Holidays Newbiggin North Yorkshire

The Byre is set within the grounds of Eastburn Farmhouse, in the working rural hamlet idyll of Newbiggin in Bishopdale, just one mile from nearby West Burton.

Where is Newbiggin in Bishopdale?

Bishopdale is one of the lesser known smaller Yorkshire Dales, with only two villages - Thoralby and Newbiggin - but an important artery which extends for about 6 miles south-west linking Wensleydale up over the hills at Kidstones and down into Upper Wharfedale. Just a mile along the B6265 from West Burton, blink & you will miss the small turning off to Newbiggin where you will find the ultimate in peace and tranquility - a peaceful hamlet that is a single linear no through road.

Why not just Newbiggin?

Why is the village called Newbiggin in Bishopdale and not just Newbiggin? There are actually 3 Newbiggins within 20 miles of each other - in Bishopdale near West Burton (postcode DL8), in Wensleydale near Askrigg just 5 miles away (also postcode DL8) and in Swaledale near Brompton on Swale (postcode DL10). So we hope you have a good quality satnav as it will surely test it!

Origin and History of Newbiggin

The name Newbiggin is derived from the Old English words meaning 'new buildings' or 'new beginnings'. New villages and hamlets were established to flee the plague.

While Eastburn Farmhouse can be dated to around 1680-1700, The Byre’s origins are estimated to date back to the early 1800s. It is characterised by a flat arched cart entrance and access features that tell us that this probably was once a cart and cattle shed downstairs with the upstairs being a hay loft. The whole building - Farmhouse and Byre - is Grade II listed and is acknowledged as one of the oldest buildings in the Northern Yorkshire Dales.

Since its origins over 300 years ago, Newbiggin and Bishopdale have always been a local community mainly around farming, blissfully quiet, even to this day. The only real major event of consequence since then was when the world came to Newbiggin and Bishopdale on Saturday 5 July 2014, when the Tour de France Grand Depart Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through ... very quickly!

A glorious setting

Set on a ledge on the hillside of Bishopdale with panoramic views over the dale, Newbiggin is a hamlet of just over 40 houses and a population of about 80 people. With only 3 holiday cottages and the remainder being residential, everyone knows each other and are very welcoming to visitors. A pleasant walk along the straight, level road through Newbiggin will enable you to view the variety of old houses. From the end of the village, you can walk up the hillside to the fell for a truly worthwhile magical view of Bishopdale. Just aim for the lone tree and the views will make the slightly steep walk very worthwhile. On your return, stop a while in the village at the stream as it flows through the centre of the village. Here you will see the remains of a sheep fold.

The all important single service!

There is just one key service in Newbiggin - the pub! Of a similar age to Eastburn Farmhouse, back on the main road the 17th century The Street Head Inn - a 17th century coach house, provides both a warm welcome and also very good quality food at lunchtime and evening, especially Sunday lunch when a reservation is needed. They also have the reputation for serving the best chips in the area! Guests of Cottage in the Dales receive a free glass of wine with their meal if they show they cottage key. Guests at The Byre can see view the pub across the field directly from their armchair in front of the fire! A nearby lane runs directly to the pub, but maybe not quite so straight on the way home!

Residents and guests use the services in nearby West Burton & Leyburn. The local Wensleydale bus service does stop at the bottom of the road just 5 minutes walk from The Byre.

How busy is Newbiggin?

With just over 80 people living in 40 houses of a farming and residential community, you are only really disturbed by the birdsong and the horses and sheep in the adjoining fields. As one of our guests from East Sussex commented,

"We've had a wonderful week in this beautiful cottage located in a small hamlet within the Yorkshire Dales. It's rush hour when a horse and rider follow a chicken running down the street."