Stow House

Rooms

There are seven rooms, whose quirky names are inspired by the art on their walls. All are gorgeous. You can expect well-dressed kingsize or double beds with graphic cushions, plenty of clothes storage, drenching rainshowers (and perhaps a gorgeous free-standing tub, too), robes, and aromatic Molton Brown toiletries. Fresh milk is left outside your room each morning for tea and coffee.

Ground-floor Love is Blind is the smallest but light pours in through big windows with beautiful views. We stayed in first-floor Love Birds and totally coveted the red chaise longue and the giant bed, in which we slept brilliantly. We’re pretty sure you could host a party in the bathroom's walk-in shower. Badger has the best tub-with-a-view (overlooked by the namesake beast in a gas mask!), and we loved the blue-grey walls and exposed beams of attic room Cowboy Balance, where light pours in through big velux windows. If four-posters are your thing then choose Kes.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

A delicious breakfast is served in the light-filled dining room between 9-10am (early risers can request to eat earlier). Help yourself to freshly squeezed OJ, fruit (often from the garden) and homemade granola with creamy yoghurt while you ponder which cooked items you fancy. We opted for the full whammy of eggs on toast, tomato, mushrooms, black pudding, crispy bacon and seriously tasty sausages, all made to order by foodie Phil. As much as possible is sourced locally and we even saw the butcher delivering the sausages the previous afternoon.

No other meals are available at Stow House, but there's an inn that serves modern (if a little pricey) pub grub a couple of minutes’ walk away, and a choice of restaurants if you're happy to drive - we hear the Wensleydale Heifer is a must-visit. Ask Sarah to mix you a pre- or -post dinner cocktail; she has a real talent for it.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Walk to Aysgarth Falls, which tumble over limestone steps in a picnic-perfect setting admired by Wordsworth, Turner and Ruskin. Nearby is Hardraw Force, reputed to be the highest unbroken waterfall in England
  
• Go walking; the owners can recommend routes through the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, past ancient stone walls and green fields of sheep. Or Sarah can arrange pony treks
  
• Admire the nearby Ribblehead Viaduct, which carries the Settle-Carlisle railway and stands majestically against the Dales. If you prefer natural monuments, visit Malham Cove: a grand curved limestone cliff topped by an impressive stretch of limestone pavement
  
• Foodies will love the markets in nearby Leyburn and Hawes, while cheese-lovers can’t miss the Wensleydale Creamery for a demo (the Wensleydale with ginger has to be tasted to be believed). Black Sheep and Theakston’s both have breweries in Masham
  
• Visit Richmond, a pretty market town built around a Norman castle, with its own falls and The Georgian Theatre Royal - the oldest working theatre in Britain, where you can catch anything from dance to comedy
  
• Wet weather? Settle into the woodburner-warmed snug with a good book and a drink from the honesty bar

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Croquet
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets
• Theatre

Kids

Children are welcome and the Yorkshire Dales make a great playground for all ages. However, this is a converted house rather than a purpose-built hotel so noise does travel, and there's a lot of beautiful art and ornaments around for little hands to grab.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Cowboy Balance is the best room for a family of four - it has a kingsize bed, a single daybed and can also fit a rollaway bed for a child up to 9 or baby cot. All other rooms can take a baby cot except Love is Blind.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 90 minutes
• Hospital: 50 minutes (doctor 5 minutes)
• Shops: 5 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Stow House is in Aysgarth in the Yorkshire Dales, a two-hour drive from Manchester and just under five hours from London.

By Air:
The closest airports are Leeds-Bradford (80km), Newcastle (113km) and Manchester (140km). You'll need a car to explore the area, so most guests hire a car from the airport. There’s off-street parking at the B&B. The nearest EV charging point is 5 mins' walk away in the National Car Park.

By Train:
Guests travelling by train usually go to Northallerton (45 minutes away) or Darlington (55 minutes away) then hire a car or take a taxi.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

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