<![CDATA[Appleleaf Cottage Blog]]> https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/ EN Sat, 18 Dec 2021 07:31:00 -0500 Incomedia WebSite X5 Pro <![CDATA[North Yorkshire Castles]]> imblog

Castles in North Yorkshire


Visiting some of the castles in North Yorkshire is popular outing for all the history lovers out there. North Yorkshire is a wonderful county with plenty of castles, historic towns and villages. It is a perfect place for you to visit if you are looking for history, culture and beauty.  There are over 30 castles in North Yorkshire and in this post I am going to share some of my favourites. So, let’s start our journey.

  1. Hemsley Castle, Overlooking the River Rye. One of the largest castles in North Yorkshire partially destroyed by Parliamentarians during the English civil war by being blown up. Enough of the castle remains standing to imagine what it must have looked like. Also has a great visitors centre explaining the history of the castle.

  1. Pickering Castle, Closest to Appleleaf Cottage and Coverleaf Cottage and overlooking the North York Moors Railway. Built in the 13th century and modified several times throughout its history, the castle is unusual in that it has seen little military action and avoided the fates of many others in the area during the civil war.

  1. Scarborough Castle, First built as a fortified tower by the Romans with the first medieval castle being built on the site in the early 1100s. Remodelled and rebuilt over the intervening years most of the damage seen today was caused during the English civil war. Further damage was caused in 1914 when the German Navy shelled Scarborough.

  1. Sherrif Hutton Castle, Just looking at Sherrif Hutton Castle you find yourself wondering how part of the remains are still standing. Once one of the grandest castles in North Yorkshire now some of the structure is appears to be balanced precariously.

  1. Ayton Castle, A late 14th century stone tower near the village of West Ayton. The remains of a medieval manor and fortified house.

These are some of my favourite castles in North Yorkshire. If you agree feel free to comment below or suggest your choices.
]]> Sat, 14 May 2022 09:26:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?north-yorkshire-castles https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/000000013 <![CDATA[Wet Weather Games]]> imblog

Indoor Games You Can Play During Wet Weather


On a wet day, it's hard to keep adults occupied and the kids busy. Maybe you'll just want to stay inside and do very little but watch television or let the children play video games but there are lots of indoor games you can take part in that will keep everyone active and entertained. Here are some ideas:

Snakes and Ladders - If you've ever played a Snakes and Ladders game, then you already know what I'm talking about here. In a Snakes and Ladders game, you roll a six-sided die and move your counter. The goal is to end up at the end of the board before your opponents do. Land on either a snake or a ladder, the top (the head of the snake) or bottom (the foot of the ladder) of the board and you're either taking an extended detour or a shortcut up the board. Snakes and ladders has been amusing players for around 800 years.

Cluedo (Clue) - A board game where people investigate a murder in a mansion designed for 2 to 6 players. A relative newcomer first being published in 1947. The object of the came is to he objective of the game is to deduce the details of a murder by guessing which cards are in a held in an envelope. It's called Cluedo because it was a combination of the words Clue and Ludo. How many of us remember playing as children and shouting it was Colonel Mustard in the Ballroom with a lead pipe?

Monopoly - One of the best selling board games in history. The concept of monopoly isn’t new the original game dates back over 100 years, but in the digital age, the world of monopoly has changed drastically. When was the last time you played a real-life monopoly? I’ll give you a hint: It was probably before the rise of computers. A fun and educational real estate board game for two to eight players. This game teaches players the financial realities of real estate speculation by forcing them into competition against one another while trying to bankrupt their opponents.

Jenga - a great game that is quick to pick up and fun to play, the name is devised from a Swahili word which means to build. It's a simple game that consists of pile of wooden blocks stacked together. Each player removes one block from somewhere in the tower and stacks it on the top of the structure. The more blocks that are removed the more the tower will become unstable. As the tower continues to grow in height the more unstable until it becomes. At some point the losing player will remove the final block and the tower will collapse. The game begins over again.

Card games (Old maid) - There are plenty of  card games with simple rules that can be learned quickly and still be fun to play. One of our favourites is Old Maid. One card is removed from the deck and then the card are dealt evenly between all players. Each player throws out any pairs that they have been dealt. When this is completed the game begins. Each player takes a card in turn from the player on the right. Should the player then be able to make a pair then these are also thrown out until only one card is left. The player holding this loses the game.

Indoor games are a great way to have a good time. There are lots of different indoor games you can play that will keep everybody involved and there are many more that we haven't listed. Hopefully this has given some ideas for the next time you encounter a rainy day.

Appleleaf Cottage Blog - April 2022
]]> Sat, 23 Apr 2022 07:49:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?wet-weather-games https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/000000012 <![CDATA[Where to Spot Puffins in the UK]]> imblog

Where to Spot a Puffin in the UK – Find Out How to Spot the Rare Birds


One of the best puffin watching spots in Britain is in North Yorkshire. There is a nature reserve near Bridlington called Bempton Cliffs which is well known for it's seabirds.

Atlantic puffins are migratory birds and visit Britain during the summer after spending two thirds of the year at sea. They can be seen on the cliffs from April to July. Once the season is finished, the puffins will leave and head out back to sea.
Puffins only lay one egg per year. Both parents take turns to incubate it while the other feeds. They also share feeding duties until the chick is ready to leave the nest.

Puffins have specialised beaks that enable them to catch fish. These beaks are adapted for spearing fish and are very strong. Puffins feed on small fish such as sand eels and often travel more than 25 miles to feed. Yet despite this nomadic lifestyle, one thing is for sure - puffins are highly social birds.

What better way to see them in action than to take a trip to see them at their breeding grounds?

Oh, and in case you didn't know baby puffins are called pufflings.

Appleleaf Cottage Blog - April 2022
]]> Sat, 02 Apr 2022 09:23:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?where-to-spot-a-puffin-in-the-uk https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/00000000C <![CDATA[How to go Crabbing]]> imblog

Catching Crabs With a Line And Bucket. (You'll Be Amazed)


Since we are a short drive away from the coast we often enjoy a day at the beach. Many of us will tell you how great it is to simply enjoy a day by the sea without having to do anything but for those that would like to do something different there are plenty of activities that can be done at the beach that are interesting and exciting, one of our favorites is going crabbing.

There are many things that make this so much fun for us but one of the things that makes it so great is that putting in a little effort will pay off and very soon you'll feel lake a master crabber. You’ll probably have to put in a little work and you’ll need a little bit of patience but if you are willing to do both then it's almost certain you'll be rewarded. The other great thing about crabbing is it is the low cost. The equipment that you need will cost less than a tenner and can be used again and again.

Catching crabs with a line and bucket is very simple. You just need a line, a bucket, a net and some bait. Pick a crabbing line with a bait bag not hooks as you don't want to hurt the crabs. You'll also need bait. Bacon works well but the stinker the bait the better. Crabs love foul smelling food.

Pick a location where crabbing is allowed generally a quay is best. Fill your bucket with seawater and maybe a few stones and some seaweed to make the crabs feel more at home. Fill the bait bag with your chosen delicacy and drop the line over the quayside. When you feel a tug gently raise the line and hopefully you should have a crab hanging on the bait bag. Drop into the net and transfer into the bucket. Don't overfill with too many crabs.
Try to keep any crabs you catch out of the sun and gently return back to the sea as soon as possible.

Happy crabbing.

Appleleaf Cottage Blog - March 2022
]]> Sat, 12 Mar 2022 11:08:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?how-to-go-crabbing https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/00000000B <![CDATA[Dark Skies in North Yorkshire]]> imblog

Dark Skies – Why Aren’t You Looking Up?


This February why not spend some time looking at the night sky? The night sky is awe-inspiring and yet we often ignore it despite the wonders it contains. To get started the only thing you need to do is get outside and go for a walk. Look out for any street lights that might be on and avoid them. Also, make sure you can see all the way up to the stars.

The winter nights are the best time of year to get outside and look up at the stars. With the skies around North Yorkshire having less light pollution than other areas you are to enjoy dark skies without glare. For example, a recent study shows that light pollution from nearby towns and cities is causing a reduction in visibility of the stars and planets however sites in rural locations are special due to their high quality darkness. North Yorkshire is officially one with three places in the North York Moors National Park in particular are noted as being spectacular. Sutton Bank and Dalby Forest both close to Pickering and Danby near Whitby are well worth a visit.
If you decide to take a look the Milky Way is often visible from our area. You can observe Jupiter at a very low altitude at the end of winter and the Perseid meteor showers will be peaking. There is far more visibility in low moonlight so pick a star gazing night without a full moon.

If you would like to know what you are looking at then head over to https://stellarium.org/. There is also a handy paid app for both Android and iPhone to help you identify any celestial body that you are looking at.

So if you want to make the most of your star gazing trips this year, here’s a checklist to get started:

  1. Choose a good site that has a high quality darkness with no street lights nearby. Avoid urban areas with lots of light pollution.
  2. Take a star gazing app. It’s available for both Android and IOS.
  3. Find out the best night to go – when the moon is new, just before the full moon, or after.
  4. Find the best place to be. Look at the forecast. If it looks like there might be a bit of cloud cover, then try to postpone until another night. Otherwise, go somewhere with clear skies.
  5. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothes. Take a torch with you.
  6. Bring a comfortable chair or blanket, a flask of coffee or tea, binoculars and a notebook for recording details.

The night sky is amazing and if we can take a moment out to admire it then it’s something that should be done at least once a year. If you go outside with your family or friends then you will appreciate the beauty of the night and you may just become addicted to it. We are always being told to look up but it is easy to miss out because of light pollution in our towns and cities. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of life so taking a moment to look up at the sky will make you appreciate what we have on this planet.

Appleleaf Cottage Blog - February 2022
]]> Sat, 19 Feb 2022 11:56:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?dark-skies-in-north-yorkshire https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/00000000A <![CDATA[How and Where to Find Fossils on the East Coast]]> imblog
A fossil is a trace left behind by a dead organism. Fossils can be found in rocks that have been around for hundreds of millions of years.
In this blog post, I will discuss where to find fossils. Fossils are interesting and they can teach us a lot about the history of life on Earth. For example, the fossil record provides evidence for the existence of dinosaurs and shows that they lived alongside other organisms such as mammals, fish, and plants.

There are plenty of places to see fossils on the Yorkshire Coast. This is an area that that has been a favorite of fossil hunters for many years. The areas that are most likely to yield up fossils are by the coast, particularly those that have been exposed by erosion. Some of the best places to find fossils are:

The cliffs of Staithes where Jurassic age rocks have been exposed - The bays and cliffs at Runswick Bay, Robin Hood’s Bay, Saltburn and Boggle Hole as well as other beaches along the Yorkshire coast.
There are plenty of fossils to be found in our area. In the past If you were interested then it may have been worth purchasing a guide book but these days, it's easier than ever to find information on fossils online. A simple Google search will show you a whole host of websites that offer information on fossil hunting. One of our favorite sites is listed below:


Happy hunting!

Appleleaf Cottage Blog - January 2022

]]> Sat, 29 Jan 2022 09:39:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?fossils-on-the-east-coast https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/000000009 <![CDATA[Why Book Direct With the Owner?]]> imblog

What are the advantages of booking a holiday direct with the owner?

Why you should book with the owners and not with the agencies.


Most online travel agents such as Booking dot com and Airbnb work on commission. This means that if you are booking using the agency website then you are paying them a cut as well and this cost is built into the price. This is a big problem when it comes to the amount of money you will need to spend if you want to make sure you are getting the best deal as sometimes the amount they take can be up to 30% of the total cost of the holiday.
Owners are often priced better than agencies as they don't have to pay this commission to the agency so are happy to give you a better deal.

Owners will often only release selected dates to online travel agents and booking agents. There will often be more choice of dates available on their own website. Some owners only release last minute availability to agents if they haven't sold it privately on their website.

Agencies such as Sykes Cottages are often too busy to give you individual attention. Booking direct with the owner gives you an advantage as owners will know the destination intimately and can advise you personally on things to do in the local area. Owners also have an interest in your satisfaction, because it helps to increase their business.

How do I find the owners website?


You can always do a search on Google (or any other search engine). Look for the individual businesses not for the agents.
You might see an advertisement listing site such as Independent Cottages or Simply Owners. These sites take paid adverts from the owner so don't charge guests commission.

Don't use agencies or online travel agents. Well no, do use them. Look up a property you might be interested in and then use a Google to search for them directly by name.

You can also check on Facebook listings. There are many Facebook groups set up specifically to bring together owners and guests directly.

So remember owners are often priced better than agencies as they don't have to pay commission. Some owners only release last minute availability to agents if they haven't sold it privately. Owners will know the destination intimately and can advise you on things to do in the local area. If you're not booking directly with the owner, you are paying them a cut of the total cost of the holiday. If you're booking through an online travel agent you could be paying them a cut of up to 30% of the total cost.

Appleleaf Cottage Blog - January 2022
]]> Sat, 08 Jan 2022 10:20:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?book-direct-with-the-owner https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/000000008 <![CDATA[The Benefits of a Self-Catering Holiday]]> imblog

Have you ever wondered why people book holiday homes instead of hotels?

There are plenty of reasons for this but what is the benefit of booking a holiday home instead of a hotel room?
Learn more about self-catering holidays and why you should consider booking one.

There are different types of holiday homes available depending on your needs. There is a huge variety of options available for you. All you need to do is decide which one is best for you. A cottage is a type of holiday home that has all the amenities of a hotel room, with the benefit of extra space. This usually includes a fully equipped kitchen. You can find cottages in various locations around the UK but we are a little bit biased and love North Yorkshire. They are perfect for families as well as individuals. Cottages are suitable for a stay of a week or longer.

Why choose a holiday home?

There are many reasons to choose a holiday home instead of a hotel or a B&B. The following are some of the most common reasons that people use for their self-catering holidays:
It’s more affordable than a hotel room
Most people don’t need to spend money on a hotel when they can find cheaper, more luxurious accommodation using a self-catering property. You can often find a holiday home for less than the price of a hotel room! It’s more convenient than a hotel – If you’re planning to travel with a group of friends and family, you might want to consider holiday homes instead of staying in a hotel. Self-catering holidays are much easier than booking separate rooms at a hotel.
If you are looking for a holiday with flexibility then self catering is the way to go. Able to stay in your own space with the people you choose. If you do want to stay in one place, self catering lets you have the option of eating out at local restaurants or staying in and and cooking your own meals.

Appleleaf Cottage Blog - December 2021
]]> Sat, 18 Dec 2021 12:31:00 GMT https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/?benefits-of-a-self-catering-holiday https://appleleaf-cottage.co.uk/blog/rss/000000004