Nicky Tooley was an electrician in Leeds and his wife worked in HR. They didn't just move home, they set up a new business, taking on the Falls Cafe and Bar by Aysgarth Falls. They wanted to have their own business and give their young son, Caleb a wonderful childhood but it took quite a while for them to make the move.
Elizabeth spotted the property for sale on the internet around 3 years ago. When they looked around it, they could see it needed a lot of work but the challenge excited them. A financial advisor told them they were unlikely to get the kind of mortgage they needed so they forgot about it until some family members encouraged them to take another look. A different financial advisor found them a good mortgage, provided they could come up with the right business plan. They managed to sell their Leeds house before they'd even put in an offer for the Falls. The purchase took longer than expected so Elizabeth and Nicky moved into a holiday cottage so their little boy could start school in Bainbridge. A few months later the property was there. After many challenges (including some winter storms preventing deliveries of new furniture, carpets etc) and much hard work, the Falls Coffee Shop opened.
Despite the exhaustion of setting up a new business, Nicky is happy they make the move. "What better place to bring up a child? There's so much to do and the wildlife just fascinates Caleb. Having a waterfall 2 minutes from your house is pretty good as well! There are endless places to take him that don't cost money but where he can have a wonderful time."
"The best thing about moving and what makes us happiest is as soon as you wake up and open the blinds the views are amazing. We'll never get tired of seeing the church and Bolton Castle. We love meeting so many different people (usually out walking), the stories they've got about where they've travelled from, and what they've been up to. It's nice to see people travelling from other countries coming to see our beautiful county.
Elizabeth spotted the property for sale on the internet around 3 years ago. When they looked around it, they could see it needed a lot of work but the challenge excited them. A financial advisor told them they were unlikely to get the kind of mortgage they needed so they forgot about it until some family members encouraged them to take another look. A different financial advisor found them a good mortgage, provided they could come up with the right business plan. They managed to sell their Leeds house before they'd even put in an offer for the Falls. The purchase took longer than expected so Elizabeth and Nicky moved into a holiday cottage so their little boy could start school in Bainbridge. A few months later the property was there. After many challenges (including some winter storms preventing deliveries of new furniture, carpets etc) and much hard work, the Falls Coffee Shop opened.
Despite the exhaustion of setting up a new business, Nicky is happy they make the move. "What better place to bring up a child? There's so much to do and the wildlife just fascinates Caleb. Having a waterfall 2 minutes from your house is pretty good as well! There are endless places to take him that don't cost money but where he can have a wonderful time."
"The best thing about moving and what makes us happiest is as soon as you wake up and open the blinds the views are amazing. We'll never get tired of seeing the church and Bolton Castle. We love meeting so many different people (usually out walking), the stories they've got about where they've travelled from, and what they've been up to. It's nice to see people travelling from other countries coming to see our beautiful county.
In terms of challenges, finding tradesmen has been quite hard, as being an electrician back in Leeds I had a lot of contacts and now I don't really know anybody. Its been the little things really that you take for granted like just nipping to the shop for milk, or going to get your hair cut. Staffing is a bit of a challenge as you can't predict how many people you're going to get through the door."
Elizabeth and Nicky have some great plans for the future. They've already opened the cafe and gift shop and are planning to renovate the kitchen and function room. "We are hoping to open it for the local community to use for whatever they need it for: birthdays, christenings, weddings, clubs, classes, or we may put bands on or themed nights."
"My biggest tip for anybody planning on moving to the Yorkshire Dales is don't do it in the winter! But seriously, why wouldn't you want to move to the Yorkshire Dales? You may have to travel a bit further for essentials but that's usually when you find hidden little gems. You've got such beautiful countryside and views. Brilliant schools with low pupil numbers so a better teacher to pupil ratio. Great pubs with fantastic food and usually some nice local tipple from the Yorkshire Dales brewery, Wensleydale Brewery or Black Sheep. Fantastic walks, castles, waterfalls, caves, Market towns, farms, coffee shops, tea rooms, beautiful churches, We are now getting to the festival season as well and every town and village seem to have one so I can't wait. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and they've made us feel right at home. I'm still trying to get to grips with the kamikaze pheasants though who just appear in front of your car from nowhere!"
Elizabeth and Nicky have some great plans for the future. They've already opened the cafe and gift shop and are planning to renovate the kitchen and function room. "We are hoping to open it for the local community to use for whatever they need it for: birthdays, christenings, weddings, clubs, classes, or we may put bands on or themed nights."
"My biggest tip for anybody planning on moving to the Yorkshire Dales is don't do it in the winter! But seriously, why wouldn't you want to move to the Yorkshire Dales? You may have to travel a bit further for essentials but that's usually when you find hidden little gems. You've got such beautiful countryside and views. Brilliant schools with low pupil numbers so a better teacher to pupil ratio. Great pubs with fantastic food and usually some nice local tipple from the Yorkshire Dales brewery, Wensleydale Brewery or Black Sheep. Fantastic walks, castles, waterfalls, caves, Market towns, farms, coffee shops, tea rooms, beautiful churches, We are now getting to the festival season as well and every town and village seem to have one so I can't wait. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and they've made us feel right at home. I'm still trying to get to grips with the kamikaze pheasants though who just appear in front of your car from nowhere!"
