Thornton-le-Dale, East Hill Farm

What an awful place. Cancelled my booking because someone offered more money leaving two couples without a place to stay over new year. My partner is a submariner only home for one week and his brother was intending to propose whilst we were there. I think its atrocious that the owner could do this and offer no reasonable excuse. I cannot recommend and I can honestly say this joke of a business has ruined my partners one week of leave before returning to sea and my brother in laws proposal as it is now too late to book anything else. I will be contacting and reviewing everywhere so no one else books without the knowledge that the owner cancels without thought, care or professionalism. If anyone is interested in hearing the sorry excuse for the business owner carelessly ruining our plans I have the call recorded and all emails saved absolute joke.

Having just completed our 6th visit to East Hill Farm in Thorton le Dale, I felt it was time to review our latest stay. Again, we were in the Pines, one of 3 identical Pine Lodges situated over looking open countryside. The accomodation sleeps up to 6 and includes a double bedroom, a twin beded room and a pull out sofa bed in the living area. There is a shower room with large shower, toilet and sink basin - all bathroom cleaning aids are supplied. The living accomodation includes the sofabed a normal sofa TV/DVD & Video; the kitchen area includes seating at a table for 6, fitted kitchen microwave, washing machine and dishwasher; a supply of kitchen cleaning items is also included. Everything in the Lodge is electric.

Access to the lodges used to be by 3 steps, but is now by a timber decking ramp, so the accomodation is now accesible for those less mobile.

There are other accomodation available, including a larger Woodland lodge (sleeps upto 11) situated on 2 floors with its own private access. In the Farm House there again is more accomodation units sleeping 2-10. Some Farm House accomodation may get road noise from the Pickering Scarborough Rd.

Other facilities include a laundry room, jacuzzi, games room, pitch and put, a tennis court, childrens outdoor toys, a sand pit , swings and tree house with slide. The laundry room has 2 tumble driers, supplied by coin meter. Some of the childrens toys (bikes & go carts) have been around as long as we have been going and are showing signs of being past it. The games room has a snooker table and darts. There is also a BBQ area, set well away from any accomodation. As I have said there is a jacuzzi, yet to be used by us.

There is a reception area in the main farm house, manned most of the time. There are supplies of leaflets to the local attractions available here - the same lealfets are included in information folders in each unit., these folders also include instructions for items like the Microwave and dishwasher. You can order milk and eggs to be delivered, the eggs are from the farm and the milk is milkman supplied and thus very expensive - 20 litres of milk and 6 eggs cost £18!

Staying at Easthill is average priced. The Pine Lodges are £250 low season upto £620 high season. see the Easthill web site for more details http://www.easthill-farm-holidays.co.uk/index3.html

When in Thorton Dale, you can get to Whitby, by car or by steam train from Pickering, Scarborough, Dalby Forest is minutes asway by car and cost £7. If you like theme parks, Flamingoland is nr Pickering £72 for a family ticket.. Or of course walk around the Village. The village has a nice fish and chip shop, a Costcutter Store, 2 bakeries and several restaurants and a pub.

Ideally you need a car, but ther is a regular bus service. the 840 covers as far West as Leeds, York & Malton each have railway stations. and the coast to Whitby and Scarborough. Plus the moors bus service to reach those out of the way places like Rosedale & Hutton le Hole.