All's well at Carr Well

We recently returned from our first mini break of the year - a fabulous weekend away at Carr Well Barn a luxurious home away from home in High Birstwith just outside Harrogate.

It  was a full weekend not only activity wise but as the trip was a birthday present for Chris' 50th last year, we also had the pleasure of the grown ups - Lucy, Adam and Simon and Navi the German Shepherd - or the grown pup as we like to call her.

We arrived late on Friday and courtesy of a fantastically well-equipped kitchen and dining area had a great meal and settled down for what had been a much anticipated weekend away.

Saturday dawned misty but with a spectacular sunrise which saw us make the most of the surroundings and conditions as well as the ever present snowdrops which seemed to be everywhere.

Our first trip out of the day was to the gorgeous surroundings of Fountains Abbey and as well as giving us a chance to stretch our legs (and paws) and take some great photos we also got to use our National Trust cards for the first time too.

Fountains Abbey is one of our favourite places and with the snowdrops out it was extra special - if a little busy with people, but it is such a large space it's quite easy to find some space for yourself.

After a few hours of enjoying the abbey and a quick lunch break we then headed into the nearby town of Harrogate for a mooch around.

It being a Saturday afternoon not surprisingly the town centre was busy with shoppers but again we managed to find out the quieter areas for a look around some of the more unique and quirky shops as opposed to the usual High Street offer.

We, of course, paid  a visit to Betty's though didn't fancy joining the huge queue for afternoon tea so we bought a good selection of treats for tea instead.

It was then back to Carr Well Barn for tea, supper and another great night's sleep.

Sunday sunrise was even more spectacular and we took advantage of the fantastic light and the nearby pond for some awesome reflection photos.

After breakfast (and the weather had turned cloudy) we had a brisk walk with Navi but not as brisk as this video suggests.

Once back and a picnic made we set off for our second use of our National Trust cards at Brimham Rocks a short 10 minute drive away and past the mysterious and secretive RAF Menwith Hill 

Again we'd been to Brimham rocks before - just once ... and in the fog so it was great to visit again in the daylight so you could fully enjoy and marvel at the different formations as well as the superb views.

With Navi safely on a lead and Simon "walking her" we spent a great few hours here exploring what is quite a large area and also marvelling at how cavalier some parents were with their young children as they scrambled up some seriously steep formations!

Soon it was time to head back again for our Sunday night dinner of Chilli and a slop down in front of the TV.

Simon, Lucy and Navi headed home Sunday evening due to work commitments the day after, and with Adam , we headed back on the Monday after a great weekend.

We've stayed in a load of places but this was one of the best both from a location as well as a standard of fixtures and fittings. Jan the owner of Carr Well barn was great and made sure we felt completely at home.

We would thoroughly recommend Harrogate and its surrounding areas to anyone - theres loads to do but the problem is dragging yourself away from Carr Well Barn to do it! 

More photos can be found on our photos page.
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LINKS

Carr Well Barn
Bettys
National Trust