The Courtyard, Settle

A quick word on a little independent and unique gem I found today. Perched discreetly in the countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, between the charming town of Settle and the equally charming village of Long Preston, lies The Courtyard.
To look at from the outside, it is a relatively unassuming place, looking more like a converted farm, and the signs outside simply read "Brasserie and Shops". Inside this modest looking complex however, lies a small oasis of quality purveyors of unique and quite astounding goods. All locally sourced, all expertly and lovingly made and crafted, and mostly all out of the average price range of any passing visitor. But even if you are not intent on buying (and believe me in some cases you may be hard pressed to) to simply go and see the way in which these establishments are set up is certainly quite a thing in itself.

Firstly you come to the Courtyard Dairy, not that much of a unique concept but such a cheese monger I have never seen before (if you are a fan of exotic and luxurious cheeses going in there for the smell alone is worth it). Then you come to Abraham Moon & Sons, whose incredibly and wonderfully unique selection of quality tailored clothes beggars belief (and the wallet!) and is something to behold. Then we come to the Lime Gallery, which in of itself is nothing special but look closer and you will see a clean and crisp approach to showcasing local Yorkshire art. Then we have Buon Vino, The Courtyard's wine specialist, blending that classic feel with new and innovative ideas. Dalesbred deals in incredibly bespoke and beautiful furniture, and finally we have The Brasserie, which essentially presents restaurant quality food (we had a jolly nice luncheon) in the guise of a shopping centre café. An odd concept, but one that means quality and service can be churned out all day long.

If food, local products, and unique shopping are anywhere near up your street, then I urge you to find out more about The Courtyard, or better still pop in for a visit. My only worry is that it is not doing enough to promote itself in order to survive. But then I suppose if it did, it would lose some of its truly wonderful, back-and-beyond charm.