Lime Kiln Farmhouse, Coneysthorpe: I stayed at a charming Yorkshire stone built cottage overlooking Castle Howard that looked just like Kate Winslet’s in 2006 film The Holiday and I couldn’t believe what was in store

I know it’s too early to talk about Christmas films, but I’ll make an exception on this occasion.

The Yorkshire Post was invited to stay at a cottage owned by the Castle Howard estate for a family staycation over the weekend.

I have to say the journey was as sensational as the destination itself; the extraordinary views were incredible and the landscapes heightened all your senses.

The trip reminded me of the 2006 film The Holiday starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black.

Do you remember the scene in the film when Cameron Diaz’s character Amanda Woods is driving through narrow roads in Surrey to get into London? Well, the roads on the way to Coneysthorpe were just as narrow but, unlike Amanda, we managed to navigate ourselves to the village without any drama.

As we parked the car, my family and I drew many comparisons between our quintessential holiday cottage and Kate Winslet’s. The main difference being our cottage was much bigger.

Looking at the cottage from the outside, the description of Iris’s cottage in the film came to mind: “A fairy tale English cottage set in a tranquil country garden. Snuggle up by an old stone fireplace and enjoy a cup of cocoa. An enchanting oasis of tranquillity in a quiet English hamlet.”

We entered the cottage through the iron gates and were greeted by a large kitchen/dining room. A complimentary £20 voucher and tickets to Castle Howard were provided for us on the table as well as a book that included all essential information about the farm house and a beautiful bouquet of white roses in a vase.

Our cottage had everything we needed. The master bedroom had a super-king sized bed and an en-suite, the second bedroom also had a super-king sized bed and the ground floor bedroom had twin beds. The window in the second bedroom has a view of the stately home.

Along with the en-suite, there were also three bathrooms perfect for our group of five, a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, microwave, washing machine and dryer and two sitting rooms with wood-burning fireplaces.

Even though one of the living rooms had a smart TV, we never needed it; we came prepared with a variety of board games to play by the fire including Articulate, Chess, Family Fortunes and Ticket To Ride.

Our first evening was a relaxed one as we had home-cooked dinner then played games until we went to sleep.

The next morning was a glorious day; the sun was shining and we had a full day of activities planned, one of which was taking advantage of the complimentary castle tour tickets.

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Castle Howard was just a five minute drive from the village and even though I had been to the stately home twice before, I never got used to how magnificent the style of the building looks. Every time I visit the house I learn something new too.

While I’ve been on the tour before, one thing struck me this time that all the volunteers who were there to answer your questions and give you some background information about each of the rooms were the ones keeping the integrity of it alive. They were so friendly and accommodating and you could tell they really cared about the estate and keeping visitors happy. This warm environment just made me appreciate it even more and view it through a different lens.

I was also invited to have lunch at The Courtyard Cafe, an establishment within the grounds. By the time we had finished the tour, we sat at a table outside as it was very warm and sunny and each had burgers and sandwiches.

The food was delicious and you could tell it was sourced locally and cooked with care. I had the Reuben Burger but I also tried my sister Caroline’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich which was also tasty.

The staff there were all friendly and hospitable which made the experience all the more enjoyable. At times I overheard them having conversations with the visitors who appeared to be regulars.

The gardens, flowers and nature were absolutely breath-taking and I couldn’t believe the views. The fountain was my favourite place to take pictures; you can never get a bad angle. I also loved the Walled Garden.

Coneysthorpe has been part of the Castle Howard estate since the early 1700s and our cottage is considered one of the oldest in the village.

The village itself was also featured in an episode during season one of Bridgerton where the Duke and Duchess of Hastings walked through the village of Clyvedon and some of the Coneysthorpe locals volunteered to be extras on the show.

On Sunday, I met with Castle Howard curator, Dr Chris Ridgway, who has been working there for 40 years and looks after the collections, archives and history of the estate.

“It’s always been shaped around this green, sort of like a horseshoe shape and the earliest map is from 1700 and there is a house on this spot [Lime Kiln Cottage]. There has been a continual habitation here.

“There are also 19th century houses, 18th century houses, so what is really nice is that there is an organic evolution of the village. Clearly all the houses have been replaced at times, but that’s what’s nice about it, you can follow its development.

“We moved into [provide holiday cottages] just before Covid and there was clearly a demand but also part of it is to encourage people to stay longer in the area. Traditionally, Castle Howard has day visitors and we get over a quarter of a million of those a year. You can’t exhaust Castle Howard in a day.”

Would I go back? Yes. It’s the sense of history, community, passion for maintaining an interest for Castle Howard, selfless volunteers and the remarkable views that I’m sure will continue to keep visitors returning.