Harewood Holidays

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

CARR HOUSE ON THE HAREWOOD ESTATE BY LAURA FLETCHER AND KLAUS

My fiancé Liam and I stayed at Carr House with our 2 year old German Shepherd Klaus in October 2020 for two nights. On the Harewood Estate, surrounded by stunning countryside and with a view of Harewood House, Carr House was the perfect place to stay for the weekend and explore the local area.

The directions to Carr House had been emailed to us in preparation for our visit by Felicity, the Accommodation Manager. The directions were clear and easy to follow which meant we had no trouble finding the property.

Upon arrival, we found Carr House to be bright and welcoming. Carr House is one of two cottages that are joined together, the other named Carr Cottage which is slightly smaller of the two. The interior of Carr House was beautifully furnished and spacious. The rooms were clean and modern whilst the wooden beams and log burner in the lounge gave a rustic feel, befitting of the local area. There was a large welcome basket on the kitchen table filled with fresh food for our stay, all from local suppliers which we thought was a lovely touch (Klaus especially enjoyed the large jar of dog treats!). Dog bowls and towels were provided as a part of our stay and we requested these via Felicity prior to our arrival.

Felicity had asked in advance if we could meet her and her colleagues with their dogs to welcome us and they arrived shortly after us. The team (and the dogs!) were all very friendly and, after many attempts, we even managed to take a ‘socially distanced’ dog photo! Felicity informed us that we would receive complementary tickets to Harewood House for staying at Carr House.  

The next day, to make the most of our stay we got up early and travelled to Rievaulx Abbey which was just less than an hour’s drive from Carr House. Rievaulx Abbey was a large monastery with a rich history dating back to the 12th Century. The Abbey is set in a picturesque location, with a large quantity of the ruins still available to walk through and explore. Rievaulx Abbey is currently managed by English Heritage and all parts of the site were dog friendly, including the shop and café as long as dogs were kept on a lead at all times.

Although we could have had lunch at the café we had planned to eat at the local village of Helmsley which was a seven minute drive up the road. Helmsley is a quaint little village with a plethora of small independent businesses and unique shops twisting down interesting alcoves. We recommend visiting the Helmsley Traditional Sweet Shop which stocks hundreds of sweets that took us back to our childhood! We purchased sandwiches to take back with us from Hunters of Helmsley which had a wide variety of fresh, local produce to choose from.

We had lunch at The Royal Oak Hotel where, although the inside of the hotel is dog friendly, we had reserved a table to sit outside with Klaus. The food was good and modestly priced and I had a jacket potato with cheesy beans and Liam had a steak and ale pie.  

After lunch we walked to Helmsley Walled Garden which was a two minute walk from the Royal Oak Hotel. Helmsley Walled Garden is entirely dog friendly and was restored in the 1990s specifically as a place for horticulture therapy and has become a popular visitor attraction, upheld by a small cluster of staff and volunteers. Although it was autumn and areas of the garden were being prepared for spring, the garden was well maintained and areas still had an abundance of colour. We would love to visit again to see the garden in its splendour in spring or summer.

On our way back to the car we had a look around Helmsley Castle, which we had passed on the way to the Walled Garden. Helmsley Castle overlooks the Walled Garden and is owned by English Heritage. The castle is 900 years old with an indoor exhibition showcasing a selection of items from the castle’s history and dogs are welcome throughout the site.

After our very eventful day, Liam and I decided to have a hot drink before travelling back to Carr House. We decided to leave Klaus in the car for a well-earned rest whilst we had a hot chocolate at the Cornercopia Café.   The Café is dog friendly, but it had started to rain and Klaus was worn out from his day spent exploring so we chose to leave him to rest while we sat inside.

On our final day at Carr House the weather was beautiful so we decided to follow the path behind the two cottages into the trees and go a walk around the Harewood estate, using the map we had been provided with. We discovered that just above our accommodation was the film set used for filming Emmerdale! The path was very busy with walkers but unfortunately we did not meet any famous cast members!

After our walk, we said a sad goodbye to Carr House where we had spent such a lovely weekend and set off for our day at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, which was a half an hour drive away. We had visited Fountains Abbey in the past where tickets could be purchased on the day (unless you were an English Heritage or National Trust member in which case entry was free). However this time was slightly different as a result of current restrictions and the fact that they were hosting a seasonal event called ‘Fountains by Floodlight’ which had limited availability.

We had lunch at the café when we arrived and since the weather was so nice we sat outside with Klaus, although we were told there were some dog friendly tables inside the restaurant should we want to sit inside with Klaus, which was good to know. Afterwards, we looked around the plant shop and gift shop which sold a range of interesting items such as books, home décor and accessories.

We then followed the path from the gift shop down to the remarkable ruins of Fountains Abbey, passing by a delightful wooden bird hide on the way down. We spent a while watching a number of birds of all sizes feeding from the hanging bird feeders or on the ground including: long tailed tits, blackbirds, nuthatches, goldfinches, chaffinches and pheasants. We then returned to the path and continued our walk down to the abbey. You can explore centuries of the abbey’s history inside the museum situated by the abbey. The abbey and the surroundings are peaceful and strikingly scenic as you walk along the path with ancient woodland either side of rolling green lawns with impressive statues and sparkling ponds. The stunning water garden was designed by John Aislabie in the 18th Century and is now recognised as a World Heritage Site.

As the sun began to set in the early evening, floodlights were switched on in places around the abbey, and in-keeping Gregorian chant music was played, giving this incredible place an ethereal and dreamlike atmosphere.  

Overall, we had a fantastic stay at Carr House and the surrounding area. We were never short of ideas for what to do with Klaus and our accommodation proved to be an excellent base for the surrounding towns and villages. We would certainly recommend this accommodation for anybody looking to explore the area around Harewood House.  

THE CARR HOUSE REVIEW BY LAURA FLETCHER APPEARS IN DOGFRIENDLY MAGAZINE ISSUE 63. FOR  MORE INFORMATION ON THE DOGFRIENDLY MAGAZINE VISIT WWW.DOGFRIENDLY.CO.UK/MAGAZINE