Set amidst the rolling countryside of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Anvil Cottage offers a welcome dose of authentic rural life. A multitude of scenic walks and mountain bike trails are found right on the doorstep, leading to local attractions and beauty spots.

For all its sense of blissful isolation, the cottage is just 10 minutes’ drive from the quaint town of Masham, which boasts two award-winning butchers, a grocer, bakery and a monthly farmer’s market (on the 1^st Sunday of the month), making it a great spot to stock up on local produce for your stay. For more extensive shopping, there are Marks & Spencer and Booths supermarkets a little further away in the historic cathedral city of Ripon and a Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s in Harrogate.

But this wouldn’t be a holiday without the occasional meal out and, fortunately, there’s no shortage of excellent local gastropubs and restaurants. For the finest Yorkshire dining, book a table at the Michelin-star Black Swan Oldstead (and, perhaps, a taxi for the half hour drive there) or enjoy chef Tommy Banks’ delicious food in the comfort of Anvil Cottage, by ordering one of his three- or five-course food boxes to be delivered to your doorstep, oven ready! The White Bear at Masham is a fantastic local gastro pub, serving seasonal and local produce, while nearby Swinton Park is the spot for lavish afternoon teas, served in a historic castle amidst glorious parkland. The opulent Grantley Hall hotel and wellness retreat, just 15 minutes from the cottage, is the perfect spot for a special meal at celebrity chef Shaun Rankin’s restaurant, an indulgent afternoon tea or a pampering day in the spa.

Being able to explore the natural beauty of your surroundings on foot or by bicycle is a major attraction of Anvil Cottage’s rural setting. Favourite spots within walking and/or cycling distance include Hackfall Woods and the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park, which comprises 45 acres of woodland, landscaped gardens and an arboretum, all dotted with diverse sculptures. The Himalayan Gardens, which typically open from April through November, are particularly celebrated for their dazzling spring display of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias and autumn foliage.  

Other natural attractions likely to tempt guests away from the home comforts of Anvil Cottage (particularly those with adventurous young children in tow) include the dramatic Brimham Rocks formation known locally as ‘Nature’s Natural Playground’ and some of the Yorkshire Dales’ picturesque waterfalls, such as the thundering triple waterfalls of Aysgarth Falls and Cauldron Falls near Leyburn, about 30 minutes’ drive away. Closer to home, the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and adjoining Studley Royal Water Garden make for a wonderful day trip, encompassing the ruins of a 12^th-century Cistercian abbey, an Elizabethan Mansion and a medieval deer park.

Those with an interest in history and a penchant for tearooms will delight in exploring England’s third smallest city, the ancient city of Ripon historic Jervaulx Abbey, Newby Hall and Ripley Castle. For a more cosmopolitan experience, the Victorian spa town of Harrogate (half an hour’s drive from Anvil Cottage), encircled by its famous 'Stray' or '200 acres' of horseshoe shaped grassland, blends historic sites and museums with Turkish baths spas, fantastic shopping and a host of vibrant bars and restaurants. And of course, when in Harrogate, one must take tea at the storied Betty’s Tearooms, which first opened in 1919 and whose entrepreneurial owner went on to create the household name in tea, Taylors of Harrogate. While visiting Harrogate, don’t miss the RHS Garden Harlow Carr, situated just outside the city, which spans 58 acres of diverse gardens, nature walks, woodland and streams with a host of attractions from wildlife workshops to flower festivals.  

If you’re after some quintessential Yorkshire market town life, head for the delightful Pateley Bridge, a 20-minute drive from Anvil Cottage. With a main street dotted with cafés, small shops, an acclaimed butcher’s, a delicatessen and The Oldest Sweet Shop in the World (as per the Guinness Book of World Records, which dates the shop to 1827), it’s a charming spot for pottering and stocking up on local delicacies.

Finally, this wouldn’t be Yorkshire without a little flutter on the horses: spend a morning at Middleham Castle & Gallops watching racehorses being trained by one of several local yards, head to nearby Ripon or Thirsk for an afternoon race meeting or glam up for a flat meeting at York’s legendary racecourse. And if you do visit Thirsk, be sure to call in at the World of James Herriot, the former home and veterinary practice of the beloved author and probably the world’s most famous vet.