The luxury holiday cottages that offer the warmest welcome in East Yorkshire – and it’s official
Luxury holiday cottages created as a diversification enterprise on an East Yorkshire farm have won a prestigious national award.
Pasture House Holiday Cottages, just outside the village of Brandesburton, near Driffield, have earned one of VisitEngland’s 2024 Rose Awards for providing the warmest of welcomes for guests. The holiday cottages were the vision of Sarah Dean and her family, whose ancestors have farmed the land around for five generations.
These are the kind of home-from-homes where every little detail has been thought of and no expense spared. Plus, Sarah bakes for all her guests and, depending on what is in season in and around the farm next door, there will be fruit such as brambles included in the already generous welcome hampers of all-Yorkshire goodies, fresh farm eggs and locally-grown flowers filling vases.
“I meet and greet all my guests,” said Sarah, who runs Pasture House, which sleeps up to 12 people, and The Stables, which can accommodates another four. That on top of looking after all the bookings and social media for the holiday homes, helping out with the family run business – a 250-acre farm that supports free range poultry, arable and renewable energy – and being farm secretary for her dad, James.
“It can get very busy at harvest time when it’s changeover day,” said Sarah, whose “labour of love” cottages came about because she knew how difficult it can be for large groups of friends or relatives to find self-catering holiday accommodation in the countryside. “A lot of people book both properties out – the dining table in Pasture House is big enough to seat 16 – and there is the space for them all to be together as a group.”
READ MORE: See inside East Yorkshire's luxury holiday cottages that offer the warmest welcome in the county
Pasture House Holiday Cottages came into being after Sarah was finishing university (she studied agriculture and business) and was looking for a project. Her forebears did once own Pasture House – the first generation were born in it – but the farmstead had been sold off in the past.
The family bought it back in 2014 and started the holiday cottage project in 2017, with it being ready to welcome the first guests in October 2021, just when lockdown relaxations were starting to be felt.
Sarah said: “We had to make the difficult decision to take down the original farmhouse because a bomb exploded nearby during the Second World War, making it unsound and officially derelict. The Stables were structurally sound so we have been able to renovate them and also keep some of their original features.”
People enjoying a break in Pasture House can do the washing up looking out over fields and, on a fine day, right across to the Wolds. The bedrooms, all uniquely decorated, are named after native trees which can be found around the farm.
Outside is a lovely patio and garden area, complete with not one but two hot tubs, a barbecue and a pizza oven, plus sun loungers and chairs. When it is cold – the holiday cottages are open all year – there are log burners and underfloor heating to keep everyone cosy.
A lot of the choosing of the different styles for each bedroom and finding just the right pieces of furniture for the communal spaces happened during the pandemic, and online, which did present its problems. “There are some massive bedside lamps in one of the bedrooms, which wasn’t intended; I didn’t really look for the measurements.”
Sarah said: “With us, everything is included – logs and firelighters, wood for the pizza oven, robes and slippers for the hot tub. A lot of people comment about the welcome hamper and query whether they have to pay for that.”
Pasture House Holiday Cottages were the only East Yorkshire recipient of a VisitEngland Rose Award and one of 100 across the whole of England. The awards showcase the accommodation providers who give the warmest of welcomes and where the staff provide incredible experiences for their customers, irrespective of star rating, style or type of accommodation.
Andrew Stokes, VisitEngland director, said: “The Rose Awards recognise the accommodation providers in England who deliver a fantastic welcome, provide outstanding customer service and make magical memories for their visitors. They create the bedrock on which tourists build their holiday memories, encouraging them to discover more of the area and driving tourism spend across local communities.
“From glamorous glamping to world leading B&Bs, from pubs to holiday parks, farms to rural retreats to self-catering cottages, there is a place to stay to suit all tastes and budgets in England with the awards highlighting the amazing diversity on offer.” Nominations come from VisitEngland’s quality scheme assessors and are selected from assessor comments and online feedback from overseas and domestic visitors.
The final judging panel also looks for innovation that sets the business apart. This includes facilities or services offered to make the customer’s stay really special.