Alma Cottage is part of the stone terraced main street of the Lower Dales village of Kirkby Malzeard, in the Nidderdale area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, close to the North York Moors National Park. We believe it is over 200 years old and is named after the Battle of Alma in 1854. It still has most of its original style and features, including low beamed ceilings, but now has all modern facilities, including full central heating.
The cottage has 3 double bedrooms, one with a king-size double bed, the other 2 with twin beds, and there's a large bathroom. Downstairs there is a living room with wood-burning stove, dining room, kitchen with breakfast table, utility room and cloakroom with WC and washbasin. At the back there is a secluded walled garden with garden furniture, and a large secure garage.
Among the amenities of the cottage are TV, video, radio and CD player, telephone, microwave, automatic washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher. A cot and a high chair are available. We welcome children, but to protect those with allergies we do not normally accept dogs or cats or allow smoking in the house.
Kirkby Malzeard is a friendly village with a strong community life, and we hope visitors will make use of the facilities here. There is an excellent butcher's shop just across the road, and a post office, while Kirkby Stores stocks just about everything including videos, daily papers and milk. There is a parish church, a Methodist chapel, two pubs, a Mechanics Institute (village hall) which runs various events and a garage. There is a part-time fish and chip shop and a tea shop which also serves lunches in summer. For young children there is a playing field close by.
The beautiful Dales countryside around the village is ideal for walking, cycling and riding, and you will find more ideas about this among the tourist information in the cottage, along with some maps and guidebooks. Birdwatchers will find much to interest them and should bring their binoculars. Kirkby Malzeard is famed in folk circles for having its own traditional sword dance, and morris and sword dancers often visit the village to dance by the market cross.
We're close to Ripon with its historic cathedral, museums, market square and racecourse, and to the World Heritage site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens, with hundreds of acres of woodland and deer park. Newby Hall, an Adam house with extensive beautiful gardens, is also close by, and at Harrogate we have the Royal Horticultural Society's 68-acre Harlow Carr Botanical Garden.
Many other places lie within easy reach for a day out, including York, Skipton Castle, Harewood House and Castle Howard, or you can take a trip on a steam railway or go down a cave. There are swimming pools at Ripon and Harrogate, nearest cinema is at Harrogate. Lightwater Valley Country Theme Park is just outside Ripon and offers an exciting day out for the family.