I'm astonished by some of the ones that have been closed - the one on the Swale (sorry forgotten the village name - or was it the Ure, in Swaledale - sorry again, I get confused up North
) seemed excellent to me and very well positioned.
I think that part (or most) of the problem is the change in transport available nowadays. Many hostels are now isolated unless you have a car or, in some cases, a bike. Bus and train services used to get you to walking distances but using these nowadays has become a science in itself. I love listening to the dedicated walkers who are going to walk the twenty miles from A to B then catch the 1215 to C then walk the eight miles to D for the night before ... Admirable for not for most of us! I like a leisurely walk, good night's sleep, leisurely breakfast
etc etc!
It is, in many ways, easier for carless people at a weekend, to get a bus or train out of a city centre walk around and then return ....
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisJB  I love hostelling. The missus and I go all the time. I do find it disappointing though when the simple, decent, rural ones shut down and big, posh, swanky ones in places like Manchester pop up instead. The hostel at Keld at the head of Swaledale springs to mind. I believe another of our favourites, Dufton, in the North Pennines, is trembling in the shadow of the axe. Boo.
Regards, Chris |