There is Yorkshire hospitality with tea and cakes for arrivals at Jane Ratcliffe’s B&B in a hamlet five miles from Scotch Corner. Originally the Oddfellows, a small ale house, it was extended to quench thirsty quarrymen, evolving as a parlour pub, then restaurant, before taking on its present form eight years ago. The outward appearance is of ‘a somewhat unprepossessing, stone-faced, early 19th-century country inn’, reported a Guide insider, unafraid to call a spade a spade. But the welcome was ‘friendly and informal’. The interior was simple, comfortable, ‘tastefully appointed’. The bedrooms are individually styled, with contemporary furnishings, earthy or neutral tones. A ‘compact and domestic’ room had a queen-size bed, two upright chairs, a ‘spotless’ and apparently new bathroom, with walk-in monsoon shower. In the beamed dining room, with its display of fishing rods, adjoining a ‘small lounge’, a breakfast cooked by the owner includes the full Yorkshire, smoked haddock with poached eggs. Ms Ratcliffe is a sociable but not pushy hostess, and has many returning guests. For dinner try the Frenchgate, Richmond (see entry). ‘A convenient stop-over for a drive to Scotland.’ (RG)