It was time to go have a weekend of walking, and yes, it was time to go do some great walking in the wonderful Yorkshire Dales. No matter the season, no matter the weather, this area never lets you down for amazing miles of walking. I had been kindly invited to spend a weekend on a walking holiday with HF Holidays. The base and accommodation for the weekend was a remarkable building. The impressive Newfield Hall in Malhamdale.
I was looking forward to getting some great walks in but must say that the accommodation can also help make or break a weekend. HF Holidays use Newfield Hall as a base for many a type of countryside break. Walking weekend, walking weeks, guided, self guided, you name it, they provide it. And all runs like clockwork. The stay at Newfield hall adds a whole lot more to your time also. Nestled in the beautiful and quiet valley of Malhamdale, near the small village of Airton.
Just as you walk in the door you are welcomed to your holiday with treats of cakes and coffee, but the views within the entrance hall and out of the window looking over the Yorkshire Dales is not a bad sight… at all! 🙂
Newfield hall was built in 1856 for William Nicholson Alcock. The grand Victorian entrance hall is evidence the building has retained its style as it was in its day. It passed through various hands before being a holiday accommodation for HF Holidays in the 1930s. The accommodation holding is much more than you think at 48 rooms. These are split between the main house and the attached and quaint coach house.
The goodies don’t just stop there. There is a heated swimming pool, a bar and 2 lounge areas. All perfect things for after a good days walking in the great outdoors.
Now then, I must mention the staff here. People have dedicated time and money to come stay at Newfield Hall and the staff ‘nail it’ in regards helping your stay be good and memorable. Always available and helpful, always with a smile, and go well above and beyond the attention to needs that you see at many places. I spoke with many others who were enjoying their weekend walking break with me and most of them were on return visits. That is a good testament to how much they enjoy the place.
That is another thing you will find with a walking break on HF Holidays. Great company. People from all over the country coming together for a few days walking. Many demographics and many people from differing walks of life together for the same purpose with the same love of walking. You find the conversations through the miles or over dinner are wide, varied and very interesting.
Dinner? Did I say dinner? Yes, the food. You can never go hungry on one of these trips, at all! Three course meals for dinner to choose from every day. And is something that all look forward to. The chefs do a super job.
Breakfast is a huge array of cooked and cold, from full English to Salmon and egg, porridge to cereals. Lunch? Well, as it was a quieter season we had the treat of pub lunches mid walk. Out of the cold and a period of warmth and chat. If the walk does not cater for this there is a huge choice of packed lunches. And you have no excuse to go short on snacks to take.
The evenings take on a nice social gathering too. After your walk you have plenty of time to gather yourself, refresh and take in the sunset before dinner.
Then after dinner the walk leaders put on activities for all to enjoy in and around the bar area. Quizzes to skittles, all good winding down and social activities. I must say the pace of the day is very well worked out by the walk leaders (all volunteers). No mad early starts but the walks are timed perfectly to get you back and some own time before the evening. It has a calm enjoyable feel yet you do so much! Hard to achieve that.
It snowed over the weekend which made the Yorkshire dales and the walks even more beautiful. And some fantastic views from the Hall in the mornings. What a difference a day made.
Over the next posts I will be detailing the great walks we did in the area. It was a special weekend, doing wonderful walking that of course I love doing. 2 totally differing walks too that adds to great time had.
you can find out lots more about a break at Newfield Hall for yourself on the HF Holidays website. From there you can see they have breaks, properties and holiday types all over the country.
