Wildlife Breaks in Yorkshire’s Nature Triangle

At Broadgate Farm, you are nestled right in the heart of Yorkshire's Nature Triangle. Our award winning farm cottages are ideally placed to enjoy spectacular local wildlife right on your doorstep, or to serve as a base for day trips to encounter something truly special across the rolling Wolds landscape and dramatic coastline.

From resident barn owls patrolling our fields to otters in the chalk streams, or charismatic puffins at Bempton, there is plenty to inspire everyone from casual nature lovers to keen enthusiasts.

You do not have to travel far to experience nature. Speedy swallows call the farm home all summer, their liquid calls making the perfect soundtrack to a warm evening barbecue. In the fields, our resident barn owls patrol the woodland all year round on silent wings, providing a wonderful sight at dawn and dusk. Buzzards circle high on warm thermals, and you might catch the unmistakable sight of a red kite with its shimmering rust red wings and forked tail.

The incredible wetlands and nature reserves nearby offer even more discoveries. The reserve at North Cave Wetlands boasts excellent viewing areas and a picnic spot. In summer, it becomes a home to exquisite avocets, kingfishers, and brilliant dragonflies. During winter, the pools come alive with thousands of colourful wildfowl including wigeon, teal, and pintail, all under the watchful eye of visiting marsh harriers and peregrine falcons.

As you head toward the coast, the expansive wetlands of Tophill Low offer one of the most reliable areas in the region for spotting otters and water voles. They can often be seen playing in the pools by the River Hull. In summer, wild orchids colour the pathways and terns nest raucously on specially created islands, while magnificent ospreys often drop in for a spot of fishing during spring and autumn.

On our spectacular coastlines, you will encounter the famous seabird cities, jostling for position on the spectacular cliffs at Bempton colourful puffins can be spotted among a colony of 250,000 guillemots, kittiwakes, and razorbills. Also home to England’s only mainland gannetry, active from April to August. Local boat trips can give you a seals eye view of the action below the 400 foot cliffs, where gannets dive into the sea at an impressive 70 miles per hour. If the underwater world fascinates you, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Living Seas Centre at Flamborough is the perfect place to kick start your exploration of the shoreline.

Further south lies Spurn Point, known as Yorkshire's Lands End, a wilderness like nowhere else. A rich history of lost medieval villages, wartime exploits, and the constant challenge of nature make this a truly remarkable place to explore. Visitors can take a low tide walk to the newly restored 128 foot lighthouse, the visitor centre or book an organised 4x4 safari adventure. This unusual coastal location means that spring and autumn bring a thrilling rush of wildlife migrations from around the globe.

We provide a wealth of local guide information for your stay, and we have done everything possible to encourage and protect wildlife habitats right around our holiday cottages. Our sincere thanks go to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and iStock for some of the local wildlife photography displayed.