OUR STORY
Meet your hosts.
The story of how a quiet corner of woodland became an architect-designed escape on the Yorkshire Coast.
“The moment we turned into the driveway, we both looked at each other and said, “wow”.”
How it all began.
Jonny grew up in the area, and long before we ever imagined owning the property, it had been one of his best friend’s family homes for more than 30 years. In a full-circle moment, Jonny had even fitted the boiler here during his plumbing apprenticeship.
So when the property came up for sale in 2022, we had to take a look.
The moment we turned into the driveway, we both looked at each other and said, “wow”.
Tucked away in its own little woodland, the plot felt instantly special. The house needed a lot of love, but we could picture a future here. A home with space to raise our family and, in one quiet corner overlooking the field, the perfect spot for something else.
That’s where the idea for The Lodge began.
Built around the trees.
With Jonny’s dad being an architect, ideas soon became plans. From the beginning, we had one non-negotiable: no trees would be felled.
The Lodge was designed around the landscape, sitting on screw foundations that allowed us to build without a concrete base and minimise disturbance to the roots below.
Natural materials, floor-to-ceiling windows and carefully framed views bring the outside in, while everything around the cabin has been left as close as possible to how we found it.
A labour of love.
The build took 18 months, with weekends, evenings and plenty of help from friends and family along the way. Our youngest daughter was even born right in the middle of it all.
In December 2024, after everything that had gone into creating it, we welcomed our first guests.
It felt pretty surreal.
“Open the curtains in the morning and the windows frame trees that have stood here for around a century.”
A little piece of Yorkshire.
Open the curtains in the morning and the windows frame trees that have stood here for around a century. Step outside with a coffee and you'll find Adirondack chairs on the deck, a little nod to Laura’s Canadian roots.
Beyond the trees, we're lucky to have the North York Moors and Yorkshire Coast on our doorstep, with Robin Hood’s Bay, Whitby and Scarborough all within easy reach.
We’re also proud to help care for a five-mile stretch of the Cleveland Way between Scalby Mills and Hayburn Wyke, part of our commitment to looking after the landscape that makes this place so special.
The Lodge has become far more than the little cabin we first imagined in that corner of the garden.
We hope you love it, and this special part of Yorkshire, as much as we do.
Laura & Jonny x