During our recent visit, we had the pleasure of staying at The Barn, which is one of three 5 Star self-catering luxury properties, which are collectively known as Noelle’s Cottages located in Middleton, just on the outskirts of the charming market town of Pickering. The cottages are situated in the grounds of the owner’s house, Middleton Hall, with beautifully landscaped grounds in peaceful surroundings with plenty of off-street parking.
The Barn (Sleeps 5)
The Barn, as the name suggests is a converted barn. Gone are the bales of hay, farm equipment and animals, of course. Replaced now with a high-end contemporary, light and bright living space, whilst still retaining some of the characteristics of the pre-converted barn. Including revealed stone walls and the original roof, perfect for a weekend, or longer, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the ideal place to base yourself when exploring the local area.
We visited Noelle’s Cottages with a couple of friends and their 6-month-old baby. Sharing a space with other people can result in getting under each other’s feet. However, this was not an issue when we stayed in The Barn as it was certainly big enough to accommodate our party of four adults and one child with ease. In fact, there was even a bedroom that we did not have a use for, but more on that later. Our first impression was that it really did have the wow factor, which was evident from quality furniture, furnishing and accessories that have been used throughout The Barn making it a fabulous place to stay.
The layout and use of space in The Barn are fantastic, it was evident that a lot of thought went into the design of it. The main area of The Barn was the kitchen-cum-dining-cum-family area, which was the perfect place for us all to congregate, chat and hang out in. I must admit we didn’t use the kitchen during our stay, however, it was fully equipped with everything we would have needed, including a modern induction hob, fridge freezer, dishwasher etc and also a dining table which seated ten. It is a shame that we did not have the opportunity to use it. If cooking is not your thing or you simply want a break from it, not to worry, Noelle’s Cottages can arrange an expert chef to cook for you during your stay, meaning you can just sit back, relax and have a chilled out break. With a comfortable seating area with flat-screen TV and huge patio doors which allowed the late winter sun to flood into the area, it really is a lovely space.
Off the main area was the bedroom that we didn’t use which I mentioned earlier. It has been designed to be a study, or as a single bedroom, ideal for a child, or someone who couldn’t manage the stairs to the other bedrooms, both of which are upstairs. Also on the ground floor was a beautiful bathroom, we are currently redesigning our bathroom at home and have taken a lot of inspiration from the one in The Barn. Complete with toilet, basin bath AND shower, the bathroom was, in fact, bigger than some hotel rooms I have stayed in. Overlooking the main area was a massive mezzanine bedroom, our friends and their baby had this space as it allowed them to have room for themselves and their luggage together with space for the travel cot for the little one. It also allowed them to have access to the kitchen for bottle making etc in the middle of the night.
Now for what I consider the best part of The Barn, the north side. separated by a sliding door from the rest of the property. Here we found the snug, which was a cosy sitting area with a flat-screen TV and DVD player. It was the perfect place for us to relax once the baby had been put to bed, we simply closed the door so not to disturb her whilst we enjoyed a bottle of wine or two. As we visited in January we were so pleased to find a wood burning stove with plenty of logs to create a lovely relaxed atmosphere and keep us warm, of course. We chatted into the early hours before our friends retired to their room and Mr ESLT and I headed up the stairs to our mezzanine bedroom with its own dressing room. The north side also had a shower room meaning we had everything we needed for a great stay without disturbing our friends. Because of the two very separate areas, we all had plenty of room without being under each other’s feet, making it the perfect accommodation for groups of friends or family who still like a bit of alone time and space from each other.
The Barn is set in beautiful gardens complete with an outside dining area to the front and a secret garden off the north side. Again, as it was January when we visited it was simply too cold to sit outside, yet it is a perfect space should you visit when the weather is nicer.
