Sustonica, the first global sustainability standard for holiday lets.
Our aim is to create lasting holiday memories and we intend to do so both responsibly and sustainably.
To deliver on this we've set out a number of environmental and social pledges which help to focus our efforts;
you can read more about them in our Impact Report.
This is why we've partnered with Sustonica, the first global certification for holiday lets,
to support our owners to be more sustainable.
The Sustonica certification focuses on four key areas: energy conservation, water conservation,
waste reduction and promoting inclusiveness. They are on a mission to become the most widely
recognised sustainability standard for holiday rentals and a catalyst to reduce emissions of holiday
lets and influence guests to reduce their own household consumption too.
Properties that display the Sustonica badge have successfully passed the criteria,
which align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards,
and their owner has made a commitment to look after our planet as well as you.
"Little Byre Cottage well maintained, well equipped and very clean."
. location is very good for visiting the Moors and Dales. Had a lovely time to celebrate our birthdays in this beautiful cottage. Highly recommended
Reviewed by Michael5.0★Nov 2024
"Lovely clean and comfortable cottage."
Owners friendly and welcoming. Ideal location when visiting Yorkshire as central to most areas on the Moorside and even the dales. Would highly recommend accommodation.
Reviewed by Tracy5.0★Nov 2024
"I have been using holiday cottages for over 40 years and Little Byre at Water Hall Farm is by far the best I have used."
It is spotlessly clean, well equipped and well maintained, even nearing the end of the season. The location is central for the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales. I will definitely use again.
Reviewed by Keith5.0★Sep 2024
"We had a lovely holiday in this great cottage and location."
My only personal problem with the cottage, which has nothing to do with the owners was I found the bed far too firm for me. I have an injury which doesn’t cope with this kind of bed. I very often wonder why holiday lets don’t have 1 bed which is soft. Not everyone likes hard beds. Was a very nice cottage though.
Reviewed by Judith4.7★Jun 2024
"The set of cottages are set on a working farm."
It is a lovely area. The directions to the property are very accurate.
The facilities were like a home- useful kitchen equipment. There was a welcome pack with fresh milk, tea and coffee and lots of menus and activity leaflets. The beds are very comfortable and the upside down layout makes it a change from most properties.
We really enjoyed our stay.
Reviewed by Stewart5.0★Apr 2024
"The property is just fantastic."
Plenty of space and all the things you might need. The beds are really comfortable. I couldn’t fault it and we had a lovely time.
Reviewed by Beth5.0★Mar 2024
"Really great cottage (the photos don't do it justice) in a convenient location."
Spacious accommodation and very comfortable. My boys (7 & 9) loved the "upside down" layout. Our hosts were very friendly and welcoming. Thanks for a lovely stay.
Reviewed by Louisa5.0★Oct 2023
"Excellent accommodation we really enjoyed our holiday in Little Byre"
Reviewed by Vanessa5.0★Aug 2023
"Living in a town it was great to be on a working farm in the beautiful countryside."
Made our holiday meeting the animals, especially all the cute baby ones.
Reviewed by Alison5.0★Jul 2023
"The cottage was lovely very comfortable and clean."
The owners and staff were very friendly and made a point of letting us know a calf had been born so our granddaughter could go and see it which was much appreciated. We would definitely recommend this property.
Reviewed by Rebecca4.4★Apr 2023
"Awesome cottage"
Reviewed by Paul4.4★Feb 2023
"This was our second stay, and the cottage was again great for our family, well equipped and very clean."
Reviewed by Emma5.0★Aug 2022
"We have just returned from a lovely stay at Little Byre Cottage."
We were all impressed with the cleanliness of the cottage & all the facilities avaliable including the little extras in the kitchen that just make your stay easier & like home from home. ED the owner is very friendly & my daughter loved meeting all the animals. The Cottage is located in a lovely area for walks & a good base for exploring other parts of Yorkshire & the North East Coast which is beautiful. We would definitely recommend a stay & have all said we'd happily stay again.
Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Jul 2022
"Super properties, immaculately clean and well presented."
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We will be coming back another year for sure.
Reviewed by Peter5.0★Jul 2022
"Lovely cottage close to Thirsk."
Central for visiting York and surrounding towns. Ed the owner came to greet us. Very friendly and full of information. All in all an excellent place to stay.
Reviewed by Eileen5.0★Jul 2022
"The property was well equipped and comfortable."
On the surface it was spotlessly clean. When we arrive the shower plughole absolutely stank. I contacted the owner by email and it was over 24 hour before it was rectified. There was also a smell in the twin bedroom which did improve but never went away completely. This however is not why we wouldn't stay again or not recommend. The whole place was emotionally cold and very impersonal. We didn't see the owners on arrival. We didn't know where they lived to ask them if we had a problem. The key was found in the door and had to be left in the door. The only human contact was a farmer knocked on the door the evening after the plughole was cleaned to ask if it was ok. We don't know who he was and my husband said he didn't say. We like places where you get a warm welcome and know people are about if you should need them.
Reviewed by Lisa4.4★May 2022
"We had a lovely stay and would highly recommend this property."
Our party included two grandparents, two parents and one seven year old grandchild, with all of us enjoying the location and what the property had to offer.
Reviewed by Jon5.0★Apr 2022
"Perfect property, hosting and communication."
Fantastic location and immaculately clean property. Very well decorated and so exciting to have all the surprise Christmas touches which made it even more special. The cottage was wonderful. Beautiful countryside and a nice touch being able to feed the animals. Fresh eggs outstanding! All children and adults adored it. Games, crockery, TV, sofa, tables etc all spot-on. Nothing could be improved.
Reviewed by Feliciity5.0★Dec 2021
"We had a really lovely stay the accommodation was home from home and well equipped with everything we could need."
Ed the owner introduced himself to us on arrival and came to see us before we left. Overall a really great experience and will certainly recommend to anyone. We will certainly return
Reviewed by Tara5.0★Sep 2021
"You do not answer the phone and you don't answer website queries."
Reviewed by Chris5.0★Sep 2021
"The cottage was lovely and very clean, we had a great week."
Our boys loved all the animals.
Reviewed by Emma5.0★Aug 2021
"Overall we give it a 4."
5 out of 5 rating with the following observations:
Parking area gets muddy after rain.
En-suit bedroom: bed uncomfortable for anyone over 6ft tall.
Fridge too small for 6 people.
Gets very warm upstairs even with vents open.
Reviewed by Paul4.4★Jul 2021
"Only one thing the mattresses were a little uncomfortable but that’s a matter of taste, otherwise perfect"
Reviewed by Christine4.4★Jun 2021
"We booked little byre cottage at the last minute and weren't sure what to expect, but it was really lovely."
It is in a setting with a few other cottages which was great for meeting other people. The outside picnic bench was in a sunny shelterd spot and a great place for evening drinks. We rented electric mountain bikes locally and were able to explore loads of cycle routes up on the moors. The 1 in 4 hills made us glad we had motor assistance so we could enjoy the spectacular views.
Reviewed by Kevin4.1★Jun 2021
"We booked this holiday as it was shown with a games room."
We were then informed this was an error on Sykes part. The cottage however was amazing and Ed the owner was great. Great place to visit so many places in Yorkshire. Lovely setting.
Reviewed by Patricia4.1★Jun 2021
"Back from a week in Yorkshire little byre was a great place to stay edd and his ..."
Back from a week in Yorkshire little byre was a great place to stay edd and his family were lovely and would do anything to help barn was cleaned to a high standard and was modern would highly recommend and will definitely return great place to stay
Reviewed by Ernest5.0★Jun 2021
"We had a wonderful week at Little Byrne cottage!"
It was spotlessly clean, Quiet, well equipped and in such a lovely area. Ed the owner was so welcoming and we were able to join him in feeding the Alpaca’s, chickens, goats and sheep. He gave us lots of info about the animals and it was a delight to see a newborn Alpaca. He let us name the Alpaca and the spotted pigs. The cottages have good COVID-19 measures in place and provided hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial spray, face masks and gloves. We’d definitely return and recommend Little Byre cottage :)
Reviewed by Jane5.0★Sep 2020
"The cottage was spotless, had everything we needed."
Provided antibacterial spray, handwash,wipes and masks which was exceptional. Games and dvd's for the grand-children. Lovely welcoming pack, Ed and family were lovely and couldn't do enough if you needed anything. The farm is situated in a lovely part of Yorkshire and handy for lots of wonderful places to visit. Will be going back.
Reviewed by Lynette5.0★Aug 2020
"We had a lovely week in Little Byre Cottage."
The cottage was extremely clean, well presented and we'll equipped. Ed the owner was a super host, made us feel very welcome, answered any questions we had and gave us a lovely tour of the animals. Can highly recommend Water Hall Farm as a holiday base.
Reviewed by Donna5.0★Aug 2020
"Immaculately clean and well looked after."
The owners couldn't do enough to help us. Can't wait to return in the future
Reviewed by Claire5.0★Dec 2019
"Sarah and her team made sure the cottage was immaculate."
There was also a very generous welcome pack on arrival. The cottage is spacious and very well equipped. There is plenty of parking which is also a bonus. The farmer Ed and his family are more than happy to show you the animals they have on their farm. We especially enjoyed seeing the herd of Alpacas. There is a very good local pub within a 10 minute walk of the cottage which is friendly and does very good food. The Sunday lunch we had was delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will definitely return some day.
Reviewed by Linda5.0★Dec 2019
"An excellent place to stay in the heart of North Yorkshire."
All the cottages are of the highest standard and Ed, James & all the family and staff are superb hosts. A great base for exploring the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales and the Yorkshire Coast.
Reviewed by Julie5.0★Sep 2019
"First time using Sykes, but hopefully not the last."
Brilliant website and App - so easy to use. Communication was first class from beginning to end. The owner of the accommodation made us all feel very welcome and nothing was too much trouble.
Descriptions provided were accurate and this was always backed up with evidence in the way of photos. Everything about the accommodation was accurately described, including the added bonus for my grandchildren of being able to go with the farmer and help feed the animals! Location was excellent for for those wishing to explore the Yorkshire Dales and National Park.
Reviewed by Margaret5.0★Aug 2019
"The cottage was more than we expected."
Everyone went out of their way to help with details of what was around the farm,places to visit,in fact perfect hosts.
The cottage was beautiful,decor amazing,and the kitchen was well equipped with everything you could want. Bathrooms the same ,beds really comfortable,what more could you want.
The location is excellent for visiting the beautiful Yorkshire countryside as well as the coast.
Cannot praise it highly enough and will hope to return in the future.
Reviewed by Joyce5.0★Jun 2019
"The facilities were first rate and wonderfully clean."
Nice quiet location. Ideal base for exploring the Dales and the Moors. Would definitely go again.
Reviewed by Eleanor5.0★Jun 2019
"The surrounding area had everything we required for our holiday."
It helped that the weather was near perfect every day.
Reviewed by David5.0★May 2019
"Fantastic accommodation, great location, wonderful friendly owner, loved the holiday :)"
Thirsk 4 miles. Situated on the outskirts of the pretty village of Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe, these five properties are the result of a sympathetic conversion of old stone barns on the owner’s livestock farm. Care has been taken with these Thirsk cottages to retain original features, including exposed timbers and walls, and these original features are complemented by modern comforts. Tastefully furnished and decorated, these Thirsk cottages provide warm and welcoming accommodation benefiting from a communal sheltered courtyard set within a peaceful environment. There are plenty of animals to enjoy including alpacas, free range chickens, Gloucestershire old spot pigs, beef herd of cattle, Ryeland Sheep (rare), Pygmy goats, Shetland pony, 2 dogs and cat with the owner offering a completely free trip for people staying at cottage to go when owner feeds animals. The local village inn is a 10-minute stroll from these North Yorkshire cottages, whilst the delightful market town of Thirsk offers a wide range of restaurants, shops and pubs skirting the historic cobbled market square. From these Thirsk cottages, there are superb walking opportunities including Sutton Bank with its exceptional panoramic views from where you may wish to watch the gliders take full advantage of the strong thermals hugging the cliffs. Be sure to visit the James Herriot Museum in Thirsk, and picturesque Helmsley is famous for its beautiful hanging baskets throughout the summer months. These Thirsk cottages are an ideal base for those wishing to explore both the Yorkshire Dales, the spectacular North York Moors and there is easy access to the seaside towns of Whitby and Scarborough. With the magnificent historic city of York, Ripon and Harrogate a short drive from these North Yorkshire cottages, there is a wide choice of activities for all guests to enjoy.
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Where you’ll be staying
THIRSK
Northallerton 8.6 miles; North York Moors National Park 5 miles; York 23.7 miles.
With the gateway to the North York Moors National Park to the east and Yorkshire Dales National Park to the west, the bustling town of Thirsk boasts a quaint market place, splendid Georgian buildings, a Norman church and excellent pubs, shops, restaurants, a cinema and a leisure centre. Visit the World of James Herriott Museum, dedicated to the life and works of the town’s own famous vet and author or explore the surrounding rolling countryside and Hambleton Hills, offering excellent walking opportunities. The cathedral city of York and the beautiful East Coast are within easy driving distance.
The minimum length of stay at this property is three nights
This property offers the following short breaks:
Winter
Off-season
Last minute
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