A B&B that's a 1969 Royale caravan full of vintage bric-a-brac offers cosy comfort, and a steadfast base for exploring York and North Yorkshire
Now, that is a surprise. I am sitting in a caravan, in Britain. And it's not raining. A rare dry night in Yorkshire, however, is nothing compared to the overall novelty of Beryl's Bed & Breakfast.
Beryl, the 1969 Royale caravan in which I'm staying (a sought-after model, apparently), lives in Fran Davis's large garden, an immaculate plot in the smart Leeds/York commuter village of Wistow, but one idiosyncratically stamped with Fran's goth-cum-steampunk tastes. There's a Jacuzzi, a ping pong table and croquet for guests, but also an old asylum bed hiding, half overgrown, in the shrubbery, next to a gazebo decorated with clocks and a stone skull. Fran's own camouflaged caravan, which flies a tattered jolly roger, stands nearby, ready for Glastonbury. "I just collect junk," she laughs. But this is no junkyard.
Tipped off by husband Steve (a builder, but the couple met as Butlin's redcoats), I strike out across neighbouring wheat fields to Cawood– 16th-century home to Cardinal Wolsey – and the Castle Inn. The inn serves honest, unfussy pub grub, including a steak and ale pie (£9.20) that is more platter than plateful. As one local quips, you need a spade with it not a fork. Later, I head to riverside real-ale hotspot the Ferry Inn (2 King Street, Selby, 01757 268515), where a pint of Leeds Pale costs a dangerously hospitable £2.50.
Limiting myself to just a couple, I head back to Beryl. Theoretically, she sleeps four, but I'd say two adults and a child would be the limit of her capacity. Unless everyone sat very, very still. Or spilled out onto the patio, with its cast-iron garden furniture and woodburning chimney.
Beryl is compact, then, but brilliantly dressed with vintage bric-a-brac – from Bowie mugs to issues of Photoplay Film Monthly – and, within certain limitations (there is electricity, but no gas, water or fridge), very well-equipped. You'll find everything from hand sanitiser to a hot water bottle, posh biscuits and a complimentary beer (Sainsbury's though, not local?) in there. Plus a record player and a stack of car boot vinyl.
Beryl's "double" bed is firm but comfortable. I'm snug as. But I'm glad I'm not sharing it with anyone. Thin curtains don't help me lie in, either. Attached to the house, where Fran serves a great, locally sourced breakfast, the guest bathroom has underfloor heating and free supplies of razors, aftershave and moisturiser. This is no draughty campsite shower-block. The van also has a flushable (who knew?) chemical toilet, for overnight. No solids, please.
Space issues notwithstanding, if you want a cheap base for York or a colourful weekend hideaway, what could be better? Kids, in particular, would love Beryl. As long as it doesn't rain.
• The trip was provided by Beryl's Bed & Breakfast. Train travel between Manchester and Selby was provided by First TransPennine Express (tpexpress.co.uk). For more information on York see visityork.org