Peter Barron trots along to stunning Wensleydale to see how an award-winning log cabin development is coming along

AS a leading racehorse trainer, Ann Duffield has winning in her blood - and she is just as competitive when it comes to diversifying into the luxury log cabin business. "We want this to be the best place to stay in the Yorkshire Dales," she says, with all the confidence of a trainer who knows she's going into a race with a proven top-class thoroughbred.

My wife Heather and I first came to Sun Hill Farm, at Constable Burton, between Bedale and Leyburn, in April 2014. Since then, we've become passionate supporters of what Ann and husband George, the former classic-winning jockey, have created on the hill above their idyllic racing stables.

Back then, we'd stayed in Spindrifter, which like the other lodges is named after a successful racehorse, and I'd written a piece which started with the sentence: "The first thing you notice when you walk through the door is the welcoming fresh smell of wood - Russian pine to be exact - and it is immediately good for the soul."

Ann and George had originally built four lodges with the help of a grant from Defra and they were such an immediate hit, with 96 per cent occupancy levels in the first year, that the couple won a prestigious "Diamond Award" from Hoseasons. They were promptly given planning permission for four more lodges and Heather and I were asked to be guinea pigs in the first of them - named Lillie Lodge, in honour of Just Lille, a prolific filly Ann trained to win 18 races, including the Scottish Derby.

Spindrifter, our first love, is perfectly positioned, the closest of the log cabins to the all-weather gallop, and we always knew it would be hard to beat. Lillie Lodge is bigger - still one-bedroomed - but with a cosy Scandinavian sauna for two as part of an elegant open-plan bathroom. It also has its own exclusive little island in the middle of a pond, with a bridge to take you across to a fire-pit, yet it retains the same privacy as the other lodges.

Make no mistake, these are not your average log cabins. They are painstakingly built by Dave Winchester - close friend of former top jockey John Carroll - and exquisitely furnished. No corners have been cut in the race to be the Yorkshire Dales number one.

Heather and I arrived straight from work on a Friday night, with the stresses and strains of a hard week still pushing up the blood pressure. But the sight of the log-burner glowing in a sumptuously furnished lounge, and that familiar, soothing smell of Russian pine, were enough to get the relaxation process under way. A gorgeous sauna followed and, by the time we'd sipped a glass or two of bubbly in the hot-tub beneath the stars, work seemed a million miles away.

And that really is the secret of Sun Hill - it's half an hour from Darlington and yet it might easily be rural France or Italy. The only sound is the hoot of a hunting owl.

"What we're finding is that a lot of our customers are coming from within an hour's drive," says Ann, fresh from training Silhouette to win the Hornblower Conditions Stakes at Ripon. "They love the fact that they can get here quickly yet feel they've completely got away from it all. The success of the first four lodges has exceeded all our expectations but we've learned so much from the experience and those lessons are being put into practice with the four new lodges."

Next door to Lillie Lodge, a two-bedroom cabin is being lovingly built and will be available to let from November 1. Named after another star performer in Willie The Whipper, Ann and George settled for the safety of calling it "William Lodge" - solid, dependable and quintessentially English. Two more lodges, as yet unnamed, will be added within the next 18 months to complete the set. "The beauty of the development is the peace and quiet so we don't want to go overboard. Eight is enough because they will all be intimate and each have something special," says Ann.

She has no doubt that last year's Tour De France Grand Depart has raised the profile of the Yorkshire Dales as a tourism destination. It was always popular but it is now positively booming thanks to those who had the vision to bring one of the world's most iconic sporting events to Yorkshire.

An area of outstanding natural beauty, already world-famous as Herriot Country, and now an international draw for cyclists. Who'd have thought it?

Personally, I'd thoroughly recommend the 17-mile drive (or bike ride for the more energetic) from Leyburn to the bustling village of Hawes, with a stop at Aysgarth Falls on the way. One of the attractions of Hawes is that it is home to the Wensleydale Creamery, where you can see Wallace and Gromit's favourite cheese being made, with plenty of opportunities to sample the wares. In fact, by the time you've tried each variety, you've enjoyed a square meal.

The world has discovered just how special the Yorkshire Dales really are - and Sun Hill Lodges are pretty special too. In fact, if you're in need of a luxurious, tranquil break from the strains of everyday life, they are a very good bet indeed.

To book one of the Sun Hill Lodges, go to the Hoseasons website or sun hill-lodges.co.uk