Frequently Asked Questions

Once you have made your final payment, we will either email or post to you the directions, a map and arrangements for collection the keys to your cottage. Should these not arrive then please let us know and we will send duplicates.

We don't accept pets in either of our cottages as we do keep them pet free.

Our cottages are non smoking, and we ask that this is respected. If you are a smoker, and smoke outside, then please dispose of your cigarette butts thoughtfully, as we have had some complaints where they have been thrown into adjacent gardens.

Cots, high chairs and stairgates are not provided in either cottage but can be provided if they are requested in advance of your stay with us. Minnie's Cottage is not suitable for toddlers or young children.

You can take over your cottage from 4pm on the first day of your holiday and need to leave it by 10am on the last day of your holiday. Please try not to arrive early or leave late, which can cause difficulties on changeover days because we only have this short period of time on changeover days to prepare and clean the property for the next customer and undertake any maintenance needed.

We provide bed linen, and all of the beds will be made up for your arrival. We also provide a bath sheet and hand towel for each guest plus a kitchen hand towel, tea towels and oven gloves.

Urlay Nook has off street private parking for one medium/large or two small cars (please leave access to the wooden footbridge near the cottage when parking) and there is a free public car park for further cars across the road from this cottage.

Minnie's Cottage does not have dedicated parking and is in a quiet area of the village with pedestrian access only. Car parking is in the village centre about 50 yards away, either roadside or in the cobbled marketplace on a first come, first served basis.

Please contact us if you would like to check, as we will be able to advise and describe the parking availability for each property. The cottages are old, historic properties, built in an era before cars had been invented, which is a large part of their attraction, but also means that not every property has parking with it. Where there are specific parking arrangements given, we do ask that they are respected.

Everything is included in the cost of your holiday and there are no additional charges for these services. Please note that we provide smokeless fuel for the fires in both cottages but not logs.

Included at both cottages free of charge:

• All beds made up for arrival

• All bath and hand towels

• Tea towels and oven gloves

• All heating

• Smokeless fuel for the stove and firelighting kit

• Highchair, stair gate and cot if required (please note that Minnie's Cottage is unsuitable for toddlers and young children)

• WiFi

• Sky TV

• Washing machine and tumble drier

• Loo rolls (a minimum of 1 per toilet)

• Bin liners

• Salt and pepper

• Hand soap

• Washing up liquid (sufficient for your stay)

• Washing up cloth

• Dishwasher, and dishwasher tablets (sufficient for your stay)

• Washing capsules (sufficient for your stay)

• Surface cleaner (sufficient for your stay)

• Cling film and kitchen foil

• Tea & coffee, sugar and milk sufficient for a drink on arrival

• Welcome hamper in Urlay Nook

• Milk, Biscuits Yorkshire brack and fruit in Minnie's Cottage

All of our cottages have at least one colour TV, cooker, fridge, microwave, washing machine, toasters, iron and ironing board, and much, much more, and this is detailed in each cottage description. Each cottage has sufficient dining and easy chairs, beds, crockery, cutlery, glassware and kitchen utensils for the maximum number of people stated for that cottage. If you have any specific queries, then please do not hesitate to contact us.

We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for any lost property left behind at the end of your stay. Please contact us asap describing what was left and where you expect it to be found and we will try to locate it collect, package & post back to you. There is an administrative charge of £10 for this, plus the postage.

For any maintenance queries during your stay, please contact us immediately, our contact details are provided in each cottage and you will also have them on any booking correspondence. For medical emergencies there are details of local doctors, hospitals and dentists provided in each cottage, and the location of the nearest payphone should you need it or we will help where possible for us to do so.

The hire charge is the price for the cottage, not per person.

The holiday cottage will sleep only the maximum number stated in the description, and this includes children. The only exception is babies in cots, but please check with us beforehand to ensure that either a cot is available or that there is space in the cottage for a travelcot. Please do not arrive with more than the maximum occupancy as you may risk being refused entry to the cottage if you do so.

If you have booked a cottage for less than the maximum number of people stated, and later decide to bring extra guests to utilise the spare capacity, then this should not be a problem, but please let us know beforehand.

The cost of cleaning is included in the hire charge, and the cottage will be clean and prepared for your arrival, also there will be a supply of cleaning materials available for your use at the cottage during your stay. However, with self catering cottages you do undertake to leave the cottage as you found it when you arrived, and so we ask that you do leave the cottage clean and tidy when you depart.

Sadly, we can't, but we would if we could! However, you will get a warm and cosy welcome in each of our cottages, both of which have books, games, TV's, and a DVD player. They also have satellite TV and Broadband. Each also has ample Tourist Information to tell you things to do in the area when the weather is not so good as it might be, plus recommendations in the Visitor Book from previous guests. We can also happily advise you on places to go and things to do, whatever the weather.

Don't worry-there is a full information pack in each holiday cottage which includes appliance instructions, and our contact details should you need our advice or just want to check how something works.

Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons and Sainsburys all deliver in this area.

Local Shops are -

Sykes House shop in Askrigg 01969 650535

Elijah Allen in Hawes 01969 667219

Spar in Hawes 01969 667232

Campbells in Leyburn 01969 622169

Co-op in Leyburn 01969 622140

Part of the fun of a holiday is shopping in the local shops-we do not have many of the high street shops up in The Dales, and the food is mostly local and packed with flavour.

VisitBritain is the organisation created in 2003 to market Britain to the UK and the rest of the world. Part of this was the development of standards of quality of accommodation, to give the star ratings which we quote for each cottage. They are an independent assessment undertaken on our behalf by Quality in Tourism, which brings together the vast experience of dedicated tourism professionals who assess over 23,000 accommodation businesses across the UK each year. The gradings start at 1 star and the maximum which can be achieved is 5 stars. In essence, the higher the star rating, the higher the overall level of quality you can expect to find in a cottage. We give a rough guide to the gradings below;

1 star = Simple, comfortable, no frills;

2 stars = Well-presented and well run;

3 stars = Good level of quality and comfort;

4 stars = Excellent standard throughout;

5 stars = Exceptional with a degree of luxury.

In addition a property can be awarded a Gold Award which is given in recognition of exceptional quality with a star rating band and is to help customers to find those extra special places where the owner is prepared to go the extra mile-both of our cottages have a much coveted Gold Award.

If you would like more information on the Quality Standards and star gradings then please contact us or you can look at the VisitBritain website click here

Both of our cottages are historic, old properties, and are 200 years old or more. They are packed with character and original features, but were built long before the days of damp proof courses, cavity wall insulation and double glazing. They are kept well heated, and have open fires (in the form of multifuel stoves), but you may see an occasional damp patch, especially after heavy rain or a long winter. In damp weather, they may also have a tendency to condensation, especially if the bathroom is being heavily used. The simplest way to solve this is to open a window or two and let the air circulate. We can assure you that both of our cottages are very well cared for and maintained-the above are just features of old stone built properties. Also, the cottages are in living and working communities in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. These are rural communities and the working day can start early, especially in summer, so you may encounter cows on their way to or from milking, flocks of sheep being moved about at certain times of year, and on market days animals being taken to and from market, often in trailers towed on the back of tractors. Tractors are regular road users. You can therefore expect to be part of our community for the duration of your stay, and please do enjoy the local events and use our local shops and facilities, as this keeps them viable and vibrant.

Exactly that-you cater for yourself. Basically you rent a holiday cottage and treat this as your home whilst you are staying in it. The cottage will be fully equipped as a home from home, but you will need to provide your own meals whilst you are staying in the cottage, whether it be shopping and cooking for yourself or visiting the local pubs, tea shops and restaurants.

Yes it is.