Six-figure investment to open cottage inspired by Harry Potter books

A North Yorkshire holiday site is set to attract visitors from around the globe with its latest addition – a cottage inspired by a favourite character from children’s fiction – after securing a £500,000 loan to invest further in the business.

North Shire at Saltburn-by-the-Sea is preparing to open its groundkeeper’s cottage in the Spring, inspired by Hagrid’s Hut in the Harry Potter books. Along with the groundkeeper’s cottage, the company is also creating an enchanted barn, which will be used as a venue for weddings, conferences and special events.

The new development amounts to a £500,000 investment in the Golden Hill Farm attraction, with the groundkeeper’s cottage open in March and the Enchanted Barn the following month. Funding for the latest additions to the visitor attraction was provided by SME funder, Reward Finance Group, who was introduced to North Shire by John Carling at Solutions Northern. North Shire was also given support from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to help the project.

The site, which also has camping facilities, previously created a Hobbit House which has attracted fans from across the world who wanted to stay in the faithful tribute to the Lord of the Rings novels.

Carol Cavendish, owner of North Shire, said: “We’re known for offering something very different with a real touch of magic and I believe that’s exactly what visitors will see when they visit.

“It’s just the start of the exciting plans we have for developing North Shire and I think both the groundkeeper’s cottage and the Enchanted Barn will prove really popular. Our thanks go to both Reward Finance Group and RDPE for appreciating the concept, recognising its potential and financially supporting the vision.”

Alan Sanderson of Reward Finance Group, added: “Having met with Carol, we were captivated by her vision and enthusiasm for North Shire to succeed. The introduction of the two new attractions will build on and widen its popularity and they are certain to be a real draw. Having visited the site with my wife and children, we were blown away by the magical Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter concepts.”

“Carol and her team have built an excellent business with the current “themed” attractions proving to be extremely popular with families and wedding guests. What better location for your wedding day than the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park with views spanning across to the North Sea.

“Carol needed to act quickly to make the most of the 2019 season. Speed of delivery is one of Reward’s many USP’s in the SME market. We completed the deal from offer to drawdown of funds in less than two weeks, enabling North Shire to start the project immediately and achieve the tight they had set themselves for opening the additional attractions.”