Osmotherley YH was excellent. Food was great, and they stocked a large range of good bottled ales, so no need to walk down to the pub (I had two kids with me).

We conquered Normanby (Wolds) Top, Bishop Wilton Wold, Gisborough Moor, Urra Moor-Round Hill, Cringle Moor-Drake Howe and Sharp Haw on the way home. Next time away will be on the PW...

We stayed at the Byrness. It isnt licenced any more. If you have a meal you have no choice, apart from veggie or not, but it was ok. To be honest, it has seen better days, but the owners seemed very old and frail. Downstairs it was a bit odd, and smelled of their numerous dogs, but the bedrooms were clean and comfortable. Oh, and the christmas decorations were still up......

Good ones:
The old house at Crowden
New Barn, Diggle
Greycroft at Alston
Hall Croft, Dufton
Holme House, Hebden Bridge
Ancient Unicorn, Bowes
Vallum lodge, Twice Brewed
And the Plough in KY is Excellent!

I thought that the Byrness Hotel was the only bar in Byrness! Is there an alternative for a couple of pints?

NO, Bryness is devoid of liquid refreshments of the amber type. Was lucky enough to be walking with Dunk this year who managed to blag a lift to the other side of Otterburn somewhere for a nice evening meal and a couple of pints.
I've stopped at the Hotel in Bryness twice with no ill effects (once just turning up unannounced). Both stays were good enough, with friendly staff who looked after me...

The best nights accommodation I had this year was in Marsden at 'Pear Tree Cottage' it was outstanding. The best YHA was a toss up between Baldersdale and Dufton.

Please remember if you are intending to stop at the Bryness YHA to check to ensure it has not been closed down yet.

Nick Mac

I stayed at the Byrness hostel last Saturday night and the warden had just heard that the man buying it was to run it as a hostel and that YHA members would be welcome.

Andy

Just returned from PW and stay at The Byrness. Can only speak as we found it. Great place! Very walker friendly, good food served at the time agreed and an early start, 5.15am, no problem.

Maybe the Byrness Hotel is a different place now than is was when I stayed there.

We will see what TomRead says when he gets Back.

Andy

Following my orignal post - as it happened we didn't stay there after all, as a friend met us in Byrness to walk the last day to KY and he couldn't get in the Byrness the night before. He had wheels so whisked us off to a truly appalling pub in Jedburgh where we spent a sleepless night. After reading all these posts we'd probably have been better off staying put! Never mind, the sleepless night couldn't dent that feeling of arriving at the Border Hotel and the sweetest-tasting drink of our lives!

Perfectly acceptable. Evening meal was OK, not brilliant but nice and filling enough. Breakfast was simply eggs and bacon after the cereals and fruit juice bit, but the bacon was local and very very good. No licence, but she had two cans of Carlsberg available at £1.25 each which I had. Beds were comfortable, sink and telly in room, packed lunch was nice, breakfast served (on request) at 7.30am no problems. One of the dogs could be noisy and lively until he was returned to behind a closed door. Overall, quite happy and it is right on the path.

"No license, but she had two cans of Carlsberg available at £1.25 each".
So if she is contravening licensing laws is she also ignoring fire regulations and health regulations and failing to pay VAT, income tax etc ? Surely not the sort of establishment anyone would want to recommend on here.