We have just returned from a few days walking in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. We were very lucky in that the weather was kind to us so it made our daily 5-hour walks far more pleasant. The scenery is spectacular and, although we live in Scotland and enjoy some beautiful scenery anyway, some of the hilltop views took our breath away.

The Apocothery's House is a real gem in the centre of Askrigg Sylvia and Geoff really do go the extra mile to make you feel welcome. Both very friendly and approachable and a font of local knowledge.

The breakfasts were the best you could get outside of a 5* hotel. Imaginative as well as traditional, well cooked and presented.

We booked the "beamed room" as shown in their website This is a spotless, tastefully decorated room (beams over the bed) with large shower room off. Fantastic king size carved wooden bed with beautiful bed linen and lovely matching furniture.

Couple of minor gripes....Breakfast was 1 sitting at 8.30am but as we don't like to eat a big meal too early after rising (and there is lots to eat if you choose to do so) it would have been nice to have had the flexbiliity of going down a little later (say up to 9.30am)

The diningroom is very very quiet and during breakfast a little background music would have be welcome.

We would definitely recommend this Guest House. Syliva did say that they prefer not to run it as a business but as a life style choosing to open or close when they wanted rather than because they had to, and their genuine fondness for meeting guests and greeting comes across.