History of Cawder Hall Cottages

Until 1953 Cawder Hall Cottages was incorporated into the Skipton castle estate. It was then sold off to raise vital funds and continued as a working farm.

Each of the cottages at some time have been the home of farm animals.
The Boskin was home for the pigs and the Mistal has housed cows and believe it or not, Reindeer!
Horses in the Stable and hoards of chickens and cockerels, the ducks however took themselves off to the nearby Leeds Liverpool canal.

When the huge task of converting the buildings began it was important to retain their individual characters. Original beams were kept and restored and exposed Yorkshire stone helped in forming the personality of each building.

The Forge now known as the ‘Smithy’ has retained its arched windows and they now form a feature of that cottage. Yorkshire stone has been used throughout the complex and forms the hearths and fireplaces which turn the cottages into a home.

The Granary cottage was finished in 2002 and once we were back to the basics we discovered that, the Irishmen that had come over to work the fields many years ago, had actually scrolled their wages onto the stone walls. This cottage also has the best example of exposed beams in the double bedroom.

Directly on our doorstep we have our very own wildlife haven. There is an abundance of rabbits and pheasants. The ‘little owl’ is frequently spotted and if you are really lucky you may just spot ‘Billy’ our local badger. The Swallows return every year and naturally there are sheep and cows in the surrounding fields.

We are very proud of our cottages and view them as an extension of our home.
Once our guests have sampled what we have to offer they keep returning year after year and this is the best recommendation that we have.