresh and hot although everything seemed to be more of a fast food preparation than other fish and chips meals we had enjoyed during this vacation. The fish and the chips were a bit on the greasy side, with quite the pool of oil collecting on the plate under the fish. All and all the cod was tasty if you didn’t eat the breaded coating.

Our meals were £6.20 each including our beverages. Give me a Milwaukee fish fry any day! You can’t beat the value and the flavor. Obviously, when you are in the UK you are expected to take in a fish & chips meal and we have done our job by trying a couple of them. The best by far, was Barker’s of Richmond. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on November 26, 2006

White Horse Cafe
Market Place
Thirsk, North Yorkshire, England YO7 1EY
01845 522 786

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Day Five - Helmsley, Rievaulx and Thirsk

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Today was a “close to home” day staying in the near areas of Helmsley, Rievaulx and Thirsk, all within around a 15 mile radius of our timeshare unit. Waiting for the morning rain to clear up, we started about our day shortly after noon. Driving in a new direction into and through Whitestonecliffe and the Yorkshire moors, the view of the sheer white cliffs was profound. We enjoyed the view of the fall colors of primarily yellows and oranges, as a backdrop to the lowlands and farmers’ sheep farms.As we ascended the hillside on a 25% steep graded road, our ears began to pop. The road was twisting through the forest and then we just unexpectedly emerged onto what I would call a high plains type ge...Read More

Today was a “close to home” day staying in the near areas of Helmsley, Rievaulx and Thirsk, all within around a 15 mile radius of our timeshare unit. Waiting for the morning rain to clear up, we started about our day shortly after noon. Driving in a new direction into and through Whitestonecliffe and the Yorkshire moors, the view of the sheer white cliffs was profound. We enjoyed the view of the fall colors of primarily yellows and oranges, as a backdrop to the lowlands and farmers’ sheep farms.

As we ascended the hillside on a 25% steep graded road, our ears began to pop. The road was twisting through the forest and then we just unexpectedly emerged onto what I would call a high plains type geological land formation. Had it been clearer weather, I imagine we could have seen for miles and miles. Unfortunately, we had a rather limited view heading towards our destinations, but later in the day we were delighted with a spectacular sunset over the recently baled haystacks. The bright sun setting behind the clouds provided a wonderful reflection of reds and purples on a blue background.

Our first stop was the market village of Helmsley where the ruins of Helmsley Castle may be toured. From there we headed about five miles down the road to the Rievaulx Abbey, built in 1132 as the first Cisterian abbey in the north of England. The land for the abbey was donated to the monks by Walter Espec, the Norman baron who built the Helmsley Castle in the early 12th century. Separate reviews are provided for each of these British Heritage properties.

After our afternoon of sightseeing, we went on into Thirsk to find supper. We parked in the centre of the village at the town square car park. We enjoyed walking around the cobblestone streets and sidewalks, looking into the shops and boutiques, but not really shopping to buy anything. We had noticed that almost all market communities have several second hand shops for a variety of charities including those involved in cancer, heart research and elder care. It was very interesting to see the glassware items donated for resale as the patterns and designs on them were mostly lovely delicate floral patterns.

As we wandered the square, we found that many of the restaurants in the village only serve food during lunch hours. The only place we could find for an evening meal, other than “American pizza” was the White Horse Café, a local fish and chips take away with a small sit down area. We stopped here for dinner.

Home by 6pm provided us with a comfy night of hot tea and BBC television. We have found ourselves enjoying a couple of the evening game shows including the original Weakest Link and a show called Sudo Q based on the puzzle game Sudoku found in many newspapers and game books. An early night to bed brought our final day of vacation touring on Friday. Read Less

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Helmsley Castle

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Helmsley Castle is located very near the centre of the market village of Helmsley, approximately 12 miles from Thirsk. Helmsley Castle has had several owners dating back to his first in the early 12th century, Walter Espec, a Norman baron. Espec was a wealthy land owner, one of the largest in his day.While currently in a ruinous state, visitors will enjoy the narrated walking tour via the audio device provided as part of the admission fee charged to enter Helmsley Castle. The first and perhaps most striking feature of this location is the location itself. Built high atop an area surrounded by two large outer mounted rings of land, with deep trenches between each of them and the castle’s outer ...Read More

Helmsley Castle is located very near the centre of the market village of Helmsley, approximately 12 miles from Thirsk. Helmsley Castle has had several owners dating back to his first in the early 12th century, Walter Espec, a Norman baron. Espec was a wealthy land owner, one of the largest in his day.

While currently in a ruinous state, visitors will enjoy the narrated walking tour via the audio device provided as part of the admission fee charged to enter Helmsley Castle. The first and perhaps most striking feature of this location is the location itself. Built high atop an area surrounded by two large outer mounted rings of land, with deep trenches between each of them and the castle’s outer wall. This was done to assure that outsider would not even see the castle or the other buildings that were contained within her walls.

Each subsequent owner of Helmsley Castle fortified and added features to the castle. The currently surviving outer stone wall was added in the late 13th/early 14th century by crusader Robert de Roos and his family heirs. As a medieval fortress, Helmsley Castle never saw battle.

During the Elizabethan period, the owners built a luxurious mansion from the castle’s original chamber block. Some of the original plaster walls remain standing and viewable by visitors. The large rooms complete with fireplaces stand today, still spectacular in their structure and presence.

The castle did face battle in 1644 during the Civil War that saw King Charles challenged by Parliamentarian troops led by Sir Thomas Fairfax. After a three month siege, Fairfax overtook the castle, destroying many of the defenses rendering it helpless. During the battle, the front portion of the keep was blown up, destroying nearly half of it. Given to Fairfax after the siege, he later gave it to his daughter.

Many original artifacts are included in the exhibits found in the two floor exhibit area in the west tower. There are also several artists’ renditions of the how the castle was believed to appear at various points throughout history including Fairfax’s assault on Helmsley Castle. The story told of Helmsley Castle and its role in the Civil War of England was very interesting.

As a British Heritage property, we were able to enter under our Heritage pass. Had we not had them, admission would have been £4 (£3 concession for seniors). Please pay particular note, there is a fee to park adjacent to the castle in the car park. You can park free on the village streets in legal spaces. If you choose to park in the village centre car park, you will also need to pay. Read Less

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Rievaulx Abbey

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Rievaulx Abbey built in 1132 as the first Cisterian abbey in the north of England when Norman baron Walter Espec provided land to 12 monks to build their monastery in the neighboring Rye Valley. As you make the turnoff the road heading down into the valley, you pass by several old stone homes. Making the last turn at the bottom of the hill, there before you stands the Rievaulx Abbey in its ruinous state. While in the foreground were much of the footings of many of the buildings that are now just outlines on the earth. Behind, however, are the tall skeletal remains of the presbytery, along with partial structures remaining such as the refectory and cloister. Over 400 years of monastic life has been cap...Read More

Rievaulx Abbey built in 1132 as the first Cisterian abbey in the north of England when Norman baron Walter Espec provided land to 12 monks to build their monastery in the neighboring Rye Valley. As you make the turnoff the road heading down into the valley, you pass by several old stone homes. Making the last turn at the bottom of the hill, there before you stands the Rievaulx Abbey in its ruinous state. While in the foreground were much of the footings of many of the buildings that are now just outlines on the earth. Behind, however, are the tall skeletal remains of the presbytery, along with partial structures remaining such as the refectory and cloister. Over 400 years of monastic life has been captured in the history of Rievaulx, believed to be the greatest in all of England.

Part of the early missionary push to reform Christianity in Western Europe, the modest start of this abbey resulted in one of the richest in medieval England. Many men came here to study and work with perhaps the famous and most influential Abbott Aelred. At its height, Rievaulx Abbey housed over 140 choir monks and 500 lay-brothers and servants. Of course, it was short lived when Henry VIII dissolved the abbey in 1538 as part of the religious reformation in England.

The new owner was Thomas Manners, the same gent who owned the Helmsley Castle at the time. He chose to systematically destroy several of the smaller outer buildings, leaving the presbytery itself to fall into a natural state of decline.

The monks of this monastery were working men of the church, refining their agricultural techniques to make the most of their farm land. Vegetarians in their early years, they mainly raised sheep for wool and grew crops for their foods. They were industrious and able to support their works through their work of the farm. They were also known for their influence on the valley and how the river flows today, hundreds of years later. As the result of a land dispute, they performed quite the engineering feat by redirecting the flow of the Rye River. Today you can see the traces of the old river as well as the channels dug by the monks.

As part of this British Heritage site, there is a very informative and illustrative exhibit that tells the story of the Cisterian Monks and includes several archeological remains found not only on this site but around the neighboring land. “The Works of God and Man” should not be missed! Archeologists continue to excavate and research in this valley given its richness of history and finds dating back to medieval times. Annually there is a hosted Archeological Day in July to further the efforts of scientists worldwide.

Today the words of Abbot Aelred still apply: “Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity and a marvelous freedom from the turmoil of the world.” We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Rievaulx Abbey. It was especially lovely as the sun began to set behind the hillside to the west, with the fall colors glistening throughout the valley. Read Less

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Day Six - Skipton

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It has been especially nice taking a different route each day to do our sightseeing. With this being our last day in England before catching an early flight back to the USA the following morning; we wanted to really be sure to see something we hadn’t experienced yet. The weather forecast, however, was not in our favor. Torrential rains and 60 MPH winds across most of the UK and especially Britain were the morning prediction. ARGH! We debated whether or not to make it a day in or venture out in spite of the horrific weather forecast.By 11am we felt that the forecasters were obviously mistaken as the sun was trying to peek around the billowy white clouds so off we headed west towards Skipton. Th...Read More

It has been especially nice taking a different route each day to do our sightseeing. With this being our last day in England before catching an early flight back to the USA the following morning; we wanted to really be sure to see something we hadn’t experienced yet. The weather forecast, however, was not in our favor. Torrential rains and 60 MPH winds across most of the UK and especially Britain were the morning prediction. ARGH! We debated whether or not to make it a day in or venture out in spite of the horrific weather forecast.

By 11am we felt that the forecasters were obviously mistaken as the sun was trying to peek around the billowy white clouds so off we headed west towards Skipton. The roads in England, in general, were much wider and easier to navigate than those the prior week in Scotland. By now, David was practically a pro driving on the opposite side of the street and as a roundabout navigator; I was doing much better too.

We had done the leg of the trip between Thirsk and Ripon, so we didn’t really have anything new to see or experience. We did relive the “pothole” incident from our Sunday trip to Richmond and Middleham. Even took a photo of the lay-by that nearly bought two Ford Montero hubcaps, maybe even the entire wheels.

Driving on towards Harrogate we got to see the beautiful hills and dales that you often hear about in this region of England. The sheep and cattle farms were all that you could see for miles about. We did go over the River Nidd, where there was a beautiful stone bridge, with a couple of very cute cottages right on its banks. Because we zoomed by in traffic and I wasn’t quick enough to request a photo stop, I had to hope that we would pass back through this area before nightfall with weather good enough to snap a photograph or two. We weren’t disappointed! As we came through that area later in the afternoon, the sun was setting off to the west through a broken shroud of clouds. The reds and whites against the blue sky provided an outstanding canvas for this small riverside community.

There was another such missed photo op closer to Harrogate, at a reservoir located at a river that sat in the valley below several farms. We were also blessed with capturing this on our way back through towards Thirsk. With the overcast skies and the still water, the reflection of the trees along the river’s bank was lovely. We were really very happy with the time of the year that we made this trip as the fall colors seemed to be just peaking during our time in the UK. Throughout this part of our drive, and from Harrogate to Skipton, we were delighted in what our eyes beheld. Fortunately, there was a lay-by that permitted us to take several photos. Not only were there were beautiful rural farmlands but there was also a very interesting passage through a very craggy and rocky area. The rocks jutted out from the hillside, and looked very fragile and unstable.

When we arrived in Skipton, it was much like many of the other market villages we had visited earlier in the week. Only on this day, it was market day with High Street lined with local craftsmen and artists, selling their wares. At the top of High Street stood Skipton Castle, our destination for the day. We found a parking space in the recommended lot, paid our £1.60 for two hours of parking and headed towards the castle.

With the winds picking up and temperature dropping, it was a bit chilling to the bone. Fortunately the rains held off until we had just returned to our car a couple of hours later. We enjoyed our walking tour of Skipton Castle, perhaps the best castle we got to see in England. It was amazing how well preserved this relic from medieval times was. The walking tour took about an hour and was well told on storyboards throughout the castle. (See separate review on Skipton Castle.)

When we returned back to our cottage in Thirsk, we had time to relax a bit before we headed up the hill on foot to have dinner at the Whitestonecliff Inn, the place we had dined our first night in England. We didn’t think that the pub wouldn’t be open yet at 6:15pm so we had to go home and come back at 7:00pm. That may have been the most difficult thing to get used to . . . the strange hours of operation for the restaurants and the fact that many if not most don’t begin serving until 6:00pm or later. That was the case in Scotland as well, so it must be a UK thing.

After dinner, it was time to pack up the cottage and get ready for our early “rise and shine” trip to Bradford-Leeds for our return trip home. Read Less

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Skipton Castle

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If ever there was a castle that I would want to live in, Skipton Castle would probably be it. Skipton Castle is recognized as the best and most well preserved castle of the English medieval time period. Skipton Castle dates back to 1090, although like all others of the era, it has seen several updates and enhancements as ownership and use changed. What is more incredible is that this entire structure remains essentially fully in tact with the 1655 roof still in place. The castle was one of the last Royalist strongholds in Northern England, surrendering in 1645 after a three year siege during the Civil War. Much of what was there at that time and shortly thereafter during Lady Anne Clifford’s time in t...Read More

If ever there was a castle that I would want to live in, Skipton Castle would probably be it. Skipton Castle is recognized as the best and most well preserved castle of the English medieval time period. Skipton Castle dates back to 1090, although like all others of the era, it has seen several updates and enhancements as ownership and use changed. What is more incredible is that this entire structure remains essentially fully in tact with the 1655 roof still in place. The castle was one of the last Royalist strongholds in Northern England, surrendering in 1645 after a three year siege during the Civil War. Much of what was there at that time and shortly thereafter during Lady Anne Clifford’s time in the castle, still remain. Included is the yew tree she planted in the central courtyard in 1659.

When you pay your admission fee, you will receive a black-and-white guide sheet with 40 sketches of landmarks throughout the castle. You are able to use this guide sheet as you take your self-guided walking tour. The sheet is supplemented with outstanding storyboards throughout the castle, explaining each room and its use. As we first entered the castle’s Great Hall and the adjacent kitchen, I was amazed at the quality of the structure of the rooms. While you could tell they were old, they hardly looked with rooms that were built some 700 years ago and used between 1300 and 1680.

As you take the walking tour from room to room, at some point you must look out and see the fabulous view to the countryside below. The high vantage point that the castle provided was the primary reason for the selection of this location. As with so many of the other castles we’ve seen in England, assuring protection from unanticipated assault was paramount in selecting where to build one’s castle. Skipton Castle was used to hold detainees and other prisoners awaiting trial in York. It is said to have held such famous prisoners as Mary Queen of Scots. Out of the Withdrawing Room windows, facing Scotland, giving visitors a real perspective of why this location was the site selected. Not to worry, however, as Skipton Castle was also known for how well they treated their prisoners. While there is a dungeon here, it was not used for torturous activities or executing prisoners. One such prisoner wrote that he had never eaten as well as during his time while being held at Skipton Castle. The average incarceration at Skipton was a mere 13 weeks.

In 1546 a Tudor Wing was added to Skipton Castle for HenryVIII’s neice. Later in the 1680s that portion of the castle was subdivided to create a separate residence. Today it remains on the grounds and appears to be a private residence even today.

Also on the grounds is the shell of the 700 year old church, The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist. Immediately outside of the castle grounds is the Parish Church of Holy Trinity Skipton, where several successive Lords of Skipton lie buried.

After our tour of Skipton Castle, we stopped in the Clifford Tea Room near the gift shop (on site) for a spot of tea and scone. It was a nice break after walking around in the cold and damp air, before walking back into the village for our car. At £10.50 for three teas and scones, we were happy with the pricey refreshment break.

Admission into Skipton Castle was £5.40 for adults and £4.80 for seniors. With the British Heritage Pass, admission for us was free and included the guided walking sheet. Read Less

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Whitestonecliffe Inn Restaurant

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With our late arrival to Sutton Hall, we really didn’t have time to shop for groceries or anything for supper. We asked the young lady who received us for a recommendation. She suggested the Whitestonecliffe Inn, which was approximately 100 yards from the resort. With the rains stopped, it was an alright evening for a stroll.We were told that on a Saturday night, to dine in the restaurant would require prior booking so we would have to dine in the bar. She quickly reassured us that while they had a "bar food menu" all choices would be outstanding and priced fairly. Arriving at approximately 6:20pm we were informed that they didn’t start serving dinner until 7pm so we ordered a round of adu...Read More

With our late arrival to Sutton Hall, we really didn’t have time to shop for groceries or anything for supper. We asked the young lady who received us for a recommendation. She suggested the Whitestonecliffe Inn, which was approximately 100 yards from the resort. With the rains stopped, it was an alright evening for a stroll.

We were told that on a Saturday night, to dine in the restaurant would require prior booking so we would have to dine in the bar. She quickly reassured us that while they had a "bar food menu" all choices would be outstanding and priced fairly. Arriving at approximately 6:20pm we were informed that they didn’t start serving dinner until 7pm so we ordered a round of adult beverages.

The atmosphere was very comfortable, cozy and had a wonderful feeling of what you might expect for an old English pub. The fireplace was burning peat moss, coal and wood, giving warmth for the entire building. In a back room of the pub was a group of young men watching football (soccer) on the tellie. When the game was over, the room emptied and folks presumably went home.

One of the curiosities of dining in pubs in the UK is that all that we’ve been to required that you step up to the bar to get drinks and to place your food order. As the time drew closer to 7pm, the place really started to fill up with patrons. Some were greeted by what appeared to be the owner, and were promptly taken into a small private room behind a very large wooden door. Later when we left, we got to take a peek inside, and noted that there were very few tables, maybe four or five total. No wonder advanced booking is required.

In any event, we ordered our supper and waited for approximately half an hour for it to arrive. Well worth the wait, mind you... our cooked to order entrées were outstanding. David had the beef stroganoff with rice, Mom the chicken with garlic mushroom sauce and I had the lasagna. Everyone was very pleased with the flavor and quality of their entrée. I couldn’t believe how wonderful the lasagna tasted. Both David and his Mom commented on how moist and tender their meat dishes were.

In addition to our entrées, we were also served family style bowls of vegetables (carrots, broccoli and cooked cabbage) and potatoes. While the veggies were cooked perfectly and tasted great, let me tell you about the potatoes. Not just a bowl of taters, but a bowl with boiled whole new potatoes, sliced potatoes in a white onion sauce and homemade chips that were absolutely to die for. Not fried and greasy, the taste of the potato was magnificent. The garlic bread was ordered ala carte to accompany my lasagna and was very tasty, although not necessary had I known just how much food would be served for dinner.

Most meals ran between £8 and £12, although you could order prime cuts of beef for upwards of £20. Thinking that we were ordering light, we were happy we didn’t go for heavier meals of steak.

This was an outstanding dining experience, allowing us to take in some of the English experience among locals and not in your typical tourist restaurant. We would highly recommend it to anyone looking to experience local cuisine with local folks.

Part Two

On our last night in Thirsk, we stopped back for dinner at Whitestonecliffe Inn. We were surprised that they were not yet open at 6:15pm, so we had to walk back to our cottage and return when they opened at 7pm. As much as we loved our meal before, we knew it would be worth it... and we were not disappointed. If there was any disappointment, it was that I didn’t bring my camera to shoot a picture or two of our desserts.

This time around, Mom had the roasted pork fillet, while I did the chicken and mushroom pie. David opted for the same dish Mom had the prior weekend, the chicken breast in the garlic mushroom sauce. They were outstanding!! Afterwards, we decided to close with a splurge and enjoy some English sweets. David had the English version of the Banoffi Pie, the same dessert we had enjoyed at Victoria’s in Pitlochry, Scotland. It was served in a round Pyrex type dessert dish with fluted edges. The biscuit base was a bit thinner than its Scottish counterpart, but the sweet toffee and bananas were very much the same. Served with a layer of whipped cream, David thoroughly enjoyed it. It was garnished with a sprig of cranberries. I had never seen cranberries on "the vine" so to speak. These little berries had a solid pit or stone in the middle, unlike those we’re used to seeing at Thanksgiving in America.

I thought I would go with something a bit less decadent, ordering the Raspberry and Strawberry Mountain. Served in a freshly baked meringue shell, this delight was simply heavenly! The raspberries were layered in whipped cream within the meringue, the strawberries encircled the plate with a swizzle of strawberry sauce around the circumference of the dish. The sweet flavor of this "less decadent" treat was far from calorie free. The meringue tasted as though it was pure sugar, probably with a bit of egg white to hold it together. I don’t know how many calories it had, and frankly didn’t care. It was yummy and a great way to end our two weeks in the United Kingdom. Read Less

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Sutton Hall at Whitestonecliffe - A Timeshare Resort

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Sutton Hall is located about three miles outside of the market village of Thirsk in North Yorkshire. An old Victorian mansion built in 1700, the property has been purchased and converted into a timeshare ownership resort. Back in the early 20th century, the owner of Sutton Hall purchased neighboring farmland, orchards and several cottages with make up what is today Sutton Hall at Whitestonecliffe resort. The main house has eight apartment-type units with another six contained in the three cottages on the grounds. We were very happy to find out that we had exchanged into one of the one-bedroom cottages.The main house was very stately and furnished as you might expect an old Victorian mansion to...Read More

Sutton Hall is located about three miles outside of the market village of Thirsk in North Yorkshire. An old Victorian mansion built in 1700, the property has been purchased and converted into a timeshare ownership resort. Back in the early 20th century, the owner of Sutton Hall purchased neighboring farmland, orchards and several cottages with make up what is today Sutton Hall at Whitestonecliffe resort. The main house has eight apartment-type units with another six contained in the three cottages on the grounds. We were very happy to find out that we had exchanged into one of the one-bedroom cottages.

The main house was very stately and furnished as you might expect an old Victorian mansion to appear. All of the public areas were open to all guests even those of us not staying in the main house. Also within the main house was a lovely sitting room, with a billiard table for guests. Amazingly, this stately home also had an indoor pool complete with a hot tub. All visitors in residence were also welcomed to enjoy this resort amenity.

Our unit was very comfortable, with a spacious sitting area where Mom’s pull-out sofa bed was also located. The bedroom, while small, was comfortable providing for a good night’s sleep each night. We enjoyed the two side-by-side single beds allowing for maximum sleeping space. There was also a full kitchen with dining table which we did make good use of one evening when we cooked and dined in. The bathroom was more than adequate, to include one of those really cool towel warmers in the bathroom. I really think we need one of them in Casa Bennett back in the USA.

Like other timeshares in Europe and particularly the UK, we had to pay for our utilities. Here they ran just under £18 or around $5 per day. With heated oil radiators, we probably used less electricity to keep the cottage warm. Besides electric for the lights and tellie, the only other power we needed was for the hot water heater which would only be on for heating water for morning showers. If you wanted or needed more hot water during the day, you had to push the “hot water booster” to turn on the heater for an additional hour (or two).

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed Sutton Hall as our home base for our week in England. It provided us with an ideal central point to visit throughout the Yorkshire area. We enjoyed our day trips to York, Richmond, Skipton and Helmsley from Thirsk. With a flight out of Bradford-Leeds less than an hour away, it really was the best location for our week’s holiday in jolly ole England. Read Less

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Yorkshire, England - Part 2

White Horse Cafe

Day Five - Helmsley, Rievaulx and Thirsk

Helmsley Castle

Rievaulx Abbey

Day Six - Skipton

Skipton Castle

Whitestonecliffe Inn Restaurant

Sutton Hall at Whitestonecliffe - A Timeshare Resort

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