About Us

A family-run self-catering cottage on a working arable farm in the heart of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Yorkshire Wolds Cottage grew out of a simple idea: that the quiet beauty of the East Riding deserved somewhere comfortable for visitors to stay. The cottage was converted from traditional farm buildings at Holme-on-the-Wolds, and it has welcomed guests for over two decades. The farm itself has been worked by the same family for far longer, and that sense of continuity runs through everything here.

The Farm

The farm at Holme-on-the-Wolds is a working arable holding on the high chalk upland of the Yorkshire Wolds. Wheat, barley, and oilseed rape grow in the surrounding fields, following the seasonal rhythm that has governed farming on these hills for centuries. The soil here is thin and chalky, well-drained in winter but thirsty in dry summers — conditions that have shaped the Wolds' characteristic open landscape.

Farming on chalk downland has always demanded careful management. The hedgerows and field margins around the farm are maintained to support wildlife, and barn owls, hares, and yellowhammers are regular sights from the cottage windows. The approach is practical rather than ideological: good stewardship of the land tends to produce good results for both farming and nature.

The Cottage

Converting the cottage from its original farm buildings was a careful process. The aim was to create comfortable, modern accommodation while keeping the character of the original structures. Exposed brickwork and timber beams remain, and the proportions of the rooms reflect their agricultural origins — not a barn conversion in the grand sense, but a practical, well-built space with a warmth that more modern buildings often lack.

The cottage has been updated steadily over the years. Central heating, a modern kitchen, and reliable Wi-Fi have all been added without compromising the building's original feel. The private garden was developed to take advantage of the views across the Wolds, and it's become one of the features guests mention most often in their reviews.

The Yorkshire Wolds

The Yorkshire Wolds are one of England's best-kept secrets. This arc of chalk hills runs from the Humber estuary northwards to the coast at Flamborough Head, creating a landscape of sweeping valleys, open ridges, and quiet villages. The painter David Hockney spent years capturing the Wolds on canvas, and his work has done much to raise the area's profile.

Unlike the more famous Yorkshire Dales to the west, the Wolds remain genuinely quiet. You can walk for hours on the Yorkshire Wolds Way without meeting another soul. The roads are empty enough for unhurried cycling. Pubs in the villages serve proper food and local ales without needing to be booked weeks in advance.

This quietness isn't a sign of dullness. Beverley, the nearest market town, has a minster that rivals many cathedrals and a cultural life that punches well above its weight. Hull, a short drive south, has reinvented itself as a cultural city since being named UK City of Culture in 2017. The coast offers everything from the chalk stacks of Flamborough to the wide, sandy beaches at Hornsea and Bridlington.

Holme-on-the-Wolds

The village of Holme-on-the-Wolds sits on high ground between Beverley and Driffield, at roughly 400 feet above sea level. It's a small, quiet settlement — no shop, no pub — but that's part of the appeal. The views from the village extend for miles in every direction, taking in the Humber to the south and the higher ground of the northern Wolds.

The name "Holme" comes from the Old Norse word for a small island or raised ground, a reminder that this area was settled by Scandinavian farmers over a thousand years ago. The Wolds are full of such echoes. Deserted medieval villages dot the landscape, and the ancient trackways that cross the hills have been in use since prehistoric times.

From the cottage, you're within easy reach of everything the East Riding has to offer. Beverley is 8 miles south. Driffield, the "Capital of the Wolds," is about the same distance north. The coast is 20 miles east. York is 40 minutes by car. It's a central position that makes day trips in any direction straightforward.

Our Approach

Running a holiday cottage on a working farm means balancing two quite different activities. The farm comes first — crops don't wait — but the cottage is never an afterthought. We aim to provide clean, comfortable, well-maintained accommodation with the kind of personal attention that larger holiday operations can't match.

Guests receive a welcome pack on arrival, along with information about the local area. We're always happy to suggest walks, recommend restaurants, or point out things to see that don't appear in the guidebooks. Twenty years of hosting visitors has given us a good sense of what people enjoy most about this part of Yorkshire.

If you'd like to know more about the cottage itself, take a look at our accommodation page. For ideas on what to do during your stay, browse our area guides.