A peaceful Yorkshire cottage to slow down, switch off, and feel at home.
A beautifully restored stone barn in the heart of the Howardian Hills — perfect for couples, friends, families, and well-behaved dogs looking for a calm, comfortable escape.
A space that feels like home — just not yours.
Open-plan living with pitched ceilings, exposed beams, and light that fills the room. The kitchen is well-equipped for relaxed home cooking in a cosy country setting — you won't be opening drawers wondering where the tin opener is.
You've been here before.
You book a cottage online. The photos look perfect. You drive for hours, unpack the car, open the front door — and your heart sinks.
The kitchen's not clean. The beds are tired. The countryside views are a car park. And when you ring the owner? Voicemail. Or worse — a call centre.
You spend the first morning cleaning instead of exploring. The rest of the week, you can't quite shake the disappointment
It doesn't have to be like that.
What if your next holiday actually felt like one?
Spotless on arrival
Professionally deep-cleaned before every stay. We'd never let you walk into something we wouldn't sleep in ourselves.
Exactly as photographed
Every image on this site is real. No wide-angle tricks. No clever editing. What you see is what you get.
We're next door
Ken and Annie live right next door. If something's not right, we'll sort it — usually before you've finished your sentence.
Your dog is genuinely welcome
Not just "allowed." Private paddock for off-lead exercise. Dog bowls, towels, and a treat waiting.
A kitchen you'll cook in
Not three forks and a blunt knife. Properly equipped, well-maintained, ready for anything from a fry-up to a roast.
A welcome that means it
Fresh bread, local butter, homemade cake, Orange Juice, Yorkshire tea. Not a laminated note and a bare fridge.
Lovingly maintained by the owners next door.
We are Ken and Annie. We've lived in Brandsby for nearly 50 years, and Barn Owl Cottage sits right next to our home. We restored it ourselves because we believe a holiday cottage should feel like somewhere you'd actually want to live — not just somewhere to sleep. Annie's appeared on BBC2's Take a Hike and knows every footpath within 30 miles. Ken keeps everything running, maintained, and exactly as it should be.
Hear from those who've stayed with us.
Real reviews from real guests — not hand-picked marketing copy.
What People Are Saying
Fabulous cottage, immaculately clean, with lovely decor and soft furnishings. Well equipped kitchen. Really comfortable beds. Hosts, Annie and Ken, who live on site, are very welcoming, helpful and friendly. Good communication and straightforward check in and check out. We loved the area, beautiful countryside, with lovely villages an market towns to potter around. If you have a dog suggest you visit nearby Yearsley Wood. Overall, high recommend.
Highly recommend staying at the Barn Owl Cottage, its interior finish is beautiful, we wanted for nothing. It really is like home away from home. Annie made us very welcome and gave some wonderful restaurant recommendations and was really helpful when adjusting the heating. Literally, any questions, Annie was happy to answer and help. Situated within a good radius of places to visit in North Yorkshire. We were also welcomed with freshly baked bread and cake, with milk and butter in the fridge, tea and coffee available. This is a hidden gem that is definitely worth a stay.
This was the best equipped cottage we've ever stayed in. It had everything we needed, and we had such a pleasant and relaxing time there. Annie greeted us on arrival, which was nice, and it was clear that if we needed anything, we could reach out. It was a perfect week. I'd definitely come back if we stay in the area again.
Annie & Ken were perfect hosts. The cottage has been refurbished to an extremely high standard with everything you could need. We had a lovely relaxing time. Thank you.
Lovely cottage in beautiful North Yorkshire. Ideal for touring the Howardian Hills, York and surrounding areas. Cottage very comfortable, well equipped and very clean. We could think of nothing that would have improved the cottage. The only issue was the proximity of the road.
Ideal location for visiting the Dales and Coast. The cottage was very comfortable and had everything we needed. Being all on one level and the wet room was great for my 96 year old mother in law. Our cockapoo really loved the field across the road to run around and the walks nearby.
The most beautiful cottage we've ever stayed in. Immaculately clean, beautifully designed, and Ken and Annie are the most thoughtful hosts. We didn't want to leave — and we've already booked again.
Barn Owl cottage is a very well appointed and beautifully decorated holiday cottage set in an ideal location for York and its surrounding attractions as well as attractive countryside walks. We throughly enjoyed our stay with fabulous sunny weather
A really lovely cottage and so well equipped. Very warm and comfortable. Lovely view from the cottage. The cottage stands quite close to the road but road noise is not intrusive as traffic is not overly busy. It is a great base for discovering North Yorkshire.
Very nice accommodation, lovely helpful owners.
I'm struggling to find anything remotely negative to say about this property. The wonderful hosts live next door, and went out of their way to make our holiday one to remember. A superb welcome pack awaited us, and the property was spotlessly clean, with every amenity you could need.
There was in all honesty nothing we could fault. The cottage was probably the best place we have stayed at and we have stayed at many. The whole place was made up of quality fixtures and fittings and furniture. The hosts were nearby should you need them which we didnt.
I can't fault this property. We were 3 adults and there was plenty of space. The main bedroom in particular was delightful. Parking was good and off road. The positioning of the cottage was ideal, not too far from anything but enjoying the countryside that this part of the North Yorkshire has to offer.
Lovely cottage, clean, well equipped and cosy
The cottage was perfect for the four of us for the week. It is well equipped and very clean. The beds were very comfortable. It would suit people with low mobility as it is all on the one level.
Three steps to a proper break.
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Arrive and exhale
The door's open, the cake's on the table, and the kettle's on.
Beautiful and comfortable spaces.
Every room has been carefully restored and thoughtfully furnished.
Master Bedroom
Super-king bed, en-suite shower, Smart TV, French doors opening onto the south-facing patio.
Twin Room
Two single beds, beautifully dressed. French doors to the patio. Perfect for children or a second couple.
Patio & Paddock
South-facing patio with BBQ. Private enclosed paddock. Off-road parking and countryside views.
This is what a proper break feels like.
Waking up to birdsong instead of an alarm
Morning coffee on the patio with sun on your face
Your dog running free in the paddock
Coming home to warmth after a day in York
More to do than you'd think.
The Howardian Hills sit between York and the North York Moors. Close enough to everything — far enough from everyone.
York
A proper market town. Walled garden, castle ruins, and Helmsley Brewing Co for something local.
Walking & Cycling
AONB trails with routes chosen by Annie herself.
Bettys Tea Room
Award-winning pubs, farm shops, proper Yorkshire cooking.
Check-in from 4pm. Check-out by 10am. If you need any flexibility, just ask — we'll do what we can.
Check-in from 4pm. Check-out by 10am. If you need any flexibility, just ask — we'll do what we can.
Check-in from 4pm. Check-out by 10am. If you need any flexibility, just ask — we'll do what we can.
Check-in from 4pm. Check-out by 10am. If you need any flexibility, just ask — we'll do what we can.
Check-in from 4pm. Check-out by 10am. If you need any flexibility, just ask — we'll do what we can.
Check-in from 4pm. Check-out by 10am. If you need any flexibility, just ask — we'll do what we can.
You deserve a break that actually delivers.
No nasty surprises. No voicemail. Just a clean, beautiful cottage and two hosts who care.