Stable Barn's
Story
A photo of the old courtyard back in 2007 before conversion. You can see the back of Honey Dale.
Both cottages still have the original beams.
A very old image from the 1941 sale of Gritts farm by the Sledmere Estate.
A photo of the old courtyard back in 2007 before conversion. You can see the back of Honey Dale.
Stable Barn was originally built as an outbuilding for Gritts Farm some time around the 1850's. It's believed to have originally housed livestock and farm equipment. However just before it's conversion to a home it was being used as a lambing shed by the Watson family.
Gritts Farm itself was created by the Sykes family of Sledmere House/Estate. In fact it was Sir Christopher Sykes who decided there should be a farm here back in 1795. As large estates began to struggle it was agreed to sell the 620 acre Gritts Farm and a sale auction was planned for 1919 but postponed to 1941. The tenant at the time was Mr Thomas Mudd.
Much of the Thixendale area including the village and other local farms were also part of the sale in 1919. With Gritts Farm becoming owned by the previously tenanting Mudd family.
In 1958 ownership changed from the Mudd family to the Watson's as it continued to be worked as a mixed use farm. After Mr Watson's death it was broken up with the land and some farm barns being absorbed into Gill's Farm and the original farm buildings being sold as two private dwellings (now called Gritts and Grooms Houses).
As a result in 2008 Stable Barn was sold and converted over the next two years into the unique property it is today with it's two holiday cottages.
Lynn & Kris'
Story
Lynn and Kris on a recent walk near Kirkbymoorside
Lynn and Kris on a recent walk near Kirkbymoorside
Lynn and Kris on a recent walk near Kirkbymoorside
Lynn and Kris on a recent walk near Kirkbymoorside
We bought Stable Barn in 2021, renaming the holiday cottages after two of the many local dales - Honey Dale and Whay Dale. After many years raising our children, being active church members and working, we felt it was time for change and the right time to move from the city into the glorious Yorkshire countryside.
Lynn has spent most of her life in caring roles either at home, church, school or in her original career as a registered nurse. She is very creative and has recently rekindled her love of crafting, being greatly encouraged by the local Thixendale craft group.
Kris has spent most of his life in engineering roles, usually developing products and latterly driving R&D for a large company. In 2009 he was diagnosed with what was then thought to be terminal cancer on the liver. After a miraculous and fatiguingly long recovery he decided to take early 'retirement' in 2018.