Entire home

Bilsdale Cottage, a dog friendly hidden gem near Helmsley and the North York Moors National Park

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Miscellaneous
Pet-friendly
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Golf
TV, DVD player

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 461 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

Map
Sproxton, York, North Yorkshire
  • Duncombe Park
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Hemsley Walled Garden
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Rievaulx Abbey
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Durham (MME-Teesside Intl.)
    ‪58 min drive‬

Room options

Similar properties

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Bilsdale Cottage, a dog friendly hidden gem near Helmsley and the North York Moors National Park

Bilsdale Cottage is a converted 18th century stone farm building, retaining original timbered ceilings and stone walls. Set in open countryside with stunning views, the cottage blends new modern comforts with historic features. The cottage features a large lounge with dining area and log burner, two bedrooms, a new bathroom, and a new well equipped kitchen. Bilsdale Cottage is popular with families, couples and individuals wanting to relax in a rural cottage setting, and is particularly of interest to dog owners who welcome the enclosed dog exercise paddock and country walks from the doorstep. New for 2025, Bilsdale now has its own private garden with 1.5m mesh fencing and lockable gate. The cottage has an outdoor table and seating, and guests have shared use of the picnic benches on the large lawn. The cottage is easily accessible to the Yorkshire Moors, Dales, Coast and York. Enjoy a holiday in a tranquil location in a rural agricultural community, but with the benefit of easy access to a range of tourist destinations and sporting activities. Located within the Howardian Hills National Landscape and offering the modern comforts of home in a unique historic setting. Bilsdale sleeps up to 4, plus an infant in a cot. The cottage is also dog friendly, with up to 3 dogs welcome to stay (not on beds please).

Featuring exposed stone walls, wooden beams and other original features, the cottage offers a historic and relaxing setting for your holiday. We are continuously working to improve and update our cottages and facilities for guests, including a cosy log burner to relax in front of during colder spells. The kitchen includes a dishwasher, microwave oven, toaster, kettle, fridge freezer, iron, hob & oven. The cottage is centrally heated; the bathroom has a shower cubicle (no bath); we offer free parking for guests. Downstairs the cottage has a living room with exposed Yorkshire stone walls and original features from its earlier use as a farm building. The living room has a log burner, TV, sofa and armchair, window seat, and side table. The living room includes a dining area (a table and four chairs). Upstairs there are two bedrooms: bedroom 1 has a double bed, wardrobe, plus bedside cabinets; bedroom 2 has two single beds plus wardrobe and bedside drawers. New ottoman beds provide additional storage for guests' luggage etc. The bathroom has a toilet, hand basin and shower cubicle.

Bilsdale Cottage is one of four holiday cottages at Sproxton Hall Cottages. All benefit from the use of our landscaped grounds which include a courtyard garden with outdoor furniture, a large lawned area with picnic benches and an enclosed dog exercise paddock. The cottages have on-site parking for up to 2 cars per cottage.

With countryside walks along the bridleway at the end of the drive, the cottage is less than 2 miles from the small picturesque market town of Helmsley - with its castle, walled gardens, spa hotel facilities, heated outdoor swimming pool in summer, numerous pubs, cafes and restaurants. The cottage is popular with walkers, cyclists and families wanting to explore North Yorkshire - we are within easy reach of the North Yorkshire coast (Whitby, Scarborough, Robin Hoods Bay), Pickering, York, Castle Howard. We are a stones throw from Ampleforth Abbey, The White Horse at Kilburn and the stunning views of Sutton Bank. York is less than 25 miles away and has been voted Britain's most popular city due to its castle, walls, museums, shops and Minster; it is particularly popular with our guests whatever the weather. The picturesque steam railway from Pickering crosses Goathland/Heartbeat country to the coast at Whitby; Flamingo Land (near Malton) offers a different kind of day out - with its zoo and theme park. There is a wide choice of traditional pubs in surrounding villages and Helmsley hosts a number of cafes, restaurants, and pubs, including a micro-brewery. Many of Helmsley's amenities welcome dogs.

We provide bed linen, towels, tea towels as well as essentials to get you started including tea, coffee, sugar, toilet rolls, washing up liquid, and soap. There is a small supermarket less than 2 miles away.

We offer a dog shower & towels, plus bowls. We are popular with dog owners in November and New Year due to our quiet location (the lack of fireworks).

If Bilsdale is not available please take a look at our other cottages (sproxtonhallcottages.co.uk): Kirkdale Cottage (sleeps 5, dog friendly), Riccal Dale Cottage (sleeps 4, dog friendly) and Ryedale Cottage (single storey, sleeps 4, no dogs). All properties can be booked together to provide an exclusive venue for family and friends reunions.
During your stay at this cottage, you'll be close to Duncombe Park. Enjoy your stay with amenities like a kitchen and a TV in the cottage.
  • The cottage offers a kitchen, a living room, and a TV
  • Just a 3-minute drive from North York Moors National Park and a few minutes from Duncombe Park
This cottage offers its guests a garden. The front desk is open around the clock.

This York cottage is smoke free.

Property manager

Dave Wells

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in the cottage: Internet access

Parking and transport

  • Car required
  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Freezer
  • Hob
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Toaster

Bedrooms

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 1 bathroom
  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Living room
  • Wood stove

Entertainment

  • DVD player
  • TV

Outdoor areas

  • Garden

Comfort

  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • In a rural location

Things to do

  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Horseback riding nearby
  • Mountain biking nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 657 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 9:30 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

  • Pets are welcome
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions. You will also receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account which will enable you to manage your booking.

Property is also known as

Bilsdale Countryside Location Helmsley Howardian Hills Aonb
570719

Bilsdale Cottage, a dog friendly hidden gem near Helmsley and the North York Moors National Park Reviews

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 8 out of 8 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 8 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Stephen G.

Liked: Cleanliness

Excellent Short Break

Brilliant relaxing quiet stay in the Bilsdale Cottage Very well equipped and clean Dave and Helen the hosts were great and both easily approachable Our 2 dogs loved the paddocks and the sorrounding walks
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Marian N.

Liked: Cleanliness

A well equipped little cottage with superb views. The owners are very warm and friendly.

The cottage was very easy to book, easy to find and the “paperwork” was minimal. We will be returning.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Allan M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect getaway

Perfect cottage, exceptionally clean everything you needed for a relaxing break lovely warm shower wood burning stove comfy bed perfect setting stunning area. Everything ticked all the boxes absolutely loved it.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Deborah M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Stunning location

A lovely little cottage in the most stunning location. The addition of a dog exercise paddock was a real bonus
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Megan H.

Liked: Cleanliness

New Years stay

Lovely little cottage, the location is fantastic; Helmsley is a wonderful little village with lots of pubs and nice shops (most of which are dog friendly). The owners are really helpful, they recommended places to visit and eat. The cottage was cosy and clean, we had a lovely couple of days here over the new year.

10/10 Excellent

Ben F.

Fantastic stay

This was a fantastic cottage to stay in, which was both close to attractions and local amenities, but also felt secluded at the same time. Interior was clean, we had plenty of space, and facilities were exactly what we needed to relax and enjoy our time there. Comfy beds, quality linen and everything in the property was ready to go and working without any fuss. It was absolutely perfect for what we wanted. Lovely views of the rolling hills and an incredibly picturesque setting. We loved our stay and can’t recommend it enough!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Andreas S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great holiday home

We had a great time in the cottage. The house is absolut clean. You have everything you need. Dave the owner is very kind. Sproxton/Helmsley is a good place. From here you can do a lot of things in about 1 hour drive. In Helmsley there are a lot of nice shops and Restaurants. We can recomend Bilsdale cottage at all. Family from Switzerland.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kees v., Haarlem

Liked: Cleanliness

all we needed

We stayed for 1 week. The cottage had all we needed. It was a pleasure comming back to the cottage after a day of exploring York in its surroundings. Good beds, good shower, well equiped kitchen.