Wressle Vicarage Cottage
The elegant Wressle Vicarage Cottage is an early Victorian building which has recently been modernised. The cottage consists of two bedrooms, parlour, dining room, kitchen diner & south facing patio, perfect for summer evenings. There is also an open fire, which on request will be laid and fired for your arrival on colder evenings.
There will be a complimentary baked loaf, 1/2 dozen free range eggs, a pint of milk and cake waiting for you in the kitchen upon arrival. The cottage is an integral part of the equestrian yard so off road parking is available as is livery by arrangement with dogs welcome.
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The Vicarage Cottage is given a deep clean between guest stays to the standards of ex-NHS Health Professional and your host, Katie Bloom.
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Take the Train
The well connected train station can take you anywhere from historic York, Beverley and even London
Cycle Routes
East Yorkshire boasts some delightful cycle routes to take advantage of. Retrace the Tour de Yorkshire!
Historic Architecture
Close by you'll find Selby Abbey, various Minsters and England's most beautiful Church, St Mary's Beverley
Local Pubs & Restaurants
Very good establishments & inexpensive by European or South of England standards
Coastal Beaches
Various beautiful seaside towns are easily accessible by car 1hr to 1hr30 away
Horse Riding
Enjoy quiet country hacks or speak with our well connected yard staff for advice on all local equestrian activities
THINGS TO DO
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Wressle Village
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Wressle is one of Yorkshire's smallest and oldest villages. Just 120 souls, a church (St. John of Beverley) and a castle ruin dating back 600 years. As one might imagine with a village mentioned in the Domesday Book it is steeped in history. Particularly the periods of the Wars of the Roses, the reign of Henry VIII and the 3rd & 4th English Civil Wars.
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Four miles from the delightful unspoilt market town Howden, an easy cycle ride on quiet roads. Wressle also boasts a small railway station with three trains to and from York daily (25 mins) with limitless connections onward. Believe it or not there is a direct London service from Howden.
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Wressle is very much an agricultural working (not tourist) village. But it is an ideal base camp to tour the East & North Ridings of Yorkshire. The beautiful Yorkshire Wolds in particular for visitors to ecclesiastical architecture, within easy reach are Selby Abbey, York, Beverley, Howden & Hull Minsters & England's most beautiful church (according to Sir John Betjeman) St. Mary's Beverley.
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Local pubs & restaurants are exceptional & inexpensive by European or south of England standards. Beware Yorkshire folk have an irritating habit of talking to strangers! Notwithstanding the springtime songbird dawn chorus, city folk might find the village eerily quiet at night (occasional train). The River Derwent flows past the village by the church yard, a great riverside walk for dog lovers to downstream villages where you'll find a family of swans.
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Places to Visit & Tips
All excursions are no more than one hour by car or rail unless stated. Big tip, the East Riding (like the North Riding) is a rural expanse of considerable size. Research pays dividends. But excluding York, Scarborough & Bridlington it is not a monster tourist haunt. That is its beauty, it is a ‘bit of a secret’, so prices are cheap & the welcome more enthusiastic. Not dissimilar to central Wales, the Scottish Borders or the English Marches.
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York
First & foremost has to be a visit to York, the jewell in the Yorkshire crown. York is one of the most important medieval cities in Europe. Visitors come from all over the world, particularly America, the Commonwealth & Holland. The York website is extensive as one would expect, but Vicarage Cottage visitors might only have two days at most to devote to it. It is a question of prioritising. York Minster is a must do. One of the most significant gothic cathedrals in Europe with particularly important stained glass.
The guided tour takes about an hour. A very effective way of dealing with a York visit is the bus tour. Like most city bus tours they are ideal when time is restricted. Leap on or off & cherry pick your places. Obvious ones are the museums, the Railway museum is world class, loved particularly by American railway buffs. Walking the wall is fun on a sunny day, as are the many al fresco coffee houses & eateries. A common mistake is to rush past places of interest which are not quite so well known. In this regard York is a little like Naples was a few years ago, with wonderful little churches unknown even to locals. Call in if only for ten minutes, in high season you will still be on your own. A golden example is All Saints Pavement. York pays particular dividends if you plan ahead, take weather into consideration, if it is fine walking tours are fantastic fun.
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Bringing children? Check out the Chocolate Trail, or York ghost walks on an evening. On a budget? Take a picnic to the riverside York Museum gardens. York is a primarily a daytime & early evening town, although it supports two theatres & has some fantastic restaurants. The young though find plenty to do all night so it would seem! From the cottage the best way is from Wressle train station, early or midday return early or mid evening. Very easy. There is also a park & ride system, extremely good & straight forward. Outside rush hour York is about half an hour. Don’t take your car into the centre, no locals ever do. Telephone your cottage host for advice if you wish, happy to help.
*Further information here:
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Bridlington, Hull & Scarborough
Take an early train to Bridlington from Wressle and change at Hull for great beaches (most dog friendly) and great fish & chips. If you want to take your dog your cottage host will guide you to dog welcome pubs & cafes. Hull has the biggest parish church in England & the best provincial art gallery in the north (Ferens). A motor trip to Bridlington could encompass country house Burton Agnes en route. Bringing children? The Deep in Hull is the foremost European aquarium.
*Further information here:
www.visithullandeastyorkshire.com
www.yorkshire.com/places/east-yorkshire
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Escrick Park Estate
Rideways provide a traffic free environment, on private tracks, for both horse and rider and the ideal facility to build up stamina in both horse and rider with acres of space to ride in open parkland and sheltered woodland. With great box parking and off loading facilities. Open from dawn to dusk everyday, riders can enjoy the course thoroughly. Full instructions are available on the notice board in the horsebox parking area for weekend riding.
*Further information here:
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Fraisthorpe Beach Riding
If you fancy a trip up the coast with your horse, Fraisthorpe beach provides the perfect backdrop and environment for a leisurely hack or a good gallop. The miles of flat sand make it ideal for horse riding where you can take in breath taking views of Bridlington Bay as well as the Flamborough Coastline further in the distance. You'll also be able to spot the remains of pill boxes used as sea defences in WWII! Peak season parking for cars is £3/day and for horseboxes is £10/day.
*Further information here:
www.auburnfarmatfraisthorpebeach.co.uk/beach
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Nature Reserves
When it comes to spotting nature, East Yorkshire provides some of the very best locations that the country has to offer. All within a stones throw from Wressle, see the stunning Bempton Cliffs where over half a million seabirds flock to every year between MArch and October to start a family on towering chalk cliffs overlooking the North Sea. Amongst other various reserves, hidden gems include Blacktoft Sands and North Cave Nature Reserve, offering various species from spring avocets and common terns, summer dragonflies to wintering flocks of wildfowl.
*Further information here:
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/blacktoft-sands/
https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/bempton-cliffs/
www.ywt.org.uk/nature-reserves/north-cave-wetlands-nature-reserve
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