Our New Years Resolution at Lodge Cottages is to keep weekly journal in which we can share life at the cottages with our guests – new and established.

Christmas trees down today and wreaths taken from the doors. Once the decorations have been safely stowed away, I love to fill our own home, and the cottages with bulbs- I plant them myself in autumn and then put into ceramic bowls covered with green moss and woodland twigs.

Both cottages have been occupied this weekend- something lovely about hiding away in the countryside in the aftermath of the celebrations!

Just behind our property is Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Staveley Nature Reserve Staveley | YWT– only 2 minutes’ walk from Lodge Cottages – we walk our lovely dog George here most days. Despite the monochrome landscape, with mist hanging over the lagoons and watery sunshine, it was wonderfully atmospheric this morning.

Be sure to include a walk through the nature reserve when you visit- we see many birds, rabbits, foxes, deer and even otters…but have never met the badgers who live in 2 enormous sets in the reserve.