Sykes lodge holidays

22/01/2025

I know we accommodation providers like to post lovely pics of glorious countryside on a sunny day and lovely interiors and pretty flowers, but sometimes it's worth taking a peek of the realities behind the scenes on a dull January day.

There is an army of us out there working like mad doing all those unglamorous but very necessary tasks to ensure our properties are tip-top for our paying guests to enjoy their time with us knowing we put their safety at the top of our priorities.

It is worth knowing what a raft of responsibilities we have as owners and you can be sure that any accommodation provider with serious accreditation is working like mad to ensure they are ready for the coming year.

So far this week we have had the lovely task of jetting out the sewerage pipes to rid them of the dreaded wet wipes, the super-size treatment tank emptied, PAT testing of all electrical items and change of batteries and inspection of our fire alarm system, sweeping of log burner chimney, flushing of plumbing and shower heads to remove risk of legionnaires disease, updating of our Fire Risk Assessment and H&S documents, sorting and repairs of linen and towel stocks and the list goes on .....
.... I'm so looking forward to some sunshine and flowers!

08/01/2025

Today we hosted the members of Walking the Wolds and their lovely dogs for their first walk of 2025. A wonderful sunny and crisp morning made for a perfect circuit from Eddlethorpe to Langton taking in some fabulous countryside with some fascinating topographical and historical interest.

Happy dogs and happy owners everywhere as the group returned to Sykes Lodge for some very welcome refreshment and a really fascinating hands-on examination of some ancient and Roman local artefacts from Malton Museum.

Thank you to all participants for making this such a memorable occasion.

06/01/2025

With only a couple of days to go before we welcome 2 legged and 4 legged members of Walking the Wolds for a winter walk and history talk from Sykes Lodge at Eddlethorpe Grange Farm, we obviously have a keen eye on the weather forecast!

After the snow and slush of recent days that have literally sent us all into a spin, we were remembering the snowy weather of former years.

Below are two pictures taken this day in 1990. The roads were impassable other than by tractor and snow drifts covered the hedges and came in over the top of the stable doors.

For contrast I have shown pictures taken from the same points earlier this year.

Fingers crossed for Wednesday!

31/12/2024

19/11/2024

A snowy morning at Sykes Lodge .....

16/11/2024

How's this for some major upcycling....
Today I found this photo from 1988 showing our horses and calves in the farmyard that was to become Sykes Lodge at Eddlethorpe Grange Farm. This weekend we have some lovely ladies celebrating a 40th birthday on the same spot. No more calves, but still a horse in the field who has a nice new stable!

26/10/2024

It's a night of fright at Sykes Lodge!

20/09/2024

As Mrs M and Bill are having a 'flower week' I am sharing these pics of our table decorations for a party of hens arriving at Sykes Lodge today. Jack Frost has already visited our flower borders this year and nipped the dahlias so not sure how much longer we will have these lovely bright colours, although the Cosmos has only just started to flower. It's been a funny year for us gardeners!

09/09/2024

Our Head of Security and Chief of Cuddles suffered a workplace injury when he got his paw stuck under a door. He is off games and his best ball is confiscated until further notice. He is now helping the Head Gardener at Sykes Lodge (aka Mum) do the Autumn weeding after a long summer season. He has found another ball in the flowerbed and is desperate for a game. His career in Superball is not over but he needs all Members of Walking the Wolds to send healing vibes to his left front paw for a speedy recovery. Photo attached for your full concentration......
Well it worked for David Beckham!

11/08/2024

What a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon baking a batch of Bill's banana and peanut dog biscuits with my little kitchen assistant Sandy who is in charge of quality control. He knows exactly what time they are due out of the oven!
Thank you Mrs M and Bill for the recipe ###

25/07/2024

We just wanted to say a big Thank You to Mrs M of Walking the Wolds & Laurel Vines Vineyard & Winery for hosting the evening stroll yesterday across some wonderful Yorkshire countryside. A gorgeous walk and superb meal in the company of new friends and their pooches.
Sandy is having a sofa day recovering from the party!
Thank you!

10/07/2024

Mum......
They've got my yellow ball again.

09/07/2024

On this filthy wet July day I just need to remind myself what summer can be like at Sykes Lodge.......

24/06/2024

Ryedale's own true Black Beauty, our beloved 'Blackie' enjoying his 27th birthday on this glorious sunny day in North Yorkshire. Much loved by all our visitors to Sykes Lodge, the subject of hundreds of holiday snaps and selfies, consumer of thousands of carrots, giver of the best horse hugs and pride and joy of his owner for the last 20 years.

Happy Birthday Blackie x

21/06/2024

Our little Sandy relaxing under his palm tree enjoying the sunshine on the patio whilst we work like crazy getting Sykes Lodge perfect for the weekend.

21/06/2024

Summer has arrived in Malton, North Yorkshire!
Today's guests have timed it to perfection ..... lucky things!

11/06/2024

If I told you that many of our guests in Sykes Lodge spend much of their stay in the smallest room in the house, you would be forgiven for thinking we may have a bit of a problem. Perhaps I better 'enlarge' on the situation in the 'Privy' as it says on the outside of the door!

In keeping with our U.S.P of reflecting our local rural history, we decided to cover the walls with some decoupaged re-prints of The Malton Messenger and Malton Mercury of the mid 19th century. It is like stepping back in time to read of the everyday goings on in our familiar villages around Malton and the Wolds region and in the town itself. Some of the adverts are killingly funny and reports of rural crime show it could sometimes be like the wild west! Also astonishing is the amount of catastrophic accidents which happened before the advent of health and safety.

What was considered newsworthy in the 19th century has a certain charm along with the seriousness of the reporting. Here are some which caught my eye and may raise a smile with anyone who recognises the names or knows the locations ......

Strawberries .....
A British Queen & Cox's Pine weighing one and a half ounces each and measuring 7" and 8" in circumference were gathered this week by Mr Longster at his gardens.

Monster Egg .....
Mr George Wells, fishmonger, has a hen of the Dorking breed which last week (being in moult at the time) layed an egg weighing 3oz 3 drachms (?), length 3 and a half inches and in circumference 6 and a quarter inches.

Turnip ....
Mr Thomas Gibb of Acklam has grown a turnip which measures in circumference 37 and three quarter inches, diameter 22 and a half inches and weight 14lbs. The field in which the turnip was grown was manured with British guano supplied by Mr John Mortimer of Fimber and now so extensively used.

Welburn .....
On Saturday a large mushroom was picked up in a field near the Welburn Water Mill. The circumference of the cap was 33", that of the stalk 6". Cap and stalk weighed a little over 17oz.

Prolific Duck ...
Mrs Robert Tate of Settrington has in her possession a common duck which has layed 50 eggs in 50 successive days and is still increasing the number.

Raisthorpe....
Mr Robert Banks of Raisthorpe has in his possession a half-bred Cochin China hen which has layed two eggs (one each day) weighing respectively 4oz and 3.5oz measuring 7" and 6.5" in circumference and each egg being 3" long. The same hen has formerly layed above a dozen eggs similar to these.

Can anyone report any bigger today I wonder?!

31/05/2024

A few pics taken of Sykes Lodge garden whilst waiting for our next guests. Everything seems to have come out at once ... perfect peonies, romantic roses, delightful delphiniums, amazing aliums, fantastic foxgloves and iridescent irises! Just waiting for the sun to shine to top the weekend for our resident ladies to celebrate.