We booked Old Station Farm for my partner's 60th birthday celebration.. It was ideal for our party of a dozen.
The cottage is very well-equipped, particularly the kitchen. It is spacious and comfortable, with the dining room an especially good social space. The Aga was excellent for cooking breakfasts for the whole party and keeping everything warm in one of the ovens so we could all eat together. There was always enough crockery, cutlery and glasses for everyone, and the dishwasher is very efficient.
The location is excellent, with Malton and Pickering very close by, and York and Scarborough not much further away. Castle Howard is just minutes away, but we didn't have time to go there on this occasion. I've been before, though, and would recommend it if you have a day to spend taking in the lovely grounds, and inside the house if you must - I'm not much of a one for looking at other people's old furnishings and china and preferred the outdoor part. The house is a beautiful building, though, and it's obvious why it has featured in TV productions.
The local Cantonese restaurant is just a very short walk away and its food is excellent, providing eat-in or takeaway facilities. We placed our large order a few hours ahead because it was such a big order and it was ready right on time. The staff were lovely.
For parties who don't want to have to cook, there are plenty of other nice-looking eating places just a short drive away.
On our visit, the weather was very wet and windy, which meant we couldn't take advantage of the lovely garden and outdoor seating, though I suppose we could have done had we put on the weatherproof clothes we'd all brought. Perhaps we've just got soft now that we're older :-) Next time, though.
We felt at home immediately in the cottage and would thoroughly recommend it, even for people younger than we are. It was a thoroughly successful stay.