Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
We are a Fairy-tale Shire with various accommodations, including a Shire House, Shepherds huts, Story Book holiday cottage, caravan and camping, etc. We also do Enchanted weddings. We are a young family with passion and drive for creating the most magical place for families. We came with nothing and have worked hard to get to where we are now. We value our customers very much and do try to make people very happy as we get a lot out of that, especially seeing children (large and small ) with huge smiles of excitement on their faces; that is just awesome. We do what we love and we love what we do!
We stayed at the Groundskeepers Cottage and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
We had zero interactions with our hosts during our stay and had no issues on site, the instructions regarding our arrival were clear and straightforward.
On arrival we were greeted by a peacock and a couple of chickens which was a nice experience.
On entry to the Groundskeeper’s cottage we were absolutely delighted and were blown away by the attention to detail that has been given, we half expected Hagrid to appear.
There were treats / snacks left for us which was nice and much appreciated, we absolutely loved everything about the cottage, it was warm, clean and was well equipped, a very authentic experience (very few Aragogs too)
There are lots of places to visit within a short enough distance from the location, we enjoyed a meal out at the nearby Waterwheel Inn yesterday evening (29/10/24) and thoroughly enjoyed it if anyone didn’t want to cook.
This is a highly recommended experience, it was a truly magical stay.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in The Shire House for my partners 50th Birthday with our family, an avid LOTR fan & it was a huge hit! Completely unique and far less effort than going all the way to NZ.
We received all of our welcome information prior to our arrival & was so easy to find. The accommodation was spectacular & spotlessly clean, which was impressive given the number of nooks & crannies everywhere. Everytime we looked around we found another little fun detail.
It was so cosy and warm, despite the freezing temperatures outside. There's a small TV & all of the Special Edition DVDs to watch & we spent the weekend binging them all. There's also a wide selection of themed games & books. Good WiFi too, an important one for bigger kiddos. 2 bedrooms, with 2 teenagers in one, parents & baby in the other. The beds are curtained so everyone still had some privacy. There's a pull-out trundle underneath that we didn't require for our stay.
The double bedroom had the same inbuilt curtained bed & was the comfiest I've ever slept in, it was dreamy. It is high & accessed by small steps. We brought our Next2me crib for the baby & it fit perfectly at the side of the double. A full size travel cot may be a squeeze but would fit easily in the living room or second bedroom.
Kitchen is small & efficient with a kettle, microwave/oven. All pots, pans, utensils, crockery provided. Bathroom has a deep & luxurious bath, toilet & sink with hand towel provided (you need to bring your own bath towels). Note, there's no shower, only a bath.
We didn't explore the site though I did note a playground. It was -2 so we stayed cosy indoors. Though we did head out for stargazing at night, which was really special. We had a beautiful view out of the front door too, just like looking out onto The Shire.
Would recommend to any LOTR fans
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed two nights at the ground keepers cottage in North Shire for our anniversary as I am a huge Harry Potter fan!
We were given an email with instructions on where to park, to bring our own towels and where the key would be located. I think some people would prefer to actually meet their host, but for us we didn't mind this and it all seemed straight forward enough and we had the place to ourselves which was good.
First impressions of the camp site I did think that it could do with a little freshen up in areas such as the playground bit for if we brought our child but as soon as I saw the Ground Keeper hut I thought "wow". The outside is magnificent especially from a far, really so much detail has gone into it! And it made me feel so excited as a Fan. There was also the Weasley car outside which made for great photo opportunity and pumpkins - yay!. My partner is a "muggle" and not really a fan of Harry Potter but he was impressed with the car and he loved the look of the hut... We took so many photographs which will be going in frames. Where lacks attention in our opinion is the actual ground around the hut, it seems abit "unloved". I understand you could say this is part of the effect, but there is actually rubbish under the stairs of the hut which is visible, even a tub of water and used cigarettes. The seating behind the hut (picnic bench) would be so cool if the grass and bushes were cut back abit, and some care was given just to make it as magical as the accommodation itself. I'm only noting these details because I think some minor tweaks would give the place the 5 star and you can see where it was once looked after.
But anyway, enough of the negative! The hut inside is absolutely amazing. Well worth the travel down, and I would come back again! The details you have added are really good. We especially loved the bath - the peacock friend who visited us and the fact we had a thunder storm whilst there. It was a dream to hear the storm while watching the dvd of Harry Potter that you provided.
I would say that a couple of things do need to be checked though, such as light bulbs, crockery as some were chipped and just overall minor little things inside each room. If you're going to add a lovely touch of a chocolate cake maybe not already opened and cut into - we didn't really want to eat what someone else might have touched so threw it away. But thank you for the biscuits :)
It's been a great experience on the whole and one to tick off the bucket list.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Check out local places such as Whitby, Saltburn and Robin Hoods bay!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have just returned from two nights at the Groundkeepers Hut after being amazed at the photos online.
First impressions upon arrival were very good, the location is beautiful and we loved the peacock and looking out for him whenever we were on our way out. The hut looks amazing from the outside and as two Potterheads we appreciated the details such as the big pumpkins and the enchanted car. Once inside we were greeted by some complimentary snacks (biscuits, cake, crisps) which was very nice.
Unfortunately for the price we feel as if the place needed some maintenance and upkeep. For example, the floor is just made up of wooden slats which were creaky, uneven and not lacquered so quite splintery. In between the slats there was so much build up of dust and dirt - in general the floor just seemed very unclean. The doors do not shut properly and the curtains don’t close fully so there is lack of privacy. On the topic of the curtains, I think they should be replaced with black outs because each morning I was woken up by the light at 4am and struggled to get back to sleep. The bedding is very old, thin and bobbly so it needs replacing. The bed itself was quite comfy and I had no problem with that. There was a lot of dust especially around the dado rails, but again they hadn’t been finished off with lacquer/varnish so I imagine this would make them hard to clean. The WiFi also did not work so this needs looking into.
The bathroom was relatively clean and bath was nice although the plug to the bath had a hair bobble tied around it? Little things like this just need replacing to make it more comfortable for guests. A full body mirror would also be nice as there are only two small ones for getting ready. The rugs also need replacing as they are very old and smelled quite damp.
Overall I did enjoy my stay here as a Harry Potter fan but I would have felt a lot more comfortable if these small details were looked into and if there was a higher standard of cleanliness and hygiene
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Bring ear plugs and an eye mask. The curtains don’t block any light and there’s a cattle grid...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where to begin… As you first walk in you really appreciate the uniqueness of the place and all the little touches with soft furnishings and decor make you feel very hobbit-like and at home. Then reality sets in.
There was no shower, which although not a dealbreaker for some, felt should have been pointed out on the listing as daily baths are not for everyone. We also discovered during our stay that the campsite shower blocks had water switched off, likely as we were staying out of season but still, a heads up would have been nice.
Not only did we not receive any welcome package as mentioned in previous reviews, we also soon discovered the first evening of our stay that we had no hot water or heating, in January. Some credit to the owners who, once we messaged them on the Facebook page sent round presumably a handyman, though he never introduced himself as such. After stating that it was a fault with the boiler and more tricky to fix than initially thought, we elected to go to the pub down the road for dinner (especially given as there are minimal utensils in the kitchen and only an oven setting on the microwave no oven). We then heard no updates over the next couple of hours so had to message again to find out what was going on, and were told they needed to get someone out to repair the following day. In the meantime we were offered to use the shower facilities in another accommodation (which when my dad went to investigate found a room full of dirty wet towels which had clearly just been vacated and not yet cleaned).
Anyway, the following day we went out for the day and heard absolutely nothing for several hours, no reply to our messages enquiring as to whether it had been fixed, and turned up to the property in the evening to find thankfully it had been sorted in spite of lack of communication. No compensation was offered for the 24+ hours we spent without heating or hot water and in fact no reply was offered at all when the owners were made aware of this via email.
Aside from this, the WiFi works only intermittently, the mirror has no bathroom or plugs for electric toothbrush/razors, half the springs were gone in the mattress in the double room, and we had a mouse friend that could be heard scurrying around at night which certainly raises concerns about the cleanliness of the place.
All in all one of the most overrated stays I’ve had and certainly not worth the cost. Get the impression most of their income comes from the wedding side of the business and myself and my family felt utterly ignored throughout our stay. Will not be returning.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Don’t waste your money
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The concept is good in Story Book Cottage and a wow initial impression from the children however ……..
The place was filthy ! Ironic that there’s a sign asking to leave the place clean! No cleaning equipment except for 1 J cloth and washing up liquid ! We bought cleaner and I can say the kitchen is cleaner than we found it although drew the line at cleaning the oven which was disgusting and looked like never been cleaned. The kitchen was poorly equipped no toaster or microwave, or oven gloves. Again ironic since the eight seater table but unable to make even breakfast given the inadequate kitchen facilities and equipment. Black mould around outside door which is unacceptable. No comfy place to sit except at the table. Poor internet which is not acceptable in this day and age. One of the family had to log on to a zoom call and was impossible. Don’t hold yourself out for exceptional accommodation and fail to deliver. No ability to contact customer services onsite in event of a problem. Bedrooms. Beds up stairs were creaky, noisy and uncomfortable? Bathrooms again style over substance; poorly finished, tiles buckling and no usable mirror. No plug in sink. Baths looked grimy and not recently cleaned. Floors dirty and stained. Dangerous light fitting over shower, loose and not working. The bedrooms were dusty and felt grimy
Outside was unkept and bin store disgusting; basic facilities needed to keep rats away.
Hot tub worked for three nights and then wouldn’t heat. No instructions or an ability to get assistance.
Summing up poor dirty and tired. Poorly maintained and certainly not worth the cost. We’ve hired holiday cottages all over the county and are experienced holiday cottage owners ourselves and this was the worst place we’ve ever rented and stayed.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have just got back from a 2 day trip to North Shire. We stayed in the Groundskeepers Hut after seeing all the pictures online.
We arrived just after check-in time and the key was in the door as stated in the pre-check in information. The directions were clear on how to get to both North Shire and the hut.
Initial impressions were amazing, the attention to detail in terms of adding those extra bits to make it more like Hagrids Hut were great. We do however feel that for over £200 a night there were some basic things missing and/or missed.
The kitchen was well equipped, but the cutlery and plates were dirty so we did need to re wash before use. The bathroom looked incredible but the sink tap didn’t feel secure and there was no mirror in the bathroom (also no shower which didn’t bother us but may be an issue for some)
The room was okay, but the bedding seemed extremely old and well worn! We had to strip the beds at the end of our stay and the actual duvet had seen better days. The door in the bedroom let a lot of draft in over night even with the draft excluder.
The noise at night was slightly annoying, there is a cattle grid located just outside the site which cars drive over at all hours - this obviously isn’t the owners fault but if your planning a visit just take earplugs.
Overall a pleasant stay in a great location, but overpriced for what it was. Small additions could massively improve the experience and wouldn’t take much to sort.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed in the Gatekeepers Cottage for two nights as a birthday treat and we had a fantastic stay. So much time and effort had been made to make the cottage authentic and in theme, a lot of places working a Harry Potter theme might have just done the bare minimum but so much effort had been put in with little touches like books, dvds, games as well as the decor. I own a property management company that specialises in cleaning holiday rentals so I notice every little thing when staying somewhere and I can honestly say the place was immaculate. Whoever cleans the properties between stays is a credit. Bed was very comfortable and even though the wind was howling outside its was cosy and warm the minute we walked in the door. Only slight negatives where the close by cattle grid was very noisy as traffic went over it waking us up when traffic started around 6am but it’s not something they can really do anything about themselves. Also the sheets and duvet cover are starting to get a think and bobbly so could do with replacing.
P.S. that bath is incredible! I wanted to take it home.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were expertly looked after by Carol and her team from the very first look around nearly 2 years ago with a view to booking it for my daughter’s wedding until the big day itself last weekend. They are so experienced and offered lots of friendly help, advice & ideas to help us create the perfect day. North Shire don’t do your ‘standard’ wedding - they listen to your ideas and work with you to produce a truly unique & magical experience. All our guests were in awe of The Enchanted Barn and were full of praise for all the staff. We need to give an extra special shout-out to Karl, Heather & Erica for going above & beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly on the day- true professionals!! I honestly can’t praise them or thank them enough! We were allowed to bring in our own caterers of choice and band for the evening, and bar prices are similar to what you would expect to pay in a pub. (Our guests didn’t feel ripped off like at some Wedding venues!) Due to the unpredictable weather in this country North Shire set up both the orangery and their lovely lawned area which looks out to sea for the ceremony. Allowing us to make the final decision on which to use just an hour beforehand. Thankfully the weather was great so we opted for outside. We had 24 guests who stayed overnight who all seemed to enjoy their unique and quirky accommodation. So Thankyou Team North Shire! You are amazing!!
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Overnight guests need to bring towels. All accommodation is self catering, they only have...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from North Shire, Owner at North Shire
Responded Jul 8, 2022
Hi HitchMarianne, what amazing feedback! We can not thank you enough for your heartfelt comments. It was our absolute pleasure to welcome you and all the other wedding party to North Shire. The wedding day was amazing and we truly enjoyed celebrating such a special day with you all. We hope to see you again some day in the near future. Please also forward on our best wishes to the newly weds and their married life to come!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Hobbit house has been thoughtfully created and the attention to detail is great, they have some nice touches to the hobbit theme, but the accommodation is all packed together into one area.
When we stayed the property looked tired and needed some TLC, the bathroom door with sticky & felt worn, it didn't feel like deserved the premium price.
The hobbit house sleeps up to 6, but there are only 4 in the seating area meaning we could not all sit in the lounge. The bathroom is great but its not practical to have multiple baths, if you wanted to use a shower you had to go outside and use the campsite showers.
We found the boiler quite noisy in one of the sleeping areas which woke us up early.
We we arrived there was milk in the fridge and a supermarket bought cake, such a same when there is a great bakery just down the road in Danby selling home baked cakes for less than a fiver, they should really be support other local businesses
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Date of stay: April 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
North Yorkshire, United Kingdom132 contributions12 helpful votes
Hhello my love
Dogs welcome on a lead at all times and poo bagged and binned
Dogs are an extra £10 per night
If you can call hq and let them know your bringing a pooch then can take the payment
Very best wishes Carol
There are more places to choose from in the Liverton area.
PRICE RANGE
$236 - $387 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Golden Hill Farm North Shire
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandYorkshireNorth YorkshireSaltburn-by-the-SeaLiverton
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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