North Yorkshire is a gorgeous place for an escape. With endless countryside, quaint towns and villages, and so many things to do, it’s a hotspot for a trip or weekend stay. There are also countless beautiful places to stay, but somewhere to look at if you want a quiet and peaceful break is Hewn Yorkshire. We had the most incredible experience staying there, so take a look at this blog post to find out everything you need to know and my thoughts.
What is Hewn Yorkshire?
Hewn Yorkshire is a stunning collection of cabins nestled in an adult only escape close to Richmond and Barnard Castle. Imagine waking up to the sound of birdsong, surrounded by rolling hills and breathtaking scenery. That’s exactly what you can expect at Hewn Yorkshire. It’s sheltered from winds down in the historic Forcett Grange quarry, so you expect a calm and serene stay. The site is split into two – The Foxwood and The Quarry – each with gorgeous pods, but I’ll explain more about those in a bit!
This spot is also pretty off-grid, so there’s no WiFi and the signal is very limited, making it ideal fr those who want to switch off. While the site has an isolated feeling, it’s so well-connected too with easy access to local towns, attractions and places to eat. So you can either choose to hide away or head out to explore! You might also choose to unwind in the Hewn Yorkshire sauna, which is arguably one of the best things about the spot, so click here for more info.
Already in the mood to book? Take a look at Hewn Yorkshire’s availability here.
Where is Hewn Yorkshire?
You’ll find Hewn Yorkshire at Forcett Grange, Richmond, DL11 7SQ. As you enter, you’ll come to the quarry, but keep going and follow the road round to the right. Drive through the woodland, then you’ll spot the pods on the hillside.
What types of accommodation are available?
The site is split into two areas – The Foxwood and The Quarry. Each is made up of pods, but both areas are very different in their offerings.
The Foxwood
The Foxwood at Hewn Yorkshire is the dog-friendly area. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay with your four-legged friend, then this would be perfect! Each cabin is spacious and bright with a double bed, fantastic kitchenette, a wet room, fire pit and a beautiful wood-fired hot tub. It’s ideal for a dog-friendly stay in North Yorkshire.
The Quarry
The cabins in The Quarry have recently been refurbished, so you can expect character-filled spaces with limestone walls, earthen textures and modern finishes. Again, these cabins feature comfortable double beds, bathrooms with walk-in showers, and velvet bench seating around handmade tables. There’s also kitchenettes, Nordic deck chairs around a fire pit with a BBQ grill and a Finnish wood-fired hot tub. They are the ultimate destination for couples trips or a North East mini moon.
The Sauna
One of my favourite parts of Hewn Yorkshire is the Sauna. It totally sets the site apart from other glamping sites, both in North Yorkshire and the UK as a whole. The Sauna offers a completely private and luxurious retreat for visitors to unwind and rejuvenate. This extra feature offers incredible heat therapy with the Finnish sauna, followed by a quick rinse in the cold water shower. Then you can relax on the sun loungers or repeat the process to really invigorate the senses. It’s the height of serenity!
And what makes the Sauna even better is that it only costs £20 for two people to use for an hour. Only you two will have the key for that hour, so there’ll be no interruptions – just solid warm bliss and countryside views. Plus, you don’t actually have to be staying at Hewn Yorkshire to book. If you’re just looking for somewhere to chill out for an hour in North Yorkshire, you can book without having a cabin.
Things to do in the area
Of course, The Sauna is an amazing thing to do if you’re looking to stay on-site at Hewn Yorkshire, but if you want to venture out, there’s a great selection of attractions in the area:
- Raby Castle, Deer Park & Gardens – a 14th century castle surrounded by picturesque parklands, wild roaming deer, the most scenic walking routes and walled gardens. There’s also a gorgeous cafe, The Vinery, and a coach house repurposed into a luxurious home and gifts shop.
- The Bowes Museum – a County Durham art gallery featuring world-renowned collections, regular events, and extensive parkland and gardens. Their signature piece is an 18th century mechanical silver swan that plays daily at 2pm.
- Darlington Hippodrome – fancy a trip to the theatre? Take a look at what’s showing at the Darlington Hippodrome. The stage plays host to musicals, comedy, talks and so much more.
- Summerhill Force & Gibsons Cave – a simple 1.4km walking route that takes you to a stunning waterfall and cave. Definitely one for the explorers.
- Valhalla North Axe Throwing – this is a great axe throwing spot for beginners and experts alike. A fab idea for couples and lots of fun!
- Bon Coeur Wine Tasting – if you’re looking for something a little more romantic and relaxed, you’ll love Bon Coeur’s wine tasting events. You can also visit their shop to pick up a few bottles.
Take a look at the full rundown of things to do at Hewn Yorkshire on their website.
Our stay at Hewn Yorkshire
We were very kindly invited to go and stay at Hewn Yorkshire, and wow, what a place! We found it easy to navigate to on Google maps and actually really loved driving through the bit of woodland to get to the site because it made it feel like a whole other world away. Owner Anthony was so kind and helpful, and let us settle into our cabin, before coming up to show us how to use the hot tub.
We stayed in The Trammer, one of the newly refurbished cabins in The Quarry, and it was one of the most stylish cabins I’ve stayed in. I loved the colourful print, the velvet bench and the bathroom (the latter being one of my fave things about the place!). The wood-fired hot tub was really easy to use, and a bundle of logs and firelighters were left for us to keep heating it as we liked. There’s also a little store just outside reception where you can buy more, which is very handy.
We managed to time our visit perfectly to coincide with a storm that lasted all weekend, so we didn’t venture off-site much. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the quarry walls that surrounded the site did a great job of sheltering us from the wind. I spent a lot of time curled up on the bed reading and we enjoyed some dips in the hot tub when there were breaks in the rain. It was especially lovely on a night time as there’s lights at the back of the cabins to illuminate the trees. It was so relaxing to chill in the hot tub and look up at the lights!
We had absolutely everything we needed in the cabin, which was brilliant. You can sometimes stay at glamping sites where the cabins almost feel incomplete because they maybe don’t have everything you need to cook with or towels. Hewn Yorkshire has everything you could need. The kitchenette featured a fridge, freezer box, two-ring hob, microwave, toaster and kettle, so it was great for making meals. The bathroom also had some toiletries in case we’d forgotten to bring any.
I’m usually not great at sleeping away from home, but the bed here was so comfy and soft that I drifted off with no problems at all. I also loved that because the site is so isolated, it’s actually dark dark when you turn the lights off. It made the cabin feel that extra bit more cosy.
As I keep mentioning though, the Sauna was a real highlight for me. It made the stay feel all that more special! It was great to be able to get our robes and walk up the little woodland path to the secluded building. We felt as though we were the only people for miles, thanks to how secluded it was. I’ll be honest, I didn’t spend too much time in the cold water shower and much preferred to sit in the toasty sauna, watching the birds swooping by over the fields opposite. An hour was the ideal amount of time to get some good use out of it and I highly highly recommend taking a look, whether you’re staying at Hewn Yorkshire or not.
Overall, we absolutely loved our stay and really implore you to take a look. I was a little worried about being off-grid at first, but came to really love the calmness of it. The cabin was spot on, I really enjoyed the hot tub and of course, the Sauna was fantastic. The owners couldn’t do more to make it a better experience and I’d definitely stay there again, no matter the time of year.
If you’re looking for a hot tub glamping stay in North Yorkshire, make sure you take a look at Hewn Yorkshire!
We were invited to stay at Hewn Yorkshire in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.