Clay Bank Huts — Hotel in Great Britain

This site caters for adults only and has been designed by the owners to be as relaxing as possible.

We stayed in a Shephards Hut (called the Roseberry) and it was really lovely.

The site does operate a size limit for pooches due to the nature of the accommodation so please be aware of this before booking.

We were greeted on arrival by Joanna who said she had placed some milk in the fridge. I thought that was really nice. However, after receiving the key and opening the door we found 2 bottles of soft drinks and a bag of fudge. That was very thoughtful and most welcoming.

All the things you actually need are already provided, such as hand wash, washing up liquid and ant-bac wipes in the kitchen area - hand wash at the basin in the toilet and the shower cubicle had a large bottle of shower gel.

Two bath towels and one hand towel - of the crisp white variety were also provided.

Hot water is in plentiful supply via the large gas bottles behind the Hut. Water pressure is very good.

Do note: if you turn off the shower to apply gel - when you turn back it on there will be a few seconds of hot water followed by a few seconds of COLD water as the pump and heat exchanger come back on line and then hot water is re-established. Just step out of the way for 8-10 seconds or so.

Pots, pans, microwave, toaster, double gas hob, caravan type fridge/freezer which works very well indeed, kettle, crockery, glasses, cutlery, chopping board. Its all there. Its a total self contained environment.

If you look for the TV - you won't find it - thats because its not there. This site is about relaxation and taking in the beauty of the natural environment rather than the excessive drama of TV soaps and depressing news.

The Hut itself was wonderfully clean and the decor was modern and beautifully appointed.

There is also a seperate shared facility toilet/shower block with an outside sink if you stay in one of the Pods - think canvass camping site facilities - but much cleaner and better looking!

The owners will come and have a chat if you are outside taking in the views and they happen to walk past - really nice folks called Joanna and Richard. They live on site no more than 1500m away from their rental units. So they naturally take an interest in their business venture and keep things ticking along nicely.

The area in which the Huts/Pods are located feels very much like the Lake District, minus the lakes, with large crags of rocks covered in trees and pink heather. On a clear night the Moon rises above the tree line and skims across the night sky as you look out of your Hut window. Marvellous. You are in a forested area so you can expect to hear Owls at night - although on our visit, unfortunately we did not.

There are walks aplenty within minutes of the sites but as we only had 2 nights we took the opportunity to go to Saltburn which is about 30 mins away. Really nice beach, good friendly vibe, family friendly and sections clearly marked for dogs if you bring your four legged friend with you. There is a vertical cliff railway which is a great way to get down to the beach if you park at the top, which is free at time of this review in Aug 24. You can also use the steps if you feel up to task. Great fish and chips and nice ice cream from several places along the promenade. You can Walk out onto the Pier, which is free to access (dogs on a leash please), and feel the temperature difference between pier and shore.

We also stopped at Northallerton on the way in and again on the way back home. A nice town with some interesting shops and a cracking butchers called KITSON which sells some amazing pastry covered items at the rear of the shop. Try their large sausage rolls and you wont have to eat for 24hrs. Or maybe the "Yorkshire Pasty" - warm on the day I got one - excellent.

And finally - the photos you see on the various booking sites really are a true representation of the accommodation.

Would I go back to Clay Bank - Yes...

We initially booked this for the 9th but due to work commitments I needed to change the dates. Joanne was amazing about this, and changed it immediately for us. The site is in a great location, Saltburn by sea is 30 minutes away, and you’re ready for a climb Roseberry Topping is a 10 minute drive. The site is a small site with soon to be three shepherd's huts and three pods. We stayed in Rosemary, the middle of the three. Although compact, to be expected of a shepherd's hut, it had everything you needed for your stay. Joanne & Richie the owners,live just across from the site and are super friendly always willing to give advice on the area. The décor and furnishings had been thoughtfully done. The bed was super comfy, the little kitchen had everything you needed, it even had a little freezer, and a pint of milk with tea and coffee for a hot drink after your journey, or if you prefer two cold drinks and a bag of delicious fudge,the shower room was more than adequate with towels provided, plus shower gel and hand wash. The only downside we found was it was too hot to use the cosy wood burner! The site is in a lovely peaceful location, with no TV or Wi-Fi which added to our stay. We were lucky to have warm evenings to sit outside and watch the shooting stars, listening to the barn and tawny owls. We're already looking at dates we can go back for a winter break to use the...

Booked this lovely little hidden gem last minute for myself , friend and our Daughters . I called the owner Joeanne to check some details and she was very helpful and sorted our booking quickly. Helpful owners , our fire pit didn’t have a the safety needed , but when we asked if they had one we could use , Richard brought us one down. This made my girls night , roasting marshmallows 😊 The little touches were lovely , a welcome sign to us with our names on , local packet of fudge and milk. Unfortunately for us the weather wasn’t great but it didn’t stop the girls playing in the mud and rain. Cosy pod , immaculately clean , toilet and shower room also. I would totally recommend booking, lots of great local walks . We are already planning on booking all three pods to spend a long weekend with the...