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Covill Cottages Two beautifully presented dog-friendly holiday cottages in Nidderdale, one of the most unspoilt corners of the Yorkshire Dales.

Set above Gouthwaite Reservoir they have reaching countryside views, and a perfect base to explore the beauty os the dales. Covill Cottages are located on the edge of Gouthwaite Reservoir in beatiful Upper Nidderdale- one of the most scenic Yorkshire Dales and rightly enjoying it's AONB status. This pair of charming characterful stone cottages have many original features including stone floors, exposed wooden beams and log fires. Each cottage has two bedrooms and will sleep 4 guests. It is an ideal location to explore the Yorkshire Dales with Wharfedale to the south and Wensleydale to the North. The bustling little market town of Pateley Bridge is only 6 miles away with its selection of independant stores and galleries. Located on the Nidderdale Way, it is situated in an enviable position to explore the many walking and mountain biking opportunities that Nidderdale has to offer. At the front of the cottages is a pretty patio area with furniture where you can enjoy your morning coffee or dine alfresco in the summer months. There is also shared use of a lawned area with a picnic table where you can listen to the sound of the stream babbling by and soak in the panoramic countryside views.

Rainy days in Nidderdale? We’ve got a few ideas.A grey forecast needn’t mean staying in all day. Some places are even mo...
04/10/2026

Rainy days in Nidderdale? We’ve got a few ideas.

A grey forecast needn’t mean staying in all day. Some places are even more memorable when the Yorkshire weather gets involved:

Explore Stump Cross Caverns. Leave the rain behind and head beneath Greenhow Hill to wander through limestone passages, stalactites and sparkling crystals. The caves stay at around 7°C all year, so bring a warm layer. There’s a café for a hot drink afterwards, too.

Unwind at the Turkish Baths in Harrogate. For a completely different sort of rainy day, spend a few hours among the heat and steam of these beautiful Victorian baths. It’s one to book ahead, especially if you’re planning a weekend visit.

Take a tour of Whittaker’s Distillery. This local Nidderdale distillery offers a behind the scenes look at how its gin and wh**ky are made, with a tasting to round off the visit. A particularly good choice when the clouds show no sign of clearing.

See a Yorkshire Dales waterfall in full flow. You’ll need a waterproof for this one, but rain can make the waterfalls spectacular. Aysgarth Falls is a favourite, with three sets of falls to explore. Enjoy the view from a safe spot and take care on wet paths and rocks.

Tour Black Sheep Brewery in Masham. Learn how the brewery makes its Yorkshire ales, then settle in at the visitor centre for a drink or something to eat. It’s a lovely way to spend a damp afternoon.

And when you get back to Covill Cottages? Dry off, put the kettle on and enjoy a cosy evening by the fire.

Do check opening times and book tours or bath sessions before you set off. If you’ve brought your dog, check each venue’s rules too: Stump Cross welcomes dogs in its café and visitor centre, but not in the caves.

🍂 October breaks at Covill Cottages, Nidderdale 🍂Fancy a few days of autumn walks, beautiful views and cosy evenings by ...
04/10/2026

🍂 October breaks at Covill Cottages, Nidderdale 🍂

Fancy a few days of autumn walks, beautiful views and cosy evenings by the fire? Enjoy a break in Upper Nidderdale, beside Gouthwaite Reservoir and close to Pateley Bridge.

Our two cottages, Lakeview and Dalesview, each sleep four, with a king-size bedroom and a twin room.
Enclosed garden at each cottage
Up to three dogs welcome at no extra charge
Walks from the door
Log fire for cosy evenings
Well-equipped kitchen, books and board games
Explore the autumn countryside, enjoy lunch in a local pub, then return to your cottage for a relaxing evening.

Available dates:
6th–17th October
20th–23rd October

Short breaks:
2 nights — £295
3 nights — £395

For more details, to check availability and to book direct, visit:
https://covillcottages.com

Step inside Nidderdale’s pastWhen you’re exploring Pateley Bridge, Nidderdale Museum is well worth a visit. It’s tucked ...
03/10/2026

Step inside Nidderdale’s past

When you’re exploring Pateley Bridge, Nidderdale Museum is well worth a visit. It’s tucked inside the Old Workhouse on King Street, a building that has its own story to tell, and its 12 rooms are full of the objects and everyday details that bring the dale’s history to life.

You can look around a Victorian parlour, complete with a vintage music box, and see how different a schoolroom was for children in years gone by. There’s a general store packed with things you’re unlikely to find on today’s shelves, and the contents of a cobbler’s shop dating back to 1820. Across the museum, thousands of objects show how people in Nidderdale lived and worked over more than 200 years.

It’s a lovely place to visit early in your stay. Afterwards, as you walk through Pateley Bridge and travel around the dale, you may find yourself looking at familiar places with fresh eyes. The museum is entirely run by volunteers who help keep these local stories alive.

From April to October, it’s usually open Tuesday to Sunday, 1.30–4.30pm. Admission is £5 for adults, while accompanied children aged 5–15 go free. If you’re staying with your dog, please be aware that only assistance dogs are allowed inside the museum.

How to Speak Yorkshire – A Beginner's GuideVisitors to Nidderdale occasionally discover that knowing English doesn't nec...
27/09/2026

How to Speak Yorkshire – A Beginner's Guide

Visitors to Nidderdale occasionally discover that knowing English doesn't necessarily mean you'll understand everything that's said to you. So, as a public service to guests at Covill Cottages, we've put together a very brief Yorkshire phrasebook.

“Now then” means hello and isn't necessarily an instruction to do anything now. Or then. “Aye” means yes, although it can also mean “I've heard what you said but haven't yet decided whether I agree with you.” “It'll be reet” means everything will probably be fine and no further investigation is required, while “put wood in t'hole” simply means please close the door – particularly important once the log fire is lit.

Then there's “nesh”, used to describe someone who feels the cold, usually by someone wearing a T-shirt in November while you're wearing a perfectly sensible coat. “It's a bit fresh” means it's extremely cold, while “not bad” is actually high praise and can mean anything from quite good to absolutely outstanding.

And perhaps the most important Yorkshire expression of all is “How much?!” This can be used in shops, pubs, restaurants, garages and anywhere else that money changes hands. It doesn't necessarily mean the person won't pay. It simply means that, as a matter of principle, the price must first be questioned.

Of course, you don't need to speak Yorkshire to enjoy a stay in Nidderdale. But after a week here, if somebody asks whether you've had a good holiday and you find yourself replying “Aye, weren't bad”, we'll consider our work done.

If These Walls Could Talk…You can't travel very far through Nidderdale without seeing them. They climb hills that look f...
26/09/2026

If These Walls Could Talk…

You can't travel very far through Nidderdale without seeing them. They climb hills that look far too steep to build on, disappear over the horizon and divide the landscape into the patchwork of fields that we now think of as typically Yorkshire.
But why are there so many dry-stone walls in the Dales?

People have been building walls from local stone for centuries, but many of the walls we see today date from the 18th and 19th centuries, when large areas of previously open land were divided into individual fields. And because stone was one thing Yorkshire certainly wasn't short of, it made rather more sense to build with what was lying around than bring in something else.

The clever bit is that a traditional dry-stone wall contains no mortar at all. Carefully selected stones are laid so that they lock together, with the wall usually wider at the bottom and narrowing towards the top. Built properly, it can withstand decades of Yorkshire wind, rain, frost and the occasional sheep determined to prove otherwise.

Look more closely and the walls tell you something about the landscape too. Different areas have different types and colours of stone, while gateways, old sheepfolds and field patterns can offer clues to how the land was farmed generations ago.

They are also surprisingly important for wildlife. All those gaps and crevices provide shelter for insects and small mammals, while lichens and mosses gradually colonise the stone.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing is how much work they represent. Mile after mile, every stone picked up, selected and positioned by hand – often on hillsides where simply walking up them feels like quite enough effort.

Today, dry-stone walls are as much a part of the Yorkshire Dales landscape as the sheep, barns and moors themselves.

We probably wouldn't suggest trying to build one during your holiday.

But next time you're out walking in Nidderdale, they're worth a second look.

Dark Skies Fringe Festival 2026 – Just Look UpOne of the compensations for the nights drawing in is that we get our dark...
20/09/2026

Dark Skies Fringe Festival 2026 – Just Look Up

One of the compensations for the nights drawing in is that we get our dark skies back – and here in Upper Nidderdale, dark really does mean dark.

From 23 October to 1 November, the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors celebrate the Dark Skies Fringe Festival, with stargazing experiences, night walks, photography and other events celebrating some of the finest night skies in the country.

The Yorkshire Dales is an International Dark Sky Reserve, recognised for the quality of its night skies and low levels of light pollution. On a clear night you can see thousands of stars, and if conditions are right the Milky Way can be visible stretching across the sky.

Here at Covill Cottages, we're fortunate to experience this without having to go anywhere at all. We're surrounded by the open countryside of Upper Nidderdale, with no street lights outside the cottages and very little artificial light nearby. Step outside on a clear autumn evening, give your eyes a few minutes to adjust and the difference is remarkable.

You don't need a telescope, specialist knowledge or even to know your Plough from your Orion. A warm coat helps. So does a clear night. After that, you really only need to look up.

And when you've had enough of contemplating the vastness of the universe, there's always the rather more immediate attraction of going back inside, putting another log on the fire and making a cup of tea.

Dark Skies Fringe Festival: 23 October – 1 November 2026.

Sometimes one of the best attractions in the Yorkshire Dales isn't on the ground at all.

Fancy an October escape to the Yorkshire Dales?We have availability at Covill Cottages from 3rd–21st October—a lovely ti...
20/09/2026

Fancy an October escape to the Yorkshire Dales?

We have availability at Covill Cottages from 3rd–21st October—a lovely time to enjoy Nidderdale as the landscape takes on its autumn colours and the footpaths become a little quieter.

Our cosy cottages overlook Gouthwaite Reservoir, with walks from the door, a log fire to come home to and enclosed gardens for your dogs.

• 3 nights – £395
• 5 nights – £595

• Up to three dogs stay free
• Sleeps four in two bedrooms in each cottage
• Welcome pack and logs included

We’re just five miles from Pateley Bridge and well placed for exploring Brimham Rocks, Fountains Abbey and the surrounding Yorkshire Dales.

To check dates or book, please visit www.covillcottages.com

October in Nidderdale – When the Dales Slow DownThere comes a point each year when Nidderdale seems to change gear. The ...
19/09/2026

October in Nidderdale – When the Dales Slow Down

There comes a point each year when Nidderdale seems to change gear. The busy days of summer are behind us, the footpaths become quieter and the landscape begins its gradual transformation from green to gold, russet and bronze.

October is one of our favourite months in the Dale. Around Gouthwaite Reservoir the trees take on their autumn colours, the bracken turns copper across the hillsides and that wonderful low autumn light can make even a familiar view look completely different.

It's also a great time for walking. The cooler days are perfect for pulling on a pair of boots and heading straight from the cottage door, perhaps following the reservoir towards Wath or venturing higher onto the surrounding moors. And unlike the height of summer, there's a fair chance you'll have much of the countryside to yourself.
Then comes the best bit about an October walk – coming back.

Boots off, kettle on and, if there's a chill in the air, the log fire lit. There's something particularly satisfying about settling into a warm cottage after a few hours out in the Dales, especially when there's nowhere else you need to be.

October also brings properly dark evenings back to Upper Nidderdale. On a clear night, with very little light pollution around us, the skies can be spectacular. You don't even need to go anywhere to enjoy them – just step outside the cottage and look up.

And, of course, this is Yorkshire, so we can't promise endless blue skies. But we can promise that autumn looks pretty spectacular here whatever the weather decides to do.

If you've always thought of the Yorkshire Dales as somewhere for a summer holiday, you might be surprised by just how lovely October can be.

A long walk, a quiet Dale, a good pub and a log fire waiting when you get back.

There are worse ways to spend an autumn break.

Photo: Gordon Hatton / Geograph – CC BY-SA 2.0

What a summer it has been here in Nidderdale.Four years ago we opened the doors of Lakeview and Dalesview Cottages for t...
13/09/2026

What a summer it has been here in Nidderdale.

Four years ago we opened the doors of Lakeview and Dalesview Cottages for the first time, not really knowing what to expect. Since then, the number of guests staying with us has grown year on year – and this summer our bookings have been running at near maximum capacity.

That has meant a very busy few months, particularly for Kirsty, with what has sometimes seemed like a never-ending succession of changeovers. Every cottage is prepared with the same care as it was four years ago, from fresh flowers and welcome treats to those all-important finishing touches.

The nicest reward has been the wonderful feedback from our guests. Every Google review we have received has been five stars, with one guest this summer even telling us that the peace and quiet were “worth 6 stars instead of 5.”

This has also been our first full summer since leaving our previous holiday letting agency and concentrating on direct bookings through our own website, supplemented by Airbnb. It was a big decision, but seeing the cottages so busy has made us very glad we took the plunge.

And what a year to visit Nidderdale. While many parts of the country have struggled with excessive heat, our guests have enjoyed some glorious summer weather – long days for walking, evenings sitting outside and some beautiful sunsets over Gouthwaite Reservoir.

So, as summer begins to give way to autumn, we'd simply like to say thank you to everyone who has stayed with us, returned for another visit, recommended us to friends or taken the time to leave such lovely reviews and messages.

And now for autumn – although judging by the bookings diary, Kirsty may have to wait a little longer for that well-earned rest!

The Mills of Nidderdale – When the Dale Was a Very Different PlaceToday we tend to think of Nidderdale as a landscape of...
12/09/2026

The Mills of Nidderdale – When the Dale Was a Very Different Place

Today we tend to think of Nidderdale as a landscape of reservoirs, sheep, dry-stone walls and quiet villages. Go back a couple of hundred years, though, and parts of the Dale would have looked – and sounded – very different.

Textiles have a remarkably long history here. As far back as the 12th century, the monks of Fountains and Byland Abbeys were rearing sheep in Nidderdale for their wool. By the 17th century the local textile industry had begun to move from wool to linen, made from flax, and during the 18th and 19th centuries mills appeared along the Nidd and its tributaries, using the plentiful supply of water to power their machinery.

Perhaps the most impressive survivor is Glasshouses Mill, just downstream from Pateley Bridge. Built in the early 1800s on the site of an earlier corn mill, it grew into a huge flax-spinning operation. The Metcalfe family developed not just the mill but much of the surrounding community, with workers' houses, a school and chapel. At its height, hundreds of people worked there.

And the power needed was considerable. Glasshouses had a huge mill reservoir and water wheels, later supplemented by steam power and turbines. When the railway arrived in Nidderdale, a branch line was even built to the mill to bring in coal.

Further up the Dale at Wath, the old mill dates from around 1816 and began life as a corn mill before being adapted for textile production. At Bewerley, Foster Beck Mill was built in the 1860s for spinning linen yarn and twine. Its enormous waterwheel was 35 feet in diameter and capable of producing around 30 horsepower.

By the late 19th century, Nidderdale's linen industry was struggling against competition from cotton. Some mills closed, while others adapted. Glasshouses moved into h**p, rope and twine production and continued operating until 1972.

During the Second World War, Nidderdale mills were even involved in producing parachute cord and string for camouflage nets.

Eventually the mills fell silent, but they left a lasting mark on the Dale. Mill buildings, leats, ponds, workers' cottages and old waterways can still be spotted today – often on walks where it's easy to pass them without giving them a second thought.

It's one of the things we love about Nidderdale. What now looks like a wonderfully peaceful rural landscape was once full of water wheels, machinery, railway wagons and hundreds of people earning their living from the river.

Next time you're walking beside the Nidd, look a little more closely.

The Dale has a habit of hiding its history in plain sight.

Address

Covill Cottages
Pateley Bridge
HG35RS

Telephone

+447702581493

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