Book a country cottage holiday in Stean and Learn of a Highwayman! The small village of Stean is located near Nidderdale in North Yorkshire, a few miles north of the market town of Pateley Bridge. Just a few miles outside of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this is excellent walking country and a great place for a relaxed rural retreat break. Enjoy browsing for countryside cottages and rural retreats in and near Stean.
What Stean offers for Cottage Breaks
One of Nidderdale’s best loved attractions has to be How Stean Gorge, a limestone gorge through which Stean Beck flows. This gorge has a fascinating history and is a geological wonder. Said to be a hiding place of an infamous highwayman named Tom Taylor, one of the caves in the gorge is named after him. You need a torch to see in this part! The cave leads into a field and served as a convenient way for the robber to escape the clutches of the law. Tom’s story is a dramatic one and visitors learn how he met his maker. The Gorge stretches 300 yards and is sometimes slippery underfoot. Visitors are given hard hats to wear for safety. It’s been a tourist attraction for more than a hundred years and it’s within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. For a different perspective, you can see it floodlit at night.
If you fancy doing something to get the adrenaline pumping during your cottage holiday then How Stean has lots to offer. With an Outdoor Centre, activities on offer here include caving, rock climbing, canoeing and kayaking.
Another great day out can be found at Studford Walks & Trails Centre. A day here offers a wonderful experience for keen ramblers, mountain bikers or cyclists in the beautiful countryside of Upper Nidderdale. If it’s a family visit, there is no need to book. Since 2002, this activity centre has entertained and informed both adults and children. Its Explore, Discover and Learn Trail was designed with pre-school children and primary school children in mind. Children under three years of age are free to enter and family tickets are available. Children discover the natural world with resident experts named Mole, Owl and Rabbit. The centre asks that you look on their website to check if they are open if the weather is inclement. There is a shop selling toys and sweets, a play area and an area where you are free to have picnics.
There are excellent opportunities for those who want to enjoy some walking during their cottage break nearby and further afield in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The Nidderdale Way is a circular walk extending for 53 miles, which terminates in Pateley Bridge. However, families on holiday in the area can walk shorter sections of the route, either following a circular path or by walking so far and catching a bus for the return journey. It’s recommended that you buy a waterproof map, available in local shops, and choose a section appropriate to the ages and abilities of your group. You’ll come across some diverse terrain and spectacular views.
If you are holidaying in September you may be lucky enough to catch the Nidderdale Show, at nearby Pateley Bridge. This traditional agricultural show is held every September and is a great day out for all the family. The animals on show include horses and sheep dogs and there are demonstrations on crafts and dry stone walling where you can glean useful information on these crafts. Brass bands entertain the crowds and there is a variety of trade stands and vintage agricultural machinery. All in all, a visit to the Nidderdale Show can be a top day out.
Stean is the perfect home base for enjoying all that Nidderdale has to offer. The family or couple that likes to get out in the fresh air can enjoy walking or biking through some of the best scenery around. We have a range of self-catering cottages, lodges, log cabins, and apartments to suit everyone, browse the self-catering cottages in Stean shown below find a good quality place to stay in the Yorkshire Dales.
Book a Stean cottage and look forward to discovering some of the best of North Yorkshire on holiday.
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