Ivy Cottage Bed & Breakfast

About this stay

Ivy Cottage Bed & Breakfast is a 3-star hotel in Darlington, England.

Looking for a straightforward base in England? Ivy Cottage Bed & Breakfast in Darlington covers the essentials and sits near central Darlington.

Book Ivy Cottage Bed & Breakfast through app.impt.io at the same live rate you would find anywhere else, with free cancellation on most rooms. Every completed booking funds one verified tonne of carbon removal — paid from the standard commission the hotel already covers, never added to your bill.

The honest picture of Ivy Cottage

Ivy Cottage is a small bed and breakfast rather than a hotel in the lobby-and-lift sense, and the listing's "Richmond" address is a reminder to check the map before you book: the property is in the countryside between Darlington and Richmond, in the rolling farmland that separates Teesside from Swaledale. It is a three-star, no-drama kind of place — a cooked breakfast, a comfortable room, free parking on site, and a host who will tell you where the good pub is. If you are expecting a spa and a concierge, look elsewhere; if you want a well-kept B&B with a proper bath and a quiet night, this is the sort of place that has quietly kept that trade alive.

The facilities list is a fair summary of what matters on a short break: housekeeping, an iron and board, a hairdryer, toiletries and towels all come as standard, and the kitchen will handle special diets if you say so when booking. Carpets and an alarm clock tell you what kind of room it is — warm, traditional, not minimalist. Breakfast comes with the room, and lunch is available, which is more than a lot of small places offer.

The countryside and towns around it

Richmond, twenty minutes west, is the obvious day out: a Norman castle on its cliff above the Swale, the largest cobbled market place in the country, the Georgian theatre built in 1788, and the old station now converted into a food and craft hall. The riverside walk from Richmond down the Swale to Easby Abbey, a ruined Premonstratensian house in a meadow, takes about half an hour each way and is worth every step of it. A little further on are Barnard Castle, with the Bowes Museum and its silver swan automaton, and the high fells of Swaledale beyond Reeth.

Darlington itself, fifteen minutes east, has the restored Victorian market hall, the Head of Steam railway museum in the old North Road station — the town is where passenger railways began in 1825 — and the Dolphin Centre for a rainy afternoon swim. Southwards, the Vale of York opens up with Kiplin Hall, a Jacobean house in gardens near Scorton, and Northallerton's market and racecourse. Teesside and the coast are half an hour to forty minutes away if you want a change of scene.

Walkers are well placed: the Teesdale Way and the Swale Trail are both close, the Coast to Coast path passes through Richmond, and the farmland lanes around the cottage itself are easy cycling country. Bring decent shoes — this is mud-and-stiles walking, not a pavement stroll.

Arriving and getting about

A car is the practical answer. Darlington station on the East Coast Main Line is about fifteen minutes away with fast trains to London King's Cross, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh, so arriving by train and picking up a car or taxi at Darlington works well. The A1(M) at junction 56 or 58 and the A66 for Teesside are both short drives, which makes this a natural stop on a longer journey north or south — much more civilised than a motorway service area on the A1.

Free parking on site takes the nuisance out of the evening: Richmond's market place is best left to people who do not have a space waiting. If you are coming for a wedding, a reunion or a single night before a flight from Teesside Airport, tell the host your arrival time in advance, since small B&Bs are not staffed around the clock.

Best time to visit, and how long to stay

April to October is the season for the Dales, with June and September the sweet spots — the first for long evenings and green valleys, the second for quieter roads and lower rates. The Richmond Walking and Book Festival and the Georgian Theatre's summer season both fill the town in autumn, and the Christmas market at Richmond is worth a visit if you can take the cold. Winter is quiet, the countryside is honest about it, and rates drop accordingly.

Two nights is the sensible minimum: one for Richmond and Easby, one for Barnard Castle or Swaledale. Three if you want a proper walk without driving. For a transit stop one night is plenty, and midweek is cheaper than weekends almost all year.

Facilities

• Alarm clock
• Bath
• Bathroom
• Carpeted
• Free Wifi
• Free car parking
• Hairdryer
• Housekeeping
• Internet access
• Iron and board
• Lunch
• Non smoking rooms
• Parking
• Shower
• Special diets
• TV
• Toiletries
• Towels

All 20 facilities

• WC
• Wifi

Location

Richmond, Darlington, United Kingdom.

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