High Oaks Grange

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

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

High Oaks Grange, Pickering
By Louise Furby 

 The picturesque market town of Pickering was where we spent a few sunny bank holiday days in May.  Located just a couple of hours drive up the coast, Pickering is a bit of a hidden treasure, and an ideal base for exploring the North Yorkshire Moors and Yorkshire coastline. 

We stayed on a quiet lodge site offering cottages, lodges, and glamping pods, choosing a two-bedroomed lodge with the advantage of a large, enclosed garden and a hot tub. Now, as a dog owner you can’t underestimate the value and reassurance of holidaying in a property that offers a secure perimeter - especially when taking a long dip in the hot tub -  and we were delighted that Elderberry lodge boasted a true, enclosed outdoor space, to allow our miniature schnauzer Laika plenty of exploration opportunities, giving us real peace of mind whilst we kicked back with a glass of prosecco in the hot tub. 

High Oaks Grange has been designed with the experience of the visitor front of mind. Lodges are well spaced out with plenty of privacy - great for humans and dogs too. There weren’t any unexpected noises from next door, or car doors shutting nearby to set her off, just peace and quiet with a distant sound of traffic and birds singing in the trees.  We headed straight to Elderberry lodge positioned at the front of the site and set back from the road. Keys are accessed via a lockbox using a code you are supplied at booking, so it’s a simple process to gain access. The same code is used as your security code for the gates in and out of the driveway from the main road.

The lodge is very spacious, the entry boot room is the perfect place to drop off walking boots, dog leads, bags, and coats - and ideal for cleaning muddy paws and wet feet. Beyond the entry hall is the kitchen and displayed on the worktop was a lovely “human” hamper along with a doggie equivalent featuring biscuits, dog bags and bowls.   I really appreciate when sites offer this extra little consideration. We often find that when you arrive to your holiday home having dog bags and water bowls handy can make all the difference to help you and your pooch settle in quickly, especially after your dog has had a long car journey. 

Past the well-equipped kitchen is the dining and lounge space and beyond this, full width bifold doors which open onto a large patio and grassed garden area with a small wood beyond and fields to the distance. Idyllic.  Bedrooms in the lodge feature large dressing areas, endless storage and good sized ensuite bathrooms, plus their own doors onto the patio.  

Exploring outside, we quickly found the hot tub positioned to the side of the lodge to give visitors uninterrupted views of the countryside and in front of the bifold doors, there's an outdoor dining set as well as comfortable patio seating perfect to lounge on whilst cooking up a culinary extravaganza on the BBQ (that comes with a complimentary charcoal pack).  The site also has 20-acre dog field for your pups to run around in for free.

We popped the kettle on – tucking into the treats from the hamper – and set about reviewing the detail in the lodge guide which is a great source of local info. Planning our next few days – with intermittent hot tub dips - Laika headed out to scour the garden, the smells and scents just too tempting to ignore, and we relaxed in the early evening sun.  The following day – and feeling almost resentful about leaving our lovely quiet countryside lodge to explore the area - we decided a good long walk was needed as the sun peeked through the clouds and we opted for a 5km circular walk from local village Goathland to see the Malyan Spout waterfall and onto local village Beck Hole.

Goathland is around a 20-minute drive from High Oaks Grange and a bit of a hotspot as we soon discovered that this tiny village had something of a celebrity past having featured for many years as the fictional village of Aidensfield, in TVs 1960’s drama, Heartbeat.  The village shop window is still dressed up in the style of the TV show which makes for a lovely touch and if you park at the Station car park to complete the circular walk, you’ll pass the shop on your route.  The walk to the waterfall is steep – and slippery in a few spots. I’d recommend you approach it from access to the side of the Malyan Spout pub in Goathland as the gradual walk back from Beck Hole is far less arduous.  It is absolutely worth the walk though. It’s really quiet – we only met half a dozen other walkers – and it’s a joy for dogs, with shallow water to paddle in and rocks to jump over, Laika was living her best life. But you do need to be steady on your feet as the waterfall itself can only be viewed by climbing up and over some large rocks and boulders that can be slippery and quite big!

After we’d finished taking in the scenery, we continued our walk towards Beck Hole. We’d read that there is a small village pub in Beck Hole that’s worth a visit before continuing the route back to Goathland, so we headed off in that direction dreaming of a cold pint and a sit down by the river before we continued on our way. The walk is a little challenging in places, so not suitable for anyone less steady on their feet, but as the sun came out we heard the steam train trundling through the valley, the plume of steam rising up above the trees, we savoured the quiet and took in the views. Now as I said, the promise of that pint of ice-cold refreshment was seriously filling our heads by now and as we broke out of the woods and into a meadow clearing, we delighted at the signage telling us we’d arrived in Beck Hole – that pub was only moments away! We rounded the corner and there it was, a tiny black and white building with an adjacent shop. Hooray! 

Our joy, however, was short lived… because we quickly discovered two fundamental facts that hugely impacted on the consumption of that pint…. Firstly, the pub takes cash only. Oh dear. We had cards and phones and no means to access any cash (the shop is also cash only) and this realisation made the second fact a little easier to accept……  Because the Birch Hall Inn is closed on Tuesdays. And today was in fact, Tuesday.   Sitting on the pub bench for 10 mins to console ourselves, offer Laika a drink (of course we had water for the pooch, it’s the humans that weren’t prepared!) and after accepting our fate, we made our way onwards for the remainder of the walk taking in the beautiful surroundings and as our expedition came to an end, our thoughts quickly turned to food.   Reaching the car, we’d already agreed our plan for the next stage of our day out: Whitby fish and chips.

Heading up the coast another 30 minutes or so by car, was the famous Yorkshire fishing town of Whitby. With its endless eateries, restaurants and cafes, stunning Abbey ruins and beautiful harbour, Whitby is a jewel in the English isles crown.   With the sun still out and having popped on an extra layer to protect against the sea breeze, we quickly located a take-away chippy and settled on a bench to scoff the lot before taking a wander around the streets. This seaside town is so dog friendly its actually harder to find a shop or restaurant that you can’t take your K9 into, so having Laika with us was very relaxing and easy. 

Having walked Whitby over, mooching in shops and taking in the pretty harbour, we headed back to High Oaks Grange and a quick stop-off at the farm shop next door to procure evening dinner foods: it was BBQ time. Making the most of the late evening sun we relaxed on the patio savouring our feast watching the sun set before another (it’d be rude not to!) dip in the hot tub. The next morning, we had a short stroll around the site before packing up the car and stopping off at the farm shop for breakfast. 

Cedarbarn farm shop is a delightful space right next door to High Oaks Grange. Featuring an enclosed dog field which can be hired for £5 for 30 minutes (recommend pre-booking) you can order take-out from the farm restaurant and use the picnic table provided in the field while your dog runs free. There is also a miniature railway and play area for children on site, plus a large indoor and outdoor café area.  Fully replenished, we headed off to the award-winning local attraction Eden Camp before continuing on home.  Open to dogs and their owners, this modern history museum gives a unique insight into World War II history. The site occupies a former second world war prisoner-of-war camp, and despite its original purpose being a somewhat sobering topic, its restoration and collection of exhibits is humbling, brought to life through sight, sound, and smell. 

There is so much to take in, and for a novice to the history of World War II, Eden Camp could be quite overwhelming, but the flow and layout of the museum offers all types of visitors a gentle education or deep immersion into the history of this time and we found ourselves a good 3+ hours in, with still so much more to see.  The organisers have been very considerate to all their visitors – 2 or 4-legged. We appreciated the messages on some bunkers announcing loud bangs or flashing lights and with a mildly noise-intolerant schnauzer in tow, we were easily able to navigate past those bunkers and onto the next. There is also plenty of outdoor space here. Lots of grassed areas for K9 toilet breaks, plus seating, shade and drink stations and a large play area for children (the only place dogs are not allowed on site). We saw quite a few dogs with their owners and appreciated the thought that had been given to enable visitors to enjoy the museum with their entire family, furry members too.  After around 4 hours of viewing the museum, a quick café stop, and a visit to the shop, where Laika enjoyed lots of attention, we began our drive home. 

Pickering is a delightful town and a great base to see the countryside and seaside towns on the northeast coast. With Whitby, Scarborough, Robins Hood Bay, Filey and Bridlington all within a one-hour car journey, it’s the perfect base to explore the local area. And with the endless walks to entertain and exhaust your pooch, with stunning countryside to enjoy, you’ll always find plenty to do and see.

This review featured in issue 84 of DogFriendly Magazine which is available via subscription here