After a month of non-stop illness in this family, we were in much need of a retreat, a break from the norm, not far from home to simply rest, recuperate, relax and feel rejuvenated once more.
The universe must have been listening (cheers universe, you’re a good ‘un), as the wonderful Gorgeous Cottages got in touch to see if we wanted to spend a long weekend in a luxury holiday home The Coach House in Yorkshire.
They’d kindly sent us off for another Yorkshire break in December which was one of the most fun few days away we’ve had as a family, so we just couldn’t wait to see where they were sending us next!
And it’s safe to say, we weren’t disappointed-
The Coach House is surrounded by stunning acres of private land with a formal garden and meadows beyond, in the sleepy hamlet of Foston, 20 minutes from York, firmly in the countryside with only bleating sheeps and birdsong for background noise.
Lush.
Simply beautiful-
What a showstopper of a house!
We arrived on Friday night, fell into giant comfy beds for a blissful night’s sleep, awaking refreshed and ready to explore the snowdrop laden grounds-
A country mansion consisting of high ceilinged rooms, burning log fires, my dream kitchen-HUGE aga, vintage country chic appliances (I might have cooed at the SMEG fridge freezer) a kitchen diner, elegant dining room, spacious drawing room, cosy lounge, 4 gigantic bedrooms with en suite bathrooms along with a stand alone bathroom (vintage style bath included and wait for it, Hermes soaps), it was the most perfect mix of fine luxury living with home comforts-think Beyonce’s country home in the North.
Now get a cup of tea and let me take you on a tour of the house in pictures-
Welcome in
Duck egg blue and cream furnishings, this was a Nigella-worthy kitchen I fell head over heels in love with-
I adored the chalkboard (such a lovely touch) and will be getting one for the playroom pronto. How cute is Oliver’s picture?! The chick with the big hair is me (obviously!)
And swoon
The Drawing Room-
The Lounge (where we spent the most time when we weren’t outside), cuddled up in front of the fire, watching films.
There was even a library
Then upstairs, across the oak floor landing to the bedrooms-
And 4 staggeringly beautiful bedrooms they were too-
With the sweetest of kids’ bedrooms
Oh an bathrooms, so many gorgeous bathrooms, we had one each!
…The most luxurious array of soaps I’ve ever come across. Eat your heart out The Ritz
It was literally like a film set (so much so we made a film there) but one we felt completely at home in, every consideration for families was made, tennis rackets and balls stocked for play, balls in the garden for the children, kids’ step ladders, storage areas for shoes, umbrellas, blankets to keep off the cold and handheld windmills dotted in the soil and mini wheelbarrows the boys loved…
Why not watch our little film:
This place was absolutely ideal for me as a foodie, I loved cooking and entertaining during our stay, stir fry was a favourite and when my brother and his girlfriend Lucy spent Sunday with us, I made lentil soup, oven baked salmon with every roast vegetable you can imagine, coriander salad and we had M&S custard tarts for dessert.
Yum
Sunday lunch-
We’re lucky fellows that we live in a pretty (albeit much smaller) house ourselves overlooking the open countryside, an hour away from York, but this place really is our dream home, the boys loved playing tennis, running in the surrounding meadow and even sharing a bedroom. Perhaps I can make our fourth bedroom into a walk in wardrobe after all, and they can share a room!
My husband Peter’s photos really show the house in all its glory.
Tennis time (not always with a racket)!
It certainly was a sporty weekend-
Alexander decided he wanted a walk with a walking stick too while we were there! That kid cracks me up!
‘Look Mummy, I want the walking stick’!
‘Urgh. Ok I’ll pay with the tennis ball’.
It’s a hard life being 2!
It was wonderfully convenient and relaxed to have everything right there in the grounds of the house meaning we didn’t have to leave once.
A haven from morning ’till night.
Breakfast is served-
Well trained!
We loved playing tennis, running through the grass, bird and squirrel spotting with the boys and finding new untouched parts of the grounds (tucked away terraces and benches), returning, lungs full of fresh air ready to flop in front of the fire, newspapers at the ready, board games to play, before the husband and I took it in turns to nap. Delicious.
The whole weekend was a glorious chance to switch off and simply ‘be’.
I felt like I’d caught up on a month’s lack of sleep in just 2 long days.
Utter and absolute bliss.
Thanks Gorgeous Cottages for the most perfect weekend break. We will be back!
We were given a complimentary weekend away in return for this honest review.
Linking up to Coombe Mill’s #CountryKids and Bod For Tea’s #sharethejoylinky
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What a beautiful house I liked very beautiful garden.
Wow! What a wonderful cottage it’s beautiful and your photos are fantastic. They look like shots from a magazine photoshoot! Must have been a fantastic place to unwind and relax. 🙂 x
Oh thanks so much Jenny, Peter, my husband takes gorgeous photos x
Fabulous, what a wonderful house, and a great place to unwind. It looks perfect x #countrykids
It was lovely thanks x
So many great pictures. I almost feel like I stayed there… then I remember that I am still exhausted from the every day grind. We’ve got a getaway coming soon enough. This really made me look forward to it. looked fun!!
Wow!! That place looks just beautiful – what a perfect place for a relaxing getaway. Love the film too – beautifully shot. I will have to check these cottages – what total luxury. #brilliantblogposts
Thanks so much, so many gorgeous houses and cottages in the Gorgeous Cottages portfolio, we’ve had 2 stunning breaks with them x
What an amazing place to stay! I haven’t really been up to that part of the world before but I’ve added it to me ‘places to go’ list.
You must Sian, it’s beautiful up North! x
What a gorgeous place. Looks so relaxing and special. Your photos are stunning.
Thanks Gemma, husband took amazing pics, it was such a relaxing place x
So glad you had a nice weekend. Yorkshire is so beautiful (but then I may be biased!)
#BrilliantBlogPosts
Well I am too, love living in Yorkshire x
What a lovely looking house, I love the attention to detail in the rooms. Looks like you had some lovely weather to enjoy the outdoor space too, a great place to recharge your batteries over a weekend.
It was the perfect place to totally unwind, thanks x
What a gorgeous place, especially that kitchen and the outside space! #CountryKids
Thanks Kate, really beautiful isn’t it x
This looks amazing and your photos are stunning. What a wonderful weekend, and just when you needed it too x x x
Thanks darling, it really was, came at the perfect time x
What a glorious place! It looks like that was JUST the tonic you all needed. We’ve had exactly the same kind of start to the year. The twins have had every illness going and, as a result of repeatedly catching their germs, my poor husband has been struck down with pneumonia. We’ve got a week away at Bluestone in Wales next week and I CANNOT wait. The 4 of us are desperately in need of some R&R! #BrillBlogPosts
Caro | http://www.thetwinklediaries.co.uk
It will be amazing chick, just what you all need, have fun xxx
What a gorgeous place, and I SO needed to read this! We’ve had 2 months of fevers, chicken pox, colds …And you’re right! We NEED A BREAK!
Fantastic timing for you guys 🙂
The place looks gorgeous, warms my heart to see your little one cleaning there too 😉
Urgh it is awful, poor you guys too, it was relentless here, only just out of the woods (touch wood), just the break we needed x
Looks like a lovely venue and it’s certainly in a beautiful spot. It does make me want to return to Yorkshire for a break.
You must John, let me know if you do so we can hopefully all meet up!
Stunning what a beautiful place to stay. Glad you got to relax and switch off x
Thanks hun, we really needed it after all being so unwell for so long x
I have to stay in this house, it’s beautiful! Stunning pictures as always! x
Amazing isn’t it x
What a cool looking place, and looks like an ideal place for such a busy woman to go to relax.. am I right?
You are totally right! x
Stunning. Simply stunning. Being a Yorkshire girl (dragged to Essex kicking and screaming as a child) I’m a sucker for a holiday in the dales. Amazing photography as always 🙂 xx
Haha thanks Alex, once a Yorkshire girl, always a Yorkshire girl x
Wow – this looks really amazing and such wonderful photos. You’ve really sold the place – it looks perfect!
Thanks, it was so lovely to simply chill x
I’m so envious, it looks amazing. I would love to go there. I’m also pretty envious of your husbands photo taking skills!
He’s amazing isn’t he!
I don’t think I would have come home, I would have claimed squatters rights, it looks amazing, the fridge is my favourite picture! And the boys of course 🙂
Haha, that made me laugh! The fridge was ah-mazing, thanks x
What a stunning house, The kitchen is amazing. The boys look like they had a lovely relaxing weekend. Your husbands photo’s are beautiful. I would not have wanted to leave xx
Thanks Lindsay, leaving was really hard x
Wow this place really is stunning! That is possibly the kitchen of my dreams! Really gorgeous place. We have a little holiday booked north of York in April but hiring out a slightly smaller cottage. Wish we were going here though! X
Ooh you will have a wonderful time. This isn’t actually a cottage but a huge mansion in the country, it just happens to be under the Gorgeous Cottages portfolio as they have houses too x
What a stunning place – just beautiful and amazing pics as always. Sounds like just the break you needed – your food sounds and looks so good too. What a great place to entertain in x
Thanks darling, I absolutely loved cooking and entertaining there, it was bliss x
This looks like THE perfect Countyside retreat. The kitchen in particular is to die for!
Just gorgeous huh! x
What an amazing place. It looks absolutely beautiful but its the attention to detail that really makes it. Looks like you all had so much fun!
I agree, it was the same with the cottage we stayed in at Christmas, that attention to detail makes a huge difference x
Wow! What a great family get-away, there is something for everyone. That kitchen is gorgeous, and I could just curl up in any of those rooms. Good for you to get away!
Thanks Nikki, it was was wonderful
What a gorgeous place and in such a lovely part of the world. That kitchen is amazing, I am not even a particularly keen cook but even I would attempt it there. 😉 Looks like a lovely weekend away. x
Thanks, it was gorgeous, such a relaxing break x
Jeepers it looks bloody lovely! Some much needed R&R time for you all it seems. I love houses like this one, so full of character & beautifully furnished too x
Thanks Emz, me too, such a lovely break x
Oh wow, it’s stunning! Looks like you had a fabulous weekend x
Thanks darling, we did x
I have holiday house envy! Beautiful shots and you really sell that house – sounds like you had a divine time.
Ha, thanks, we loved our time there x
I also want to plan a retreat. I need to work harder to be able to afford this cottage. Gorgeous! Love the pictures & the little video. Alexander seems to be a future Football Star!
We were lucky it was complimentary in return for the review, a gorgeous place! Alexander is a gifted little player x
Oh what an absolutely beautiful house – just gorgeous! Looks like you had a very lovely and relaxing weekend 🙂 🙂 Awesome photos, as always #brilliantblogposts
Thanks, we had a really restful time x
Wow that kitchen looks like a dream!! It sounds like you really deserved that weekend away and the house looks stunning. Thanks for hosting as always…
It’s amazing what places blogging can take you! Congratulations!
Your husband’s pictures make me feel like I’ve had a full show-round, and I must agree that the house and the surroundings are dreamworthy.
#brillinatblogposts
They are lovely aren’t they, thanks for your lovely words x
WOW Absolutely gorgeous house! What a way to spend the weekend 🙂 Just beautiful x
Stunning isn’t it!x
I love your photos, I feel like I’ve been there with you!
What an amazing place, it looks absolutely gorgeous and the perfect place for some recuperation.
Thanks darling, it was just what we all needed x
Oh my! What a simply stunning weekend you all had – that house is just incredible – a too would have cooed at the SMEG appliances, lush! Hermes soaps too – get you! As usually the pictures are breathtaking! Wish we’d have been there to join you – I can just imagine your boys and Bert getting up to mischief together! Hehehe! So glad you all had a blast xxx
Thanks Lucy, it was such a stunning house in a beautiful part of the world, we all had so much fun xx
What a gorgeous looking place to stay. It reminds me of some of the large houses I have stayed in in Scotland. It must have been some sight when it was a coach house
It was Alison and I was thinking that, one huge coach house. We love Scotland here too x
Wow!
Simply stunning! The perfect place to unwind and regenerate those batteries.
It really was!
WOW! That place is amazing. I absolutely love love love the kitchen. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could all live in houses like that. Would the world be a happier place? Maybe….
Haha, it certainly would x
Yo, I think you’ll find I’M the Chick with the big hair! 😉
I think I drooled a bit while I was reading (llooking at the pictures) this post. Short of having the inconvenience of sharing a kitchen, you all could have quite easily lived in your own living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms and would have only had to socialise when you wanted a cuppa!
The Smeg fridge-freezer – swoon. The Aga – stunning (I’ve had a fair bit of experience cooking on an Aga too). The luxury products in the bathroom… heck, the BATHROOM! And then there’s all of that outdoor gorgeousness to tire the kids out, not to mention the impeccable decor in and out. I could go on.
Loved that little video! Now get me a cottage getaway in the country! Xxx
Haha I know wasn’t it just ah-mazing, we literally could have lived in our own quarters! Such a much-needed rest, we left feeling like a new little family, thanks for your awesome comment, my big haired sister xx
Haha, aww, love that xx
Wow, wow, wow! What a stunning house and your gorgeous photos and film really show it off perfectly (not that I’m surprised from an award winning filmmaker!). I must get some tips from you about vlogging – I’m not good at it at all! So glad you had a restful weekend and the chance to switch off x #brilliantblogposts
Thanks darling, glad you liked it lovely, we made it really quickly, it was such a lovely peaceful weekend x
oh wow! simply stunning house! I wouldn’t have to leave, you could be anywhere, it’d be perfect for my 3 boys to just run around that garden while i baked in the kitchen. What a fabulous way to spend a weekend. #brilliantblogposts
It’s fabulous isn’t it x
Wow, lucky you! That’s absolutely fabulous. Would be my dream holiday.
It was perfect x
What a lovely retreat!
It really was x
That kitchen has to be every foodie’s dream, hasn’t it? The house is absolutely stunning, and it would make a perfect rental for a large family, including grandparents without treading on each other’s toes. The garden is beautiful, too.
I know right, I want to go back to do a food shoot and video! It was such a fab kitchen and house x