As we made our way down a winding, country road in the dark, stillness of night it was the fairy lights that guided us to our final resting place. With a myriad of twinkly lights, the woodshed and the fire pit were lit up guiding us to where we’d be spending the next two (blissful) nights. It had this, middle of nowhere, completely “at one with nature” vibe as soon as we arrived at the North Star Club in Sancton. I immediately felt at home within moments of arriving.
Located in the sleepy village of Sancton, not too far from Market Weighton, the area is on the border of the Yorkshire Wolds. That means you get the best of both worlds of being able to visit my beloved home town of York within 45 minutes or head to the East Coast in the hour.
As we checked in, a lovely girl showed us round the Woodshed so we could get our bearings of what essentially is the main hub on site, and I quickly grabbed a griddle and utensils for our very outdoor, Bear Grylls-esque steak dinner that we were going to cook in candlelight. Sounds dreamy right? I know.
The idea of no TV for a bit of late night viewing as you slowly slip off to sleep would have horrified me many moons ago, however, here at the North Star Club it just felt right. There was no need for a TV, not when you had the pleasure of cooking your dinner outside on the veranda, a log fire to keep you warm and toasty whilst sipping on a glass of red all whilst the sound of nothing rung through your ears.
No. You didn’t need a TV. Not one, little bit.
I got to indulge in my first ever, toasted marshmallow. I know, what have I been doing all my life will be being shouted at a few computer or phone screens as they read this. But tucked up in bed one night, I finally tasted heaven on a fork – Mr C couldn’t quite believe I’d never eaten the gooey, deliciousness before. It’s safe to say that my first won’t be my last.
We stayed for two, rather glorious, nights. So each evening we would let the remnants of the fire burn out, keeping us toasty as we fell in to a deep, very comfortable sleep in an even more comfortable bed. Each morning Mr C would get up and set the fire going again and I’d make a cup of tea for us both to take back to bed, as we lazily woke up from our slumber. I mean, what other way would you like to start and finish the day? I can’t think of anything better!
And, I need to tell you about the showers. Because, legitimately, I have never stayed somewhere where the water comes so hot in the shower straight away. Plus, the power of it made it very hard to step out of. Had I have wanted to have turned in to a wrinkly prune, that shower is where you would find me.
And, whilst the little log cabin was hard to slip away from, after our second cup of tea of the morning and a BBQ’ed bacon sandwich, the 500 acres of woodland needed to be explored, even on a cold winters day…
Sadly, we didn’t get to explore as much as we would have hoped as a lot of the woodland was cordoned off due to local, winter beating meet. So we pottered around where we could and I managed to get some amazing photos on my new 35mm lens. Despite the gun shot sounds every so often, it was so peaceful just being outdoors and away from it all.
We had a lovely time chatting away, catching up, talking about the plans we wanted to make during the Christmas break (my suggestion of a New Years break back to the North Star Club were sadly squashed as Mr C reeled off a long to-do list for us both. Le sigh.)
On that cold, December, Friday night we had arrived I had spied a pile of board games in the Woodshed that I had threatened Mr C with. With the promise of a hot drink and a homemade brownie he agreed to a couple of games in the warm indoors.
We spent a couple of hours or so in the relaxing area of the Woodshed. With another roaring fire, a coffee machine and plenty of board games to keep us entertained, the twinkly lights flashed on and off which certainly got me feeling festive.
We were even greeted by one of the local spaniels, who was absolutely adorable! (And so well-behaved. It put our dog to shame!)
And, of all the games we picked to play, it was the classic noughts and crosses that had us engrossed for the largest part of time. We tried to dupe each other in to making silly moves and tried to mastermind a foolproof way of winning the game. It certainly had us stumped at times, but whilst we drank a milky coffee each, toasted our legs up in front of the fire – it was without a doubt one of the most perfect moments spent together in 2017.
My only regret is that we didn’t book a pamper treatment in our cabin with a local beauty therapist. But, all was put right with a cosy afternoon back at the lodge with a lit fire, some nibbles, another cup of tea and a good book before we headed out to dinner.
I have to say, as we packed up our bags (whilst having one more final cup of tea!) on that Sunday morning it was one of those bittersweet feelings. I was ever so sad to be leaving the North Star Club but there was a feeling inside that it wouldn’t be the last time we ever headed there. I completely, utterly, 100% fell in love with the place and it’s ethic of a real “getaway from it all” experience. It was a weekend that I had desperately needed and I think Mr C was grateful for time together too.
So, thank you for having us North Star Club, I’m sure it won’t be the last I see of you (I have a husband’s 30th Birthday to plan in 2018!) it was truly a weekend I won’t forget and will definitely be rushing back to, to revisit.
If you’d like to check availability at this gorgeous, woodland retreat, click here
Are you thinking of heading to the North Star Club for a dreamy, weekend getaway?
Bee
Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin | Pinterest | Facebook
*Our stay was provided free of charge, but all thoughts and opinion in this review are solely mine after an incredible experience!
I love to hear from my readers! Leave me a comment 🙂