Meet our Yorkshire Dales Experts
Helen McCartan
Manager, Yorkshire Cottages, Grassington office
Prior to joining the Yorkshire Cottages team, Helen trained as a Chef and Hotel Manager, eventually running a successful restaurant in Appletreewick. While her role allows her to share and explore her passion for the Yorkshire Dales, Helen still enjoys pursuing her culinary interests due to the host of fantastic eateries and ingredients on her doorstep. When not supporting the local rugby team she can often be found horse riding and walking her border collie with her family.
Adrian Braddy
Editor, The Dalesman magazine
With over a decade of editorial experience working on a range of Yorkshire publications, Adrian brings a great deal of passion and a wealth of local knowledge to his role as the “Voice of the Dales”. When not compiling best-selling visitor guides and travelling the Yorkshire Dales meeting and interviewing the locals he can often be found out and about with his children and pursuing his interest in photography.
Ben Webster
cottages.com
Born and raised in Lancashire, Ben recently upped sticks and moved over the Pennines to Yorkshire. As a foreigner in ‘God’s Own County’ he likes nothing more than getting out and about and discovering new places to walk, eat and drink with his wife and two children. A writer by trade, when not pursuing his love of colloquialisms he can often be found writing about UK travel, events and experiences for cottages.com.
Rob Charlton
Yorkshire Cottages, Grassington office
Born and bred in Yorkshire, Rob previously worked for the sales team at Yorkshire Cottages before joining the office in Grassington when it opened in 2012. His enthusiasm for rugby is matched only by his community spirit: currently Rob serves on Grassington Parish Council, is a Trustee of the Town Hall and sits on the Threshfield Quarry Partnership Board- which is looking to develop the quarry into a visitor attraction.
Victoria Johnstone
Yorkshire Cottages, Grassington office
Victoria has been a part of the Yorkshire Cottages team for nearly ten years, working first in the Leyburn office and now based in the lovely village of Grassington. When not sharing her passion for the Dales with holidaymakers and visitors to the shop she can often be found inspecting Yorkshire Cottages’ many properties in the region and indulging her passion for photography, baking and yoga.
Sarah Brewer
Marketing and Fundraising Officer, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust
Before joining the YDMT - a charity which cares for the landscape, environment, communities and economy of the Yorkshire Dales - Sarah worked in regional tourism, uncovering some of the region’s hidden gems and providing customers with ideas and inspiration for their holiday. Growing up neat Skipton, the gateway of the Dales, Sarah spent a lot of time exploring the region’s prettiest corners. Now residing on the western side of the Dales, her exploration continues - along with her love of gardening, arts, crafts and baking.
Mark Allum
National Park Authority
Mark has been working for the National Park Authority for over ten years in a number of different guises. Prior to that most of his time was spent in outdoor education, introducing people to the fantastic activities you can do in the Yorkshire Dales. He has walked, climbed and caved throughout the National Park but his main passion is cycling.