From a treehouse to a ‘Glawning’, to a captivating cottage, staycation destinations in Yorkshire can be full of style and surprises – we meet some Yorkshire hospitality heroes who are offering a warm welcome within their eclectic walls.
The creative campers
Glamping is now a familiar term and something that is enjoyed by those who like the outdoors but still want that bit of comfort and glamour. Well, now the world of Glawning has opened up thanks to a Harrogate couple.
Glawning is something that discerning campervan lovers will very much enjoy. It is the creation of Sarah and James Martin who, being avid campervan travellers, spotted a gap in the market when it came to being able to buy a durable yet stylish awning for their van.
The Harrogate based couple decided to change that and in 2013 they set about designing a 100 per cent cotton canvas awning. They coined the term ‘Glawning’ and they haven’t looked back since.
Sarah says: 'Necessity is the mother of all inventions. We had our beautiful vintage campervan but we could only get nasty nylon awnings that not only looked awful but ripped and leaked. So we went ahead and invented a glamorous canvas campervan awning. We went to the Harrogate Spring Dub show with our prototype and the feedback was incredible. We initially decided to get a small number of awnings manufactured in Yorkshire and we operated from home as a sideline.'
Business boomed and in January 2017 they both left their jobs, James as a solicitor and Sarah as a reception manager, to focus on Glawning full-time and seven years later they have not only welcomed their daughter Matilda into the world, but they have established themselves as the world’s only Glawning business having trademarked both the name and design.
'There have obviously been challenges along the way,' says Sarah.
'In March 2020 we had 52 festivals booked up to trade at and obviously with Covid they were all cancelled almost overnight and we had to disband the 22 new reps we had just trained up. However, once everything started to open up again, it seemed everyone wanted to go camping so we then actually did really well business-wise. Then when everything opened up, people stopped wanting staycations and camping and we found we had over ordered so it really was a rollercoaster. You have to be very inventive and we, like many other businesses at that time, had to think outside the box to keep going.'
As well as running their Glawning business, Sarah and James now organise their very own annual festival ‘Glampfest’ in Scotton, Knaresborough. The family-friendly event has camping, live bands and entertainment over three days.
Now they continue to be at the top of their game and have won awards for their product including the National FSB Award for Best Micro Business and they have also featured on Johnny Vegas’ glampsite in the Channel 4 series ‘Carry on Glamping’.
'We are Mr and Mrs Glawning,' jokes Sarah. 'While we have very different working styles we make it work.'
You can find all the Glawning details at glawning.com
The chic B&B-ers
Just the words ‘boutique bed and breakfast’ make you want to pack an overnight bag and hot foot it for a night or two away. At Stow House in Aysgarth, Sarah and Phil Bucknall welcome guests to their glorious Victorian home - where they are living their own rural dream.
The couple made a major lifestyle change back in 2014 when they decided to leave London and leave their careers as creatives in the advertising industry. They bought Stow House which was already an established bed and breakfast and after initially running it as they found it, they later that year closed its doors for a major renovation before reopening in April 2015.
They put their creative talents to good use to decorate and furnish seven luxury bedrooms. Sarah says: 'Our creative backgrounds definitely helped - Phil worked as an art director and he has a great eye for colour so he really led on the decor. We also have a lot of art so we really wanted to incorporate that into the design and it is a great house to put them all.'
Indeed, each of the bedrooms is named after a piece of art that hangs on the wall with ‘Love is Blind’, ‘Kes’ and ‘Shotgun Clare’ among the quirky monikers.
Now they welcome visitors from across the world to enjoy a taste of luxury. Sarah says: 'From May to October we get a lot of overseas visitors but being in the heart of the Dales we also get the walkers and the more outdoorsy visitors all year round many who are doing the Herriot Way Walk. While we are in a really rural setting, we are really well-placed and easy to get to from York, Leeds and Manchester for example.'
A stay at Stow House includes breakfasts of homemade granola and bread as well as other locally sourced produce will fuel you for the day.
Sarah and Phil also host a cocktail hour each evening allowing guests to sip a martini in the lounge or library before heading into the village to eat at one of the local pubs.
Sarah adds: 'We both love cocktails and when we really wanted to run the business as somewhere we would want to stay so we thought it would play to our strengths and offer cocktails! Being a bed and breakfast we suggest places for people to have dinner and we send a lot of people to the Aysgarth Falls Hotel which is close to us and it seems to work for everyone.'
Having a great team around you is key to success, says Sarah and ten years on from quitting the capital for the Dales, they continue to love serving up a slice of decadence for visitors.
Five of the seven rooms are dog friendly and guests will be greeted at Stow House not just by Sarah and Phil but by Stan too. He is their three legged Hungarian Vizsla who takes his hospitality duties very seriously. Find out more at stowhouse.co.uk
The treehouse dwellers
If you want to immerse yourself in nature and be embraced by a huge oak tree then you are barking up the RIGHT tree with a stay at Treetops Hideouts. Located just outside of the wonderful market town of Richmond, the Treetops Hideouts offers The Pines Treehouse allowing you to really get up close and personal with nature in the luxury treehouse.
This is the brainchild of Lisa Matzak and her partner Martin Tinker who moved to the area in 2022 to create luxury accommodation among the four and a half acres of land. Having previously lived and worked in London for 20 years they initially moved to the North York Moors before relocating to Treetops Hideouts to give them more land. Martin is an experienced builder and he set about creating the unique treehouse which is nestled beneath a huge oak tree.
Romance is very often in the air at Treetops as Lisa explains: 'We mainly get younger people staying and most are coming as a special treat - those staying in the Treehouse particularly. We have had five marriage proposals made and many guests come for their honeymoon or anniversary. It is such a relaxing space.'
There is no TV in the Pines Treehouse and who needs it when you have a huge window to view the wonderful natural world. Visitors can watch the ever changing scenery and enjoy all the wildlife that shares the space. Deer are regular passers by and bird lovers won’t be disappointed either. All this with the gentle background noise of the nearby river. The Treehouse has a wood fired hot tub and an open air shower on the deck.
As well as the Pines Treehouse there is Treetops Cottage, a one bedroom property with uninterrupted views across the valley. Again there is a hot tub to wind down among the bubbles as you take in the beauty of the view.
Enjoy a coffee or glass of wine and feel the stresses wash away. Lisa and Martin have exciting plans for the future including looking at building one or two more luxury cabins on the land allowing more guests to immerse themselves in the restorative surroundings of nature.
Celebration packages are available for those who want to make their stay even more special with champagne, chocolates and bouquets included. Cheers everyone! Find more details treetopshideouts.co.uk
The bespoke botlhole
Hartley Hare offers a blissful base for those wanting to enjoy the Yorkshire Dales.
The property is run and managed by Henrietta and Andrew Morrell who live next to the barn, which is Grade II listed and dates back to the 15th Century. It's just a mile from the village of Settle. Henrietta says: 'There is incredible history here. The house and barn were written about in the Domesday Book!'
Having moved to the site five years ago, Henrietta set about renovating the derelict barn with the view to creating luxury accommodation for couples. And she has done just that. While it has retained original features such as ceiling beams and sliding barn door, there is the luxury addition of underfloor heating and a flickering wood burner.
Henrietta says: 'I have worked in property for a long time and have renovated other houses. After property my next love is fabrics so I did all the design and decor - it has been a real labour of love. I want people who come here to absolutely love it. I felt there was a real gap in the market for luxury accommodation for couples so we have made everything bespoke, including the handmade kitchen and utility area.'
If you want to take advantage of the stunning scenery with long walks in the Dales or a visit to Malham Cove, you can soak away any aching feet in the double ended bathtub. The accommodation is also handy for exploring Stainforth Force, a series of cascades, or visiting Gordale Scar, a huge limestone ravine.
Henrietta adds: 'We get a real mixture of people staying with us. We have just had one couple book to stay at Hartley Hare for Christmas week. They got engaged here two years ago and are getting married and want to spend their first Christmas as husband and wife here. How special is that!'
Hartley Hare is one of the Boutique Retreats’ luxury portfolio of accommodation and you can find more details at boutique-retreats.co.uk
