Travel: Upper Barn with Sykes Cottages.

Six weeks is a long time to fill with a very active and lively five year old. I think Poppy inherited my wanderlust gene because she lives for travelling and getting out and about, so when we were lucky enough to get away this summer she was over the moon! 
We booked in for a four night break at Upper Barn with Sykes Cottages. Before we set off, I contacted the owner of the cottage as requested, who issued me with a key code for a key safe on site. Tina was really helpful and gave us some contact details for her and her dad, but apart from that we were never bothered and were left to settle in and enjoy the rest of our holiday on our own which I really liked. 
The cottage itself is located in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire. We left Lincolnshire around 9.30am and was there in under two hours, as it wasn’t quite time to check in, we carried on through Mytholmroyd to Todmorden which is where my husband was brought up. It was really nice for him to have a look at his old stomping ground and whilst there, we grabbed some lunch in a cute little cafe. 
After lunch we headed back to Mytholmroyd, we were able to find the cottage with ease, and although it was set back from the town itself, there was no difficulty in getting there. Set within a small collection of other dwellings, Upper Barn is connected to, you’ve got it, Lower Barn! haha! 

Upper Barn… and the Lavender <3

The first thing that struck me was the surrounding scenery which was breath taking, everywhere you looked the views were stunning. Once we’d got the key we took our first look around our home for the next few days. 
We were greeted by chocs and wine, well, I was sold already! But seriously, as we walked in, the cottage was spacious, airy and contemporary, yet it was everything you’d expect from a country cottage, homely and cosy with country style soft furnishings and my particular favourite, fresh flowers in every room. 

The ground floor is open plan and spacious and every room was well appointed. The sofas and beds were all very comfortable and immaculate in condition and the kitchen was well equipped. Over the years I’ve stayed in a lot of cottages and lodges with my parents and then with Michael and Poppy and I have seen some great examples and some really not so great, I’m happy to say, Upper Barn is one of the nicest places I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. 

The cottage was immaculately clean, the master bedroom has an en-suite, there is a family bathroom on the first floor and a downstairs loo too, so it’s great for all members of the family. We went with my folks who are in their early 60s, then Michael and I in our 30s and Pops is five, the stairs weren’t too steep and everywhere was easily accessible, even for little legs and creaky old ones (sorry mum and dad haha). I wouldn’t however recommend the cottage for a wheelchair user, although spacious, with the living accommodation and sleeping accommodation all on different levels, it would just prove too tricky to negotiate I think.

The area itself is great, it’s a 20 minute car journey from Halifax, which has a great indoor market packed full of amazing bakers, butchers, and deli stalls. We visited Eureka! with Poppy, it’s a little pricey, but there was so much to do, we spent the whole day there. Every aspect of it is interactive and geared completely towards the kids, it was so much fun! 
We also visited nearby Hebden Bridge, a pretty little town full of cafes and quirky boutiques. Great for an afternoon mooch around. There are swimming pools in near by Halifax, Sowerby Bridge and Todmorden, we visited the latter two whilst there, both of which were clean and easy to find. 
Sadly the weather wasn’t amazing but we made the most of it, and it gave us the perfect opportunity to spend some time relaxing in the cottage itself. And with views like this, and an interior so cosy and comfortable, why wouldn’t you? 









** This post was written in collaboration with Sykes Cottages.  All opinions and words are 100% mine and honest**