Quality in tourism annual inspection/assessment today so nerves were slightly frayed however I need not have worried as the assessor was very nice and put me at my ease. Looks as though we have retained our Gold Award but await written confirmation of this - so feeling very positive. Our new windows do look good and the quality assessor liked the feel of our new mattress and also our colourful bedlinen. She also said the cottage felt very homely.


continuing on the theme of local food, I finally got myself along to the Bedale Community Bakery. This is a new venture at Bedale Station - one of the stops on the wonderful Wensleydale Railway - just a ten minute drive from Masham. The breads on offer were fabulous - a large poppy seed round loaf, a dark brown sourdough loaf, a nutty walnut bread and a moist beer bread made with beer from a micro-brewery in Northallerton. There were also focaccia "pizza" slices with a sumptuous topping of caramelised onion, as well as flapjack, scones and dark chocolate brownies on offer as well as white and wholemeal loaves and lovely soft individual bread rolls. Rosemary and Lucy, who work at the bakery, which is open Tuesday to Saturday 9.30 to 3.30pm, told me that business was good and there were planning to introduce bread-making courses. Can't wait...

Attended a very thought-provoking workshop today about what makes Masham and the local area distinctively different and how we could highlight this uniqueness to our visitors. One of the many topics discussed was locally-produced food and this naturally got me thinking about some  of the tasty treats available. Masham sausages from Beaver's Butchers are served up at the famous Betty's tearooms in York, Harrogate, Ilkley and Northallerton. Rosebud Preserves from just up the road at Healey can be found in smart delicatessens up and down the country - their traditional Piccalilli - is our current favourite but it was Brymor ice-cream that played on my mind the most. So much so that I popped along afterwards to their farm at High Jervaulx to sample one of the 30 flavours on offer - a heavenly tub of blackcherry whim wham!

a view of the ice-cream counter

one of Brymor's gorgeous Guernsey cows

Welcome to Thorpe Cottage's blog!

the plan is to highlight availability and offers at our holiday cottage in the wonderful Wensleydale town of Masham and also to let you know what we have been up to at the cottage in terms of keeping it looking spic and span and a relaxing place for you to spend a few days away from it all.
it is also an opportunity to give you a real sense of Masham and what there is to see and experience in and around this great part of Yorkshire.


Enjoy...