F.A.Qs about the Women’s Holiday Centre

When is it open?

The house is open every day of the year, including Christmas and New Year. The busiest times are school holidays, and there are sometimes closed house bookings, so always check  availability first. There are also Work Weeks and Themed Weekends sometimes, but you can usually still come as guest at these times, even if you don’t want to take part.

Do you have to have children to go? 

Women can visit the centre with or without children at any time of the year, on their own or with friends or family.
It’s a perfect place to go alone as you’re bound to meet other women you get along with and who are up for a chat. It’s also ideal for children as the playroom, garden and range of local activities are enough to keep children content for many hours, and children often develop life-long friendships from staying at the WHC.
Some women like to stay at the centre to relax and have a break, mid week is a great time to visit if you want some peace and quiet.

Is there disabled access?

There is disabled access, although it is fairly basic. We have thought about many ways to improve the situation, and we welcome ideas and feedback on this. Currently women who are not able to use the stairs can have a comfy sofa-bed made up in the playroom, which is downstairs in the house. There is a ramp into the kitchen, and all the ground floor is level access, including a downstairs bathroom

Do you have to be a feminist or lesbian to come?

No – the women’s holiday centre is open to women of all ages, ethnicities, sexualities and classes. Women from many different backgrounds come and that’s what makes the centre so unique and friendly.

Is food included in the price?

The centre is self catering and provides; bread, spreads, vegetables, rice, pasta, spices, herbs, milk, soya milk, cheese, cereals, tinned goods (baked beans, chickpeas…) etc that are for you to prepare and eat. Women often decide to share the cooking and eat together. The house is strictly vegetarian and vegan, with plenty of vegan foods available. If you have any food allergies please inform a worker before you arrive, and if you would like treats like chocolate, butter and real coffee then please bring these yourself.

How do I get there? 

Horton-in-Ribblesdale is on the stunning railway line between Leeds and Carlisle. The village is  petite, so it’s only a 10-20 minute walk from the station.
Basic instructions are: With the train station behind you, head straight down the road and carry straight on until you get to a bridge that crosses the river and a pub called The Crown. Cross the footbridge on your right and continue along the road, past the carpark. Straight after the Phen-Y-Gent Cafe on your right, cross the road, and the centre is on your left, at the beginning of the footpath to Pen-y-Ghent (The Pennine Way).

There are also a few public buses a day which can take you to and from Settle or other nearby areas that you many want to explore or walk from.

Why do women pay different amounts depending on their income, and how do I work out what I should pay?

The Women’s Holiday centre is one of the cheapest residential holiday centres in the UK, and it is our mission to be able to provide holiday accommodation to as many women and children as possible, as everyone deserves the right to a holiday! We operate a sliding scale which calculates what you pay for your night’s stay based on your total weekly or monthly income. This means it includes tax credits, housing benefits, pension etc.
For example: The lowest rate, £10, is an emergency rate for women with NO income. Most women on JSA, ESA, Universal Credit, pensions etc will pay the £15 or £20 rate, and most women working full time will pay the £25 or £30.
The actual cost per night is £25 per person, so if you can pay that or more, then please do. If you can’t afford that then that’s exactly why we have a sliding scale for how much to pay!

Are boys allowed to go?

Boys are welcome to come and stay at any time until their 11th birthday, and after reaching that age there are “older boy’s” weekends and weeks that you can look for on our calendar or events page up until their 15th birthday. It is also possible for closed house bookings to include boys up til their 15th birthday at the discretion of the workers – please check at the time of booking, or as early as possible after that. We have a minimum of 2 weeks when older boys can come each year, and a maximum of 4 weeks. There is usually a week during Easter holidays, a week during summer holidays, and a weekend or more around late October or early November.

Will someone meet me when I arrive? 

If it is your first visit to Horton, one of the workers will usually meet you on arrival and show you round the house and grounds, and tell you how it works. Please let us know what time you expect to arrive though, as the workers might need to pop out to Settle.

What else is there to do nearby or if it’s raining? 

See the page What to do when visiting for this info!

 

Privacy Notice: Horton WHC will not harvest details from any other organisations or share/pass on/sell your details to anyone else. Any details you give us will only be used for the purposes stated, and you can email us to ask for them to be deleted at any time.

 

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