We are in Birstwith, a small Nidderdale village near Harrogate in beautiful North Yorkshire about 3 miles from the A59.

Birstwith is 7 miles from Harrogate, 9 miles from Knaresborough,10 miles from Pateley Bridge, 20 miles from Skipton, 25 miles from York so there is plenty to do and see all year round.

We are at the end of a beautiful country lane and easy to find with ample parking. Our site is around 16 acres and is home to our two pet Highland Cattle and four Alpacas who are friendly and enjoy the attention from visitors to the village.

Both our shepherds huts are individually sited on the old Nidd Valley railway line at the bottom of our peaceful private woodland with stunning views overlooking fields and the River Nidd.

Being in a countryside village we are respectful of our neighbours, wildlife and surroundings therefore are a quiet site offering a relaxing retreat.

The country lanes and fields are perfect for walking and cycling, as long or short as you like.

Our village, Birstwith, has a fabulous pub The Station Hotel (www.station-hotel.net) which serves food 7 days a week and is just a short walk through our field or down Nidd Lane. There is also the award winning village shop Dale Stores (www.dalestores.co.uk) which has a huge range of products including locally sourced fresh produce delivered daily.

There really is so much to do locally it is difficult to summarise so please do call and talk to us if you are interested in anything specific.

Once a booking has been made you will receive a link to our Digital Guest Welcome Book (Touch Stay) which provides practical information and insider tips to help you plan your stay.

Please note that, depending on which hut you are staying in, there is an approximate 55 – 70 metre walk down to the railway line where the  Shepherd’s Huts are sited, one hut has 4 stone steps leading up to the deck, the other hut has 3 stone steps. The nature of the accommodation means it may not be fully wheelchair accessible – please call us for further details and we can talk through your access requirements.

Please also refer to our Accessibility Statement which can be found on our website.

Please contact us for approval prior to adding a dog to your booking. We will consider allowing one small-medium sized well behaved dog in the hut.

If it is agreed for your dog to stay at the Accommodation there will be an additional fee of £10 per dog per night (towel, throw, bowls, treats, poop bags, LED dog collar & identity tag provided for your use).

We love dogs but have to be realistic about how much dog can fit in a shepherd’s hut with 2 adults.

Assistance dogs are welcome with no additional fee – please let us know when booking if you are planning to bring an assistance dog.

Welcome Hamper containing Yorkshire goodies and breakfast ingredients for your first morning (should you wish to cook).

Each hut is fully kitted with home comforts and has exclusive use of the private wood fired Hikki out door bath tub. There is plenty of hot water as well as a wood burning stove and electric heater to keep the hut warm and cosy.

There is a large fire pit and seating area situated in the woodland for use by guests of both shepherd’s huts.

Complimentary Wi Fi internet access (subject to availability, we are in the countryside).

Bed linen, blankets and towels for internal use. Towels, robes and slippers for outdoor bath tub use. Outdoor duvets to keep you warm.

TV/DVD. Smart speaker. Board games. Books, hot water bottle.

We would love to help, just call or message us and we can talk through your requirements.

Please also have a look at our hand-picked pre bookable options available such as the Breakfast, Celebration or Afternoon Tea Hamper.

When you book you will receive a Booking Confirmation email and a link to our Digital Guest Welcome Book (Touch Stay) which provides practical information and insider tips to help you plan your stay.

We will stay in touch and provide you with directions to our site, where to park, how to collect the keys and answer any queries you have.

We recommend you book tickets for events and tables for eating places in advance to avoid disappointment.

The hut will be ready and waiting for you to arrive any time after 3pm.

Late arrivals aren’t a problem for us providing we are aware, so if you need to finish work and then drive here just let us know and we’ll make sure everything is ready for your arrival time.

We appreciate our guests have busy lives and want to relax during their stay so you don’t have to leave your Haystacks stay until 11am on the day of departure.

Our huts are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised between guests following best practice guidelines to ensure we protect all of us as best we can.

Haystacks Country Retreats is all about you-time, so the main thing is to leave your busy life at home and bring a willingness to relax, reconnect and enjoy your stay. We provide our guests with a generous Welcome Hamper which contains breakfast ingredients for your first morning, as well as some tasty locally sourced treats and a cheeky tipple, all complimentary.

The Digital Guest Welcome Book (Touch Stay) will tell you all the things we include and you can add your own personal choices to ensure you have all your home comforts.

We do encourage you to bring cosy comfortable clothing and be prepared for our good old British weather!

If you enjoy fishing you can enjoy the benefits of Haystacks fishing rights on approx. 1 mile of the River Nidd, you will need to bring all your own tackle as we don’t own any so wouldn’t be able to help you out.

You are welcome to bring your mountain bike(s) however please note we don’t currently have a designated secure storage space.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We provide a complimentary welcome hamper which contains a well thought out and locally sourced basket of goodies.

You can pre-book the various hand-picked hampers we offer and whilst we don’t have a shop on site there is a village shop supplying a huge range of products, including fresh locally sourced produce, just a short drive or walk away.

The shepherd’s huts were made from locally sourced materials, less than 20 minutes away from our site, by Oliver’s Huts.

We try wherever possible to use local suppliers and provide recycling facilities.

We are currently working with Nidderdale AONB on a tree planting project and are a member of the Woodlands Champions Club.

Our water is from a spring and is tested regularly. Complimentary bottled water is provided however our tap water is also suitable for drinking.