As a party of six (including Charlie the black lab!) with ages ranging from 14 - early 70s we all found Lilac Cottage to be clean, comfortable and homely. There was plenty of room including a well-equipped kitchen/dining area which allowed us all to sit together for meals. All the bedrooms were nicely decorated and one had an en-suite complete with jacuzzi bath, which the ladies particularly enjoyed! The only thing to note, not as a criticism but an observation, is the main bathroom has a shower cubicle which has no door but instead a partial screen enclosure. This often allowed water to escape the cubicle and land on the floor outside resulting in soaking wet floor mats. It certainly didn't stop us using the shower but is something to be aware of. In all other respects we really enjoyed the cottage. There is also a well-kept enclosed garden and on sunny days it's a peaceful place to sit and relax.
The village of Redmire is lovely, well-located for the main roads if you want to travel around the area and all the locals we met were very friendly and wouldn't pass by without at least saying hello. The village pub, The Bolton Arms, is definitely recommended and as well as a good choice of drinks does excellent meals. For general grocery shopping there is a large Tesco store at Catterick and a well-stocked store, Campbells of Leyburn, both of which are a short drive away. The area around Redmire is beautiful and there are lots of pretty villages and attractions to see. Local highlights include the impressive Bolton Castle, Aysgarth Falls and The Forbidden Corner which are all only minutes by car from the cottage and within walking distance if you feel so inclined! There are cinemas in Catterick and Richmond, the latter being housed in the old railway station which is worth visiting in itself and also does good food. By car there is obviously a huge amount to see and do both locally and further afield, with all the Dales, the Moors, the Coast and York being easily accessible...…..running out of time to do everything you want is the biggest problem!
Overall, we would have no hesitation in returning to Lilac Cottage and would recommend it 100%. A note about the owners - we only met them briefly one day and they were heading off for a short break themselves but a few days later we had a slight issue with the front door lock. Typically enough, it happened at night. Anyway, a couple of text messages exchanged with the owners and a locksmith was arranged for the following morning. Excellent service and very reassuring to have such attentive and helpful owners so a big thumbs up to them.