TEN years ago, husband and wife team Helen and Jon Hill gave up their day jobs to escape the rat race – now they have given up their home. But if that sounds like a sob story, there’s no need to reach for the tissues as both life-changing decisions have been for the best.

A decade ago, the Hills toiled in the conventional world of work, a nine-to-five existence based around the office. Today, they live and work in an idyllic valley just outside Osmotherley, on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, running the seven-acre Cote Ghyll Caravan and Camping Park. And while giving up the family four-bed home might sound extreme after ten years, it isn’t, because they have moved to a lovely house just down the road and converted the old homestead into a holiday let.

“We now have clear demarcation between work and home and it’s great,” says Helen, originally from Helmsley, who has a degree in land management and used to work as a chartered surveyor. “As for the house, it has made a great family holiday let for eight people and we have really enjoyed converting it over the winter.”

It’s in invaluable addition to a thriving business which sees tourists from all over Europe visiting to enjoy the 40 tent and 40 touring pitches, 15 privately-owned luxury holiday homes and three static caravans that are available for hire.

For those preferring bricks and mortar, the holiday cottage provides four bedrooms, including two doubles, one with a beautiful dual aspect, and two singles that can be converted into kings.

The kitchen diner is fitted with every modern appliance imaginable and a breakfast bar, while the living room has a contemporary feel with solid oak furniture throughout, hand carved stone fireplace, wide-screen satellite television and wi-fi.

There’s a games room with TV and pool table, and bed-settee in case friends want to stay over, while outside visitors can enjoy a private garden, patio with furniture and private parking.

Holidaymakers can also access the five-star caravan park’s amenities, including woods, streams, two play areas and the Old Mill waterfall. There are artificial grass pitches and toilet blocks with under-floor heating.

A public footpath running alongside the cottage links into the Cleveland Way, Coast to Coast route and the start of the famous Lyke Wake Walk. The village of Osmotherley is just ten minutes’ walk with three pubs/restaurants and village shops, while the picturesque Cod Beck reservoir is also within easy striking distance.

“We took over the site ten years ago because we were fed up of working in offices; me in York and Jon, an engineer, in Huddersfield,” says Helen.

“And we still love it. I like the variety of being closed in the winter, when we can get to grips with a project to make the site even better and enjoy the peace. Then in the spring and summer the buzz of running the site and meeting people from all over Europe.”

In 2008, the site was awarded five stars by VisitEngland and it has just been granted five pennants by the AA, in recognition of the management and amenities, including static holiday homes featuring every luxury imaginable, such as flat-screen TVs, double-glazing, central heating, double en suite bedrooms and fully fitted kitchens. Tourers also benefit from hardstandings and campers get mud-free artificial turf. There’s also a laundry, shop and disabled facilities.

Visitors come from within an hour’s drive or from all over the UK, Holland, France, Germany and beyond.

And if that isn’t enough to keep them busy, they have just taken over the youth hostel next door, a former mill with 12 rooms and 72 beds, popular with walkers, cyclists, self-caterers and school groups.

“We are still deciding how to improve the mill but it is open for businesses as a youth hostel,” says Helen. “It is big and will be quite a project but we are always up for a challenge.”