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You are here >>> Assessment Centre >>> B&B and Working Holidays |
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| Border Collie Rescue - On Line - B&B and Working Breaks at Our Assessment Centre | |||
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Click on one of the links below to go directly to the section you are most interested in or simply scroll down. |
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Working Breaks/Weekends / Working Holidays at the BCR Assessment and Re-habilitation Centre |
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These facilities are being offered as a means of financing the centre and enabling the work of Border Collie Rescue to continue so please do not expect conventional standards of service to apply. The dogs will always come first so you may need to be a little flexible and understanding during your stay as we fit in looking after you with looking after them! After all is said, we are here to serve the dogs and you can help us if you come and stay with us as a paying guest and better still if you are prepared to help out while you stay with us. |
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If you stay with us you will be staying at a rescue centre for dogs - a love of canines is a pre-requisite! |
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About the facilities |
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We have two rooms available for guest accommodation at the centre - both sleep two. |
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| One room has a King Size Double Sleigh bed - the other has Twin divans. The two divans can be zipped together to form a Super King Size Double - 6 foot wide. The twin beds are 6'6" long to accommodate our taller guests. None of the rooms in the farmhouse are en-suite. | |||
| Both guest rooms have remote controlled TV, DVD player and Stereo Radio/CD player + alarm clock, steam iron and other useful provisions for short term and longer term guests comfort. The farmhouse has full central heating. | |||
| There is a residents lounge for the use of guests in the evenings with wide screen TV, DVD and Video player with 5.1 surround sound. During the day BCR may use this room for interviews so it is not always available for guests during the day. Outside we have gardens to the front of the house, facing south over the Vale of York. Both guest rooms and the lounge all face south, overlook the garden and have excellent views over surrounding countryside. | |||
| The origin and date of the farmhouse has been difficult to pin down but the location, as a place of human habitation, can be traced to Anglo-Saxon times and is on a high spot, known locally as Thorpe Hill. Thorpe, as a place name, is of Anglo-Saxon origin and loosely means 'overflow village'. It is thought that in times of trouble or perhaps flooding, the area was used as a retreat by the Saxon villagers who used to farm the valley. The property has been extended over centuries, the very original building now being the rear of the property. At some point, in an affluent period, the present frontage was added giving four good sized rooms, now our guest rooms, library and sitting room. Later an additional extension was added to the East to give a fourth bedroom with farm office below. Later still the present single storey kitchen extension was added to the West, possibly over the site of a previous extension to the original house. After that, a smaller extension was added to the kitchen to form a utility room and downstairs WC. The whole property was run as a working farm until fairly recently. Since the demise of the farm, the house, outbuildings and land were rented out individually or unused. Border Collie Rescue is now bringing the whole together again as a single working unit. The Farmhouse is Grade Two listed as a building of historical significance. Many original interior features remain and the house retains a warm and pleasant character with exposed beams, uneven upper floors and door frames that are 'not quite square'. |
Below - Front of Farmhouse |
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| Below - View from the garden | The land around the centre is mixed use farmland - some arable, some pasture and some woodland, all maintained under the EU Stewardship Scheme as mixed agricultural and wildlife habitat. The woodland and wildlife areas are maintained by the estate. Due to the variety of environments there is a great deal of wildlife on the ground and in the air. Birds of prey are seen daily around the centre. Owls nest in the outbuildings. Woodland birds frequent the sky from the 100+ acres of mixed and deciduous woodland immediately adjacent and meadow loving birds are also common. The land that Border Collie Rescue uses is administered by the estate under the Stewardship Scheme and is maintained jointly by ourselves and the estate to be environmentally friendly to wildlife with set aside boundaries around the fields forming wildlife passages and encouraging the growth of indigenous plant species. Some of the lower lying land is marshy, encouraging birds and animals that prefer this sort of environment. There is an abundance of wildlife including Deer, Badgers, Rabbits and Foxes. The environment immediately surrounding the centre is not heavily populated by humans, comprising of farms, remote houses and small villages, connected by single track roads - but the nearest main roads are only 3 to 4 miles distant so we are not entirely cut off from access to the outside world. | ||
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| We are located approximately 10 miles from York centre with its many historical attractions as befits an ancient Cathedral City. The City is also famous for its museums, live music venues and shopping facilities. We are also around 10 miles from Malton, and ancient market town with interesting features and shops. The North Yorkshire coastline, with its well known harbors and resorts like Whitby and Scarborough, is within easy reach, as are the North York Moors - with the Yorkshire Dales just an hours drive away. There are many historical sites, castles, abbeys and houses only a short drive away, maintained by English Heritage or The National Trust and a number of independently owned country houses and gardens nearby, the most well known being Castle Howard with its house, gardens and visitors centre, which is just up the road. | |||
| We welcome visitors with well behave and well mannered dogs. Those with problem dogs should have a look at our 'services' page! We would expect dogs to be under their owners control and be able to mix freely with other dogs and not start fights. Dogs stay free but it should be noted that dogs are not allowed upstairs - not even our own dogs. We have a large room where dogs can be accommodated indoors overnight and outdoor facilities for dogs that prefer to live outside a house, so all are welcome and all can be accommodated. All dogs coming onto the premises must be fully vaccinated and evidence of this is required so remember to bring your up to date vaccination certificate/s if you bring your dog/s with you! | |||
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Below - Library at Christmas 2005 |
Below - Yes - it was cold - outside! |
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Our working breaks or weekends are for people who want to combine a short break with a taste of work experience in the day to day routines of a Border Collie Rescue centre. Sorry, we cannot accommodate children, but well behaved dogs stay free. |
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Normally arrive Friday evening and depart Sunday but these breaks can be taken over any two nights subject to space being available. You will be accommodated in one of our double guest rooms with the use of the facilities described at the top of the page on a bed and breakfast basis. Breakfast at 8 am approx. We would expect each individual to help out in the centre for four hours each day on Saturday and Sunday mornings between 8.30 am and 12.30 pm or 9 am and 12 noon. The sort of work we would ask you to do would involve basic kennel duties and some handling of dogs, dependent on your previous experience. The rest of the time is yours to explore the area. |
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For this we would charge you £30 per person for the two nights B&B, but please note that this is only normally available for two people sharing a double or twin room. Rooms are available from 5pm on day of arrival and we ask you to vacate and be clear of your room by 12 noon on day of departure. |
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Arrangements can be made with us for evening meals at an additional charge but these would be set meals, taking into consideration your diet, likes and dislikes - there is no menu choice. You are welcome to bring your own wine or other beverages to the table. Evening meals would be served in one sitting and all residents participating would share the same fare at the same table and help with associated chores. |
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For breakfast and for evening meals we treat you as family. Evening meals are generally taken at around 7 to 7.30 pm |
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There are many local establishments offering a wide range of sit down or take away meals for lunch or dinner within a few miles of us. |
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Charges - £30 per person for two nights. Evening meals are charged at £6 per person. |
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If you are a single person wishing to participate click here |
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Below - Spot (Surrogate Dad) and pup |
Below - Dot showing a pup the ropes. |
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Our working holidays are for couples who want an economic holiday break where they will work part time while gaining some work experience in the day to day routines of a Border Collie Rescue centre. Sorry, we cannot accommodate children, but well behaved dogs stay free. |
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Available in seven day blocks, you will be accommodated in one of our double guest rooms with the use of the facilities described at the top of the page on a bed and breakfast basis. Breakfast at 8 am approx. As with the Working Weekends, described above, we would expect each individual to work in the centre for four hours each day for each of the 7 days you stay with us, each morning between 8.30 am and 12.30 pm. The sort of work we would ask you to do could be anything to help BCR progress but would definitely involve some basic kennel duties and some handling of dogs, dependent on your previous experience. The rest of the time is yours to explore the area. |
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You would arrive the evening before your first days work experience and depart the afternoon of your last day. We can accommodate any string of seven days, commencing and finishing on any day of the week, dependent on existing prior bookings. |
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For this we would charge you £100 per person for the week B&B, but please note that this is only normally available for two people sharing a double or twin room and for periods of 7 consecutive days or multiples thereof. Rooms are available from 5pm on day of arrival and we ask you to vacate and be clear of your room by 12 noon on day of departure. |
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Arrangements can be made with us for evening meals at an additional charge but these would be set meals, taking into consideration your diet, likes and dislikes - there is no menu choice. You are welcome to bring your own wine or other beverages to the table. Evening meals would be served in one sitting and all residents participating would share the same fare at the same table and help with associated chores. |
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For breakfast and for evening meals we treat you as family. Evening meals are generally taken at around 7 to 7.30 pm |
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There are many local establishments offering a wide range of sit down or take away meals for lunch or dinner within a few miles of us. |
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Charges - £100 per person for 7 nights. Evening meals are charged at £6 per person. |
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If you are a single person wishing to participate click here |
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Below - Farmhouse from the back |
Below - Floss and Cap |
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If you are a single person and wish to join us for a working weekend or working holiday, please phone us to discuss this. |
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Simple - You would have a double room all to yourself and only be asked to pay single person rate, however to get best value from our rooms for our funds we would prefer couples so we will only usually take a single booking a month in advance if we have a room free.. |
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What the experience can offer you |
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If you come and stay at our centre on a working weekend or working holiday we can offer more than an economic holiday break in return for your efforts helping us in the day to day running of the unit. You will have the opportunity to gain insight and understanding of how we assess and re-habilitate the dogs we take in and gain a greater knowledge of how this breed has come to be what it is today - the best working sheepdog in the world. |
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You will go away with a better understanding of what motivates the breed, its hereditary instinctive drives and how these conspire against the dog if it is in the wrong environment. You will gain insight and understanding into the variety of problems that people experience when they keep Border Collies as pets and as working dogs and see how we help overcome these problems, turning liabilities into assets. |
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You may get the chance to see at close quarters how a sheepdog works with sheep and through this you will become enlightened about the special working relationship a stockman has with his dogs and how public admiration for these qualities has made the breed so popular as companions. You will be able to read about the history and training of the working sheepdog and read biographical accounts of peoples lifetime experiences with the breed. |
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You will have been able to talk and read about all the other disciplines the Border Collie is involved in. Scent discrimination, Search and Rescue, Sheepdog Trials, Working Trials, Obedience, Agility, Flyball........It's there if you want to pick up the books. |
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You will have worked with, and talked to, people who look after unwanted Border Collies every day of their lives and every hour of each day. You will probably have talked 'Border Collie' and lived 'Border Collie' for the duration of your stay - you will certainly have had the chance. |
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Your stay with us will have been a mixture of Guest and Staff - in a sense, the best (and sometimes the worst) of both worlds. We will make your stay as comfortable as that of a guest and yet you will join in the running of the centre like any other volunteer. Most of your days will be yours to enjoy as you wish - we only ask for 4 hrs work each day - but if you want to do more you can, just like any other volunteer - if not , do your bit and see what else Yorkshire has to offer - there is a lot of it out there and we will do our best to head you in the right direction! |
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You wont leave with any qualifications, certificates or references. You will not have attended a training course, just taken part in an experience - one, perhaps, you may wish to repeat. But when you leave you will be leaving with the additional knowledge that your stay with us has helped us help the dogs in our care - both by the input of your work and efforts and by contributing financially towards the running costs of the unit and its future success. You will also, hopefully, leave seeing the breed in a different light. All the better to make your contribution to an improved future for those of the breed currently in distress and those yet unborn. |
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It is quite simple - phone us on 0845 6044941 (2pm to 5 pm weekdays) to enquire about staying and ask any questions you may have. |
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Because we are running a rescue centre - not a Hotel or Guest House - and we only have the two guest rooms, it is crucial for us to use these efficiently to generate income to support our work. We must set the following conditions relating to bookings. |
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We normally ask for a deposit with a booking - if so the procedure is as follows - |
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Working weekends and working weeks - Deposits on bookings |
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If we are able to accommodate you for the period you request we will ask you to confirm your booking in writing, enclosing a non refundable deposit of £5 per person for a working break/weekend and £10 per person for each working week. |
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Bed and Breakfast guests - Deposits on bookings |
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If we are able to accommodate you for the period you request we will ask you to confirm your booking in writing, enclosing a non refundable deposit of £5 per person per night of your proposed stay, up to a maximum of £10 per person if your booking exceeds 2 nights. |
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Please pay any deposit by cheque made out to Border Collie Rescue. |
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In all bookings the following conditions apply |
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This is a summary - see the link at the bottom of the page for a full description of conditions |
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| We ask you to confirm in writing and pay your deposit (if applicable) within a week of the phone booking. | |||
| If you do not - we may re-allocate your room to another guest and you may lose the booking. | |||
| If you cancel your booking before the week prior to your arrival date you will lose your deposit. | |||
| If we make a mistake and cancel your booking after you have paid your deposit and we have banked it - we will return your deposit in full and offer you a free nights B&B at a mutually agreeable future date. | |||
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For a fuller description of terms and conditions - click here |
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You are here >>> Assessment Centre >>> B&B and Working Holidays |
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