A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of a weekend staying at Kirkgate Cottage – a quaint boutique cottage, recently renovated to a beautiful standard. Retaining its 1820’s Grade II character, with plenty of modernised touches for comfort, the cottage sits in the heart of Ripon, North Yorkshire just round the corner from the cathedral. An ideal base for enjoying the warm Yorkshire hospitality, exploring the region, or simply relaxing in your own private bolthole for a few days.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary stay at Kirkgate Cottage.

I first saw glimpses of Kirkgate Cottage on Instagram, when it was in the process of renovation, and got a really good feeling from it when the owners emailed me some details of their plans, and what they had in mind for the finished thing. I followed for a while before it was ready and I was heading down from Newcastle, on one of the first really warm weekends in June. 

RIpon is less than an hour and a half drive from Newcastle, and is a lovely little Yorkshire town with plenty of personality. The main market square is lined with shops and pubs, and stretching off this is the winding, cobbled street that leads around to the cathedral. This is Kirkgate, so you drive down and turn off into a small muse that opens up into a little court.

A row of old white cottages sit here, and the one right on the end is Kirkgate Cottage, next to a black gate that you can park in front of. You can see the cathedral towers rising up behind, it’s gorgeous. I’d been emailed instructions on how to get the keys, it’s a contactless check in, and with parking right outside it’s very handy for getting your bags in. 

Kirkgate Cottage

Stepping inside of Kirkgate Cottage, it immediately feels like home. You can sense how old the building itself is, with the traditional fireplace to your right, and the original windows and layout in front of you. But it’s been modernised beautifully, with attention to detail in all of the decor and furniture. 

The living room is so cosy, with a big soft sofa packed with cushions and a blanket, a coffee table styled with books on the local area, and the fireplace which is one of the best features of the house. It does have a TV and wifi, but to be honest I didn’t have it on once.

Heading through into the kitchen this room has been wonderfully restored, with pink walls, black details on the cooker, radiator and kitchen table, and a big farmhouse style sink. The details in here too were some of my favourites and are what really make a difference when you stay somewhere new. 

There was a bowl of eggs and a fresh sourdough on the table, with a welcome note. Cheese, milk and butter in the fridge, and very cute little decorations – a small jar of flowers, gorgeous gold candlesticks that I’m now on the hunt for myself. It’s one of the more modern areas of the cottage, but absolutely hasn’t lost any character, it fits in perfectly.

From the kitchen you can head outside, more on that soon, or up the ‘wonky stairs’ as they call them to the bedrooms and bathroom. The stairs are quite narrow and steep, so keep in mind for accessibility.

The master bedroom is simple but perfect, white with plenty of space and storage, but the real highlight is the view from the window. It looks right over to the cathedral, an absolutely beautiful view. The ancient bells do ring, loud and proud, so if you’re a light sleeper I’d recommend ear plugs for overnight – but I loved waking up on the Sunday to all the bells ringing. 

The second bedroom is also lovely, I loved the green touches and the little dressing table. This looks out to the front and the light coming in here was gorgeous. I actually considered sleeping in here but the cathedral view from the master swayed me. There’s built in storage in here too.

The bathroom is upstairs, with all the modern touches you need – shower and a fab big mirror. The cottage sleeps four, All of the rooms have plenty space and storage, despite it being a small cottage, so can easily accommodate four adults or families. It’s comfortable yet luxurious, modern yet full of old character and quirks – at least one to discover in every room.

Reah, who owns Kirkgate Cottage with her husband, is an architect, and I feel like she really put her talents to great use, and with the overall styling of the whole cottage. The more modern features fit in seamlessly, in the summer it still feels airy and bright, but in the winter I imagine it to be wonderfully cosy. You can tell how much love and care has gone into it to achieve that. 

Onto one of my most favourite features of the cottage, it’s little outside courtyard that you can access both from the back door in the kitchen, and round the side through the back gate. Next doors cottage can also use this for access, but the little space beyond the low brick wall, slightly hidden by the trees yet still catching the sunlight belongs to Kirkgate Cottage.

The table and four chairs provide an amazing little place to enjoy dinner outside, or a glass of wine and some olives which is what we did. The sun stays quite late in the evening, but even when it’s creeping away up the wall it’s very sheltered so you can stay outside well into the evening. 

Things to do from Kirkgate Cottage

Being right in the heart of Ripon it’s ideal for enjoying everything the town has to offer. There are plenty of restaurants nearby that come highly recommended by Reah and Neil, including Rima Italian and the Royal Oak pub. They also suggested Oliver’s Pantry cafe which is very close by for breakfasts and coffee. 

Up on the square you can find the usual spots like Greggs, Boots, Sainsburys and Costa, as well as plenty more independents. Kirkgate itself is fab for unique shops, galleries and antique stores, you could easily spend your stay only pottering around Ripon.

Ripon Cathedral itself is stunning, it’s the oldest cathedral city in England. You can visit, or enjoy a walk around it, there’s some park benches where you can sit and enjoy watching the squirrels for a while. There’s also a river and canal walk that runs right past the cathedral, which offers some alternative views of it. This is definitely worth doing if the weather is good.  

Venturing out of Ripon, and some of the most notable things to do are visit Fountains Abbey, the National Trust site close by. It’s worth going here early as when I tried to visit they had already stopped visitors as they were at capacity, so factor that into your plans. Ripon is also the closest city to Downton Abbey.

Towns such as Richmond, Northallerton, Harrogate and Knaresborough are all easy drives away of less than an hour. I’d spent some time in these places just before Christmas, so I chose to visit York which was an hour away. I pottered around the Shambles, had lunch and a rooftop drink on one of the days during my stay. So there’s plenty to do, and it’s lovely to retreat back to Kirkgate Cottage at the end of it. 

For more information on staying, visit the Kirkgate Cottage website here, it explains much more eloquently than I have their creativity and feelings behind the renovation. They have absolutely achieved what they set out to do, it’s a gorgeous cottage and well worth a stay. You can also follow them on Instagram here, and see some more videos and photos of my stay here.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Kirkgate Cottage, it was very relaxing and sitting in that courtyard with a glass of wine is one of my highlights of summer so far. They’re lovely people, so if you have any questions during your stay you can easily contact them. Would very much recommend for a North Yorkshire staycation.