Member Article

Duffields are thrilled by a major award for their holiday lodges at Leyburn

Leading northern trainer Ann Duffield and her legendary jockey husband George are “thrilled” after winning a major award for their luxury log cabin development at their Sun Hill stables in Constable Burton, near Leyburn.

The Duffields’ log cabin development has been named as one of the finest in the north of England by Hoseasons Holidays.

Dan Cook, national brand manager for Hoseasons, commented: “The Duffields deserve massive congratulations on winning this award. It really is a fantastic achievement.”

“The award is worked out by complaint ratios and customer feedback. The feedback indicated that Sun Hill’s customer service was exceptional and fully deserved to be named as one of the three best lodge locations in the whole of the north of England,” explained Mr Cook.

Ann Duffield commented: “We are thrilled by this award. We have worked tremendously hard to make our log cabins luxurious and welcoming and to get this prestigious accolade makes us very proud.”

She explained: “Since our log cabins opened in October last year, they have proved immensely popular and their high occupancy rate has both delighted and astounded us. This amazing take-up is way beyond our expectations.

“The bookings have been pouring in this year. What is especially gratifying is that a significant proportion of these are repeats. We have taken re-bookings for Christmas and New Year this year, and 2015 is already getting booked up, for example,” she explained.

“We knew that our location was very special and that the lodges were beautifully designed and furnished, but, nonetheless, we are thrilled with the positive feedback we have received on the independent REEVOO website, where we are scoring very highly indeed”.

The development at Sun Hill has cost in excess of £700.000 and has been supported by a 35 per cent grant from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It is estimated the new log cabins will provide a minimum of £500,000 annual boost to the Wensleydale and wider North Yorkshire economy where local pubs and restaurants are already seeing the benefits of this extra business.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “It’s great to hear this new development has proved so popular, so quickly. It shows the strength and popularity of Yorkshire tourism and long may it continue.”

The four cabins, which boast superb views over the stunning Wensleydale landscape, are situated next door to the Sun Hill gallops. They comprise one one-bed cabin; two two-bed cabins; and one three-bed cabin and have been designed and built to the highest specification. They all have hot tubs.

The lodges are called Spindrifter, Alborada, Pivotal and Woodlands Corner, the first three named after famous horses George Duffield rode and the fourth after Ann’s first business, Woodlands Nursing Home in Liverpool.

Ann Duffield explained: “It was important for us to diversify and we already have two very popular holiday cottages. We are blessed with an amazing location at Sun Hill and we thought we would make the most of it. The top field, next to the gallops, was not being used, and ideally located to enjoy the spectacular views and to see horses in training, so we wanted to develop it in a sensitive and creative way’’.

“We are extremely grateful to DEFRA for their grant, which has enabled us to turn an ambitious dream into a reality,” she added.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .