A Stay in Settle, North Yorkshire

 

I've just got back from a cosy break in North Yorkshire and felt the need to blog about it! It's been a while but I'm back to tell you about a great place to stay called Settle!

Located in the Yorkshire Dales, Settle is a quaint market town surrounded by peaks, dales, caves and waterfalls- perfect for those of us that love the outdoors and beautiful scenery. It's also really accessible by car or the train, making it ideal if you don't drive or fancy a scenic way to travel up instead. 

There's some lovely independent shops within Settle, such as Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe and Bakery. Their coffee was gorgeous and the shortbread is to die for! I loved the little antique shops dotted around the town and various gift shops where I picked up a few treats for home. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and if you or your partner are into cycling, I'd recommend 3 Peaks Cycles, an independent bike shop which also has a cafe! My husband was in his element in there and had we not had the dogs with us, we'd have taken full advantage on hiring bikes from there too.

There were three pubs we found whilst in Settle, one was closed the week we were staying (just our luck), but we found The Golden Lion which was a great pub. It was dog friendly, served delicious food and had a roaring fire- all the key ingredients for a perfect evening after a days walking! We also needed a cosy place to stay and I found the perfect place.

Castlebergh Cottage is one of the loveliest cottages I've ever had the pleasure of staying in. Firstly it takes two dogs and pets go free, which gets a huge tick from me. I always find it frustrating when a place is dog friendly but charges an additional fee, but maybe that's just a bug bare of mine? Anyway, this place was well equipped for the dogs, with a boot room as you walk into the property (see the photos here) to kick off your muddy boots, park your bike and dry off muddy mutts. 

We were welcomed with a hamper, containing biscuits and fresh coffee to enjoy during our stay. The kitchen was well equipped with everything you could need. The knives were sharp, there were plenty of utensils, glasses for all the drinks. Seriously all the drinks- red and white wine glasses, gin glasses, champagne glasses, pint glasses, tumblers... There was a dishwasher which is heaven on holiday. Who wants to wash up whilst they're away!? They even had a slow cooker, which had I realised, I'd have left ours at home! 

You could really sense that the owners have really thought about what people need whilst they're on holiday and this followed on throughout the cottage. Not only was it cute and aesthetically pleasing, it was really functional and spacious.

The bathroom was another gorgeous space, fitted with a walk in shower and a beautiful freestanding bath. Both were perfect to warm tired bones and the locally sourced soap was another lovely touch.

There were lots of beautiful walks right on our doorstep, such as Scaleber Force Waterfall, just under 2 miles away and the "Settle loop" which took us up and out of Settle, past Attermire Scar and out towards Langcliffe before heading into Giggleswick and back into Settle. That loop was around 6.5 miles with some hiking which was a shock to my fen legs! The loop gave us brilliant views over Settle and beyond.

A twenty minute drive away is Malham Village and from there you can walk to Malham Cove and hike to see Gordale Scar and Janet's Foss. 

Fun fact- Malham Cove is featured in one of the Harry Potter Deathly Hallows films, so naturally I had to get a picture.

The cove is pretty gnarly, so if you are looking to hike up it as we did, you'll need some sturdy walking boots. It's definitely worth it though and the views are spectacular.

Gordale Scar was definitely my favourite part of the hike. The waterfall was spectacular and I can see why its been dubbed "one of the jewels in the crown of the national park". 

Janet's Foss was also beautiful, although my photo doesn't do it justice. From here onwards we were on a path looping back into Malham village so the hiking got significantly easier. If you're not confident hiking, you can skip climbing Malham Cove and stick to the paths that take you to both Gordale Scar and Janet's Foss. Luckily for me I had two crazy spaniels helping me up hills when I got tired!

So that's a little insight into my break in Settle. It was a very chilled break away, but one that was well needed after a crazy December to reset and recoup. I'd love to hear about your recommendations of places in the UK to go hiking, as it's something I'd like to do more throughout 2024, that and blogging! But for now, I'll leave it here for the day.

The Perfect Running Headphones: AfterShokz

I've been running for just over a year now and the one thing I love to have whilst doing so is music. Through my running journey I've used your regular headphones plugging into my phone, progressing onto in ear wireless Bluetooth headphones, to over the head wireless headphones. All had been good but had their drawbacks that I thought I'd have to live with until I discovered AfterShokz. My brilliant husband bought me a pair for Christmas and since then I haven't looked back!

The first thing to note with these headphones is they're bone conducting, meaning that they sit on your facial bones and vibrate the sound into your inner ear rather than sitting in your ear. This makes them a) super comfortable and b) brilliant for keeping you safe and aware of your surroundings. For me these are perfect for road running so I can be aware of traffic but still listen to my favourite tunes as I'm pounding the pavement. They do take a little bit of getting used to, (I found them a bit ticklish to begin with!) but now I wouldn't use anything else. The sound is really crisp and as good as (infact better) that in ear headphones. They also have easy to use buttons to adjust your volume on compared to other wireless headphones I've used where you'd go to change the volume but instead skip your track (which Sod's law always happens during the best bit of the song!?)

I have the AIR AfterShokz and as the name suggests, they're incredibly light weighing just 30g and not only that they're really durable and flexible so you don't have to handle them too delicately. I literally can't feel them on my head despite me bobbing around and that makes them super comfortable, plus they have a lovely snug fit that works doesn't interfere with sunglasses, hats or hair dos. Gone are the days of cables hanging down and me catching them with my arms too- these are the dream.

If you're prone to sweating a lot or you like to run in the rain, you also don't need to worry. AfterShokz are sweat proof and water resistant. I used to worry when wearing my over ear headphones that they'd pack up on a rainy run and my in ear headphones would slip out of my ears as soon as there was a hint of moisture nearby!

The final thing to note is their longevity. The AIR headphones have 6 hour battery life if used continuously for you to listen to music or take calls which is perfect- particularly for marathons and other long distance runs. I used them for my marathon and they were perfect. Also to note that having worn them for over 5 hours on my marathon, they didn't rub or irritate in any way.

I literally cannot fault these headphones. They have exceeded my expectations and I can't see me ever using another pair of headphones again!

What do you run with?

Introducing: The Juicy Lucy at Handmade Burger Co! *Gifted

Its been a few weeks since I've raved about awesome eateries so today I thought I'd tell you all about Handmade Burger Co's latest creation- the Juicy Lucy!

I was kindly invited by Queensgate shopping centre to go along and review this beast of a burger and it's certainly up there with the best on the Handmade Burger Co menu. The location is perfect for a break from shopping, being located on the edge of Westgate Arcade and in the heart of the shopping centre.

We started our evening with a cheeky drink or two. I was on the wine whilst Chris opted for a Corona but there's lots to choose from to wet your appetite. From cocktails to milkshakes, you'll be spoilt for choice. All the fizzy drinks are re-fillable and you can pimp a milkshake with a spirit to make it extra indulgent!

One of the things I love about Handmade Buger Co is the fact that everything is made from scratch and with over 40 different handmade burgers to choose from, I don't think anyone can complain about the variety! The burgers aren't all beef either. You can choose from veggie or chicken too if that's more your thing. Naturally, Chris and I went in for the big guns and needless to say, we were very impressed!

Say hello to the Juicy Lucy- a burger which lets be honest looks absolutely epic!! Stuffed with American cheese, served in a bun with lettuce, red onion, garlic mayonnaise and served with a gherkin....everything about this burger is a taste sensation!

When I say stuffed with American cheese, it really is. One knife slice into the beef patty and the melting cheese was on show! Chris decided to double up his order on the Juicy Lucy , opting for a double stacked pattie which is amazing for any big eaters out there!

I chose the Blue Cheese and Bacon burger, with a flat mushroom thrown in for good measure which actually made my burger. In it's brioche bun you;ll find, blue cheese, caramelised onion relish, bacon, lettuce and blue cheese mayo and oh my lord its a taste sensation- particularly if you're into your cheese!

If you thought the burgers were the only epic part of your meal at Handmade Burger Co then you'd be wrong...They are phenominal also. Chris opted for the Denver fries whilst I chose the sweet potato fries, I swear that nowhere else does sweet potato fries like Handmade Burger Co and if you opt for them when you go- you won't be disappointed!

By the time we'd eaten our mains we were well and truly stuffed. It beat us and our bellies couldn't muster the strength to delve into desserts but there is always next time! What I will say is go to Handmade Burger Co with an empty stomach. This is not the place for a light meal but it's certainly the place for the best burgers in town. 

Have you tried the Juicy Lucy yet?

I was invited along with to try the new Juicy Lucy burger at Handmade Burger Co by Queensgate Shopping Centre and received a complimentary meal for myself and Chris. I was under no obligation to write a review but I enjoyed it so much I decided to do a blog post so that you guys could discover it and hopefully go and enjoy it too!

The Best but Most Underrated Mascara- Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara

It's not often that you find me blogging about make-up as it's just not my "jam". That is until a product comes along that my enthusiasm oozes for- so much so I can't not talk about it and today that is the Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara.

I've actually been using it for a couple of years now but I've never seen anyone rave about it and I can't help but wonder why? So this has led me to want to champion it and be like oi! This stuff is good!! So why is no one else raving about it? Perhaps it's because its not new and fandangled, the packaging isn't fancy and it's not claiming to give you brand new eyeballs? either way it's not a mascara to take for granted...

When wearing this mascara in the past I've been asked the following:

Are you wearing individual false lashes?

Are your eye lashes real?

How do you have the patience with false lashes every morning!?

If these questions don't tell you that this mascara is good then I don't know what does but I shit you not, those are genuine questions I've been asked!

*TOP TIP: With an angled liner brush, line the base of your lashes with black eye shadow to make them appear fuller and thicker at the root.

I think in essence it's a combination of the formula and the brush that make this mascara the tits. The wand has a bristle brush that coast the lashes with the perfect amount of product to give you full, voluminous lashes without them clumping or looking like spiders legs. The consistency is also amazing from the word go, unlike other mascaras which can take a while to warm to the formula or you're waiting for it to go off a bit first. Nope- none of that rubbish with the 2000 calorie!

So, there is one draw back to this mascara in that it's not a waterproof consistency but honestly I've never really been that fussed anyway and rest assure once it's applied, it stays put. There's none of this flaking off in the day nonsense and if you have a tendency to tear up over a rom com or an advert like I do- don't worry! It stays put and doesn't stream like the rivers of Babylon unless of course you rub your eyes...

Another HUGE plus to this mascara is the price point! Coming in at just £7.99 the cost is flipping amazing and for me that's just a bonus. I'd have been happy to pay £12 easily so that's just another brucey bonus to this mascara.

I think overall I have to reiterate that this mascara is SO UNDERRATED! I think nowadays everyone is looking for the next best thing that is bigger and better than but actually the mascara you're looking for is right under your nose and at a fab price point. If it's not broke, why fix it ye know? Plus it's been on the market for years and it's still here so that just proves its an oldie but goodie!

Have you tried Max Factor 2000 Calorie?