Hutton-le-Hole

Introducing Hutton-le-Hole

A contender for best-looking village in Yorkshire, Hutton-le-Hole may sound odd but it’s actually a wonderful collection of gorgeous stone cottages centred on a village green, an undulating grassy expanse with a stream creating a small valley that divides the village in two. The dips and hollows on the green might give the village its name – it was once called simply Hutton Hole, but posh wannabe Victorians added the Frenchified ‘le’, which the locals defiantly pronounce ‘lee’. Its popularity as an understated tourist destination has twee-ified the place somewhat, but it’s lovely for a stroll and a streamside picnic.

The tourist office (417367; 10am-5.30pm mid-Mar–early Nov) has leaflets on walks in the area, including a 5-mile circuit to the nearby village of Lastingham.

Attached to the tourist office is the largely open-air Ryedale Folk Museum (417367; www.ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk; adult/child £4.50/3; 10am-dusk Mar-Oct, to 5.30pm Nov-Feb), a constantly expanding collection of North York Moors buildings from different eras, including a medieval manor house, simple farmers’ houses, a blacksmith’s forge and a row of 1930s village shops. Demonstrations and displays throughout the season give a pretty fascinating insight into local life as it was in the past.

The Daffodil Walk is a 2½-mile circular walk following the banks of the River Dove. As the name suggests, the main draws are the daffs, usually at their best in the last couple of weeks in April.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009