Quite a SHAMBLES ELTIPS AV R T
Opening the door to magical York
PARK up in front of the red telephone box, find the banoffee-coloured front door and let yourself in.”
So says my host for my weekend in Sand Hutton, just outside York. You’d be hard pushed to find a more whimsical and welcoming image.
Leaving my lockdown days on the motorway behind me, I drove into the idyllic village with its long country lanes and pretty properties and the picture in my head became a charming reality.
Pushing open said banoffee door of boutique-style barn conversion, Next Door at The Old Forge, I was thrilled by the cool, contemporary interior – exposed brick, reclaimed wood and plush furnishings. The former blacksmith’s cottage and stables has been turned into a large two-bed, two-bathroom self-catering property by husband and wife team Karen and Adam Griggs.
Meeting Karen was like a warm hug, which felt particularly welcome after months of isolation. She greeted me with a hamper of local artisan goodies, including smoked salmon, roast coffee, marmalade, fresh bread, free-range eggs, organic milk and tea – Yorkshire tea, of course.
A breakfast hamper is all part of the package, with Karen even keeping my pescatarian needs in mind.
French doors open from both bedrooms into a private courtyard so you can start each morning with fresh air, birdsong and a cuppa in bed.
Sand Hutton itself is a peaceful haven away from city life, but if you are after a little more liveliness, only eight miles up the road is the city of York with its Instagrammable streets and minster rising up.
York has long been one of my favourite cities, with its relaxed pace, picturesque streets and Gothic vibe.
One winter I remember watching snow settle on the twisted streets of the Shambles, with its overhanging timber- framed buildings, and thinking it was possibly one of the most romantic cities in the UK.
And the place looked just as spellbinding in the summer. Lots of independent coffee shops and quirky little bars, like Evil Eye, which broke a world record for the number of gins it sells, more than 1,000.
But back at Next Door at the Old Forge, it felt as though I had fallen down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland.
Enchanting
The enchanting one-and-a-half acres house a pond, fire-pit, summer house, kiddy – or adult, if you fancy it – trampoline and swing. There’s even another holiday cottage, the Garden Shed, a quirky, romantic little getaway for two.
And my four- legged fellow traveller was also delighted with the choice.
The property is dog friendly and all the g garden is completely p y secure
VISIT nearby
Malton and its Robert
Fuller Gallery, selling original wildlife paintings and sculptures. NEXT stop: the Railway Museum by York station – guaranteed to turn you into a trainspotter. And its free.
HUNGRY? Forge host Karen can order you a two-course meal, £20pp, delivered to the door by local caterers Blakefields, cooked by chef Nicole Fielding. I loved my pecorino and sage potato gnocchi and lemon and Amaretti
cheesecake.
YORKIE BARS: Winding streets so I could bring my pet. And he roamed around freely and mixed happily with the two resident pooches, Boris and Bobbie.
Boris is somewhat of a character, often seen running around wearing a head cone because of his love of digging, and it all adds to the cosy, family feel of the place.
The gorgeous gardens are shared with Garden Shed residents as well as Karen, Adam and their two children, both young adults who literally live next door.
It’s great for saying hello to your holidaymaker neighbours as you take a stroll in the garden or for sharing a few cheeky drinks al fresco around the fire pit.
But if it is complete privacy you’re after, Next Door at The Old Forge also has that private courtyard with comfortable outside furniture.
For a post-lockdown staycation, sl sleepy Sand Hutton, it’s fabulous neighbour York and the simply stunning t Next Door at The Old F Forge is pretty hard to beat.
Packing up, I promised Karen I would do my best to return. And I’m looking forward to pulling up outside that banoffee front door some time in the future – and being the girl next door all over again.
Next Door at the Old Forge costs £250 per night, with a welcome breakfast hamper. The Garden Shed costs from £104 with discounts for longer stays. See oldforgeyork.com.