Walking Forum
Main Boards => General Walking Discussion => Topic started by: Jac on 12:03:40, 26/09/17
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Came across this when browsing and thought it might be of interest to several peops on here with memories or maybe old photos which could be added to the project.
As I used to have a dog hostelling wasn't an option, though am a member and I have stayed in several on trips with groups. I now realise what an amazing places I missed experiencing, from tiny and basic to grand houses :(
http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Former-youth-hostels-of-Great-Britain/3#yha--england
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Blimey. I knew a lot had closed but am perhaps too young to realise just how many have been lost.
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Many have closed and are independent Hostels nowadays....thankfully O0
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Interesting Website. I see Westerdale Hall, closed in 1992. I stayed their, back in the mid 70's. The photo on that site is just as I remember it. Still a very normal Youth Hostel inside, despite the grand facade. I must have been 15 at the time. My mum phoned the hostel to check if I had arrived, I was cycling from Malham that day, I hadn't. I finally arrived about 7pm to be told by the warden to go phone her before I did any thing else. Which I did. Different world, imagine some stranger trying to tell a teenager to phone their mum these days.
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Many have closed and are independent Hostels nowadays....thankfully O0
I'm not sure of the context of your 'thankfully' Bri?
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Interesting, but the list is incomplete.
All the Hampshire youth hostels have closed bar one, leaving the county with the unique distinction of having more national parks than hostels! :o
Winchester is the only former hostel in the list.
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I'm not sure of the context of your 'thankfully' Bri?
Thankfully...as in...thank goodness, as it means there are still hostels open along National Trails etc. making accommodation possible.
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Interesting, but the list is incomplete.
All the Hampshire youth hostels have closed bar one, leaving the county with the unique distinction of having more national parks than hostels! :o
Winchester is the only former hostel in the list.
The main reason for posting on here was so people could add their knowledge to the project.
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I brought the discussion on another walking forum. I was going to do a walk around Ennerdale and stopping at a youth hostel up Black sails but it was £35 for 1 night :o so think I will give it a miss.
Last week stopped at Plas curig independent hostel £52 for 2 nights and it was top notch compared to Black sails.
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I think it's a shame so many youth hostels have shut. I also think it's a pity they aren't for youth any more, a 15 year old BuzyG wouldn't be allowed in now without an accompanying adult, and where's the fun in that? I stayed in Hawes youth hostel a couple years ago and at over 60 I was still the youngest person in.
And I agree that Black Sails can be a ridiculous price, though some people seem to get a better deal. But I refuse to pay that much for a dorm bed!
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I brought the discussion on another walking forum. I was going to do a walk around Ennerdale and stopping at a youth hostel up Black sails but it was £35 for 1 night :o so think I will give it a miss.
Last week stopped at Plas curig independent hostel £52 for 2 nights and it was top notch compared to Black sails.
It seems that the YHA tend to treat Black Sail as a Cash Cow. They know that that people will pay £35 for the privilege of staying in such an iconic hostel, and the fact that the place is almost fully booked all the time proves that point.
I actually prefer to stay at Skiddaw House, rather than Black Sail. Just like Black Sail, Skiddaw House is also a remote iconic hostel, but I think it's much more comfy than Black Sail. At least you don't have to go outside to go to the loo or the shower. It's also much cheaper at only £18 a night (or £15 if you're a YHA member).
The main difference is that whilst Black Sail is owned by the YHA, Skiddaw House is independent.
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On recollection, with the closure of Capel Y Finn youth hostel in the Llanthony valley many years ago, that very popular walking area is no longer served by a YH.
I am sure the same can be said, for a fair few other popular destinations, their a bit like pubs in small village communities, once they close their doors for good, few if any get saved by the locals.
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a 15 year old BuzyG wouldn't be allowed in now without an accompanying adult, and where's the fun in that?
Personally, I'm glad that unaccompanied 15 years olds aren't allowed.
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It seems that the YHA tend to treat Black Sail as a Cash Cow. They know that that people will pay £35 for the privilege of staying in such an iconic hostel, and the fact that the place is almost fully booked all the time proves that point.
I actually prefer to stay at Skiddaw House, rather than Black Sail. Just like Black Sail, Skiddaw House is also a remote iconic hostel, but I think it's much more comfy than Black Sail. At least you don't have to go outside to go to the loo or the shower. It's also much cheaper at only £18 a night (or £15 if you're a YHA member).
The main difference is that whilst Black Sail is owned by the YHA, Skiddaw House is independent.
Completely agree.
...more or less exactly what I posted on another forum
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Personally, I'm glad that unaccompanied 15 years olds aren't allowed.
Generalisation here, but 15 year old's these days, don't respect there elders the same. Possibly as a result of being nannied to death by society and therefore simply not gaining the independence to go live life, that previous generations enjoyed. Shame.
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The YHA is at something of a crux. Many "iconic" properties are old and falling apart, and need huge sums to renovate them that YHA don't have.
On the other hand, customers don't want dorm accommodation as much as before - they prefer family rooms, with en suite if possible. That's doable - what is less doable is modifying old properties with large rooms into new interiors with smaller rooms and more modern facilities.
Coupled with that, they have apparently had money problems and an awful booking system that meant no one point - booking direct with the hostel, using central booking or booking online - had any idea if the hostel has vacancies or not. Fortunately, this seems to be on the way to being fixed.
YHA hasn't been for "youths" for decades - but they do have users and supporters, and are probably now in better shape than they have been for a decade. In conjunction with Independent hostels, there is still a half-decent network - which is good for walkers of all ages! O0
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The main reason for posting on here was so people could add their knowledge to the project.
Interesting, but I can't see where you can add to the project. Not that I have any photo's but I have the stamps.
1980 - 83. in no particular order
Welsh Bicknor
Brandon
Winchester
Overton
Boggle Hole
Westerdale Hall
Osmotherley
Helmsley
Whitby
Saltburn by the Sea
Norwich
Thoresby College Kings Lynn
Monmouth
House Micheldean
Vondelpark Amsterdam
Houghton Mill
Chester
Stratford on Avon
Kings Dolgellau
Dinas Mawddy
Cynwyd
Plas Rhiwaedog Bala
Grantham
Memorial Hostel Llanberis
Tyndwr Hall Llangollen
I went on two YHA walking holidays, hostel to hostel. They were ideal if you were single and didn't want to walk alone. I stayed in a couple when I was a lorry driver. I remember one where I had to park on a layby on the road and walk up a long dark lane without a torch. I was glad to see the lights of the hostel. It was the time before sleeper cabs.
Ilona
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My children (5 and 9) love youth hostels. Taking them is only really possible because of the family rooms.
Whilst some hostel are closing, others are opening (or reopening). For instance, this summer we stayed at the Lizard in a former hotel that is now a YHA.
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Interesting, but I can't see where you can add to the project. Not that I have any photo's but I have the stamps.
1980 - 83. in no particular order
Welsh Bicknor
Brandon
Winchester
Overton
Boggle Hole
Westerdale Hall
Osmotherley
Helmsley
Whitby
Saltburn by the Sea
Norwich
Thoresby College Kings Lynn
Monmouth
House Micheldean
Vondelpark Amsterdam
Houghton Mill
Chester
Stratford on Avon
Kings Dolgellau
Dinas Mawddy
Cynwyd
Plas Rhiwaedog Bala
Grantham
Memorial Hostel Llanberis
Tyndwr Hall Llangollen
I went on two YHA walking holidays, hostel to hostel. They were ideal if you were single and didn't want to walk alone. I stayed in a couple when I was a lorry driver. I remember one where I had to park on a layby on the road and walk up a long dark lane without a torch. I was glad to see the lights of the hostel. It was the time before sleeper cabs.
Ilona
I kept my card from 1980 too. It has two stamps that I'm quite proud of amongst many others.
Lands End & John O Groats.
I cheated though, used a push bike. ;)
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Money spent on top staff income and not on properties. Property sold to fund their income.
Same story with most larger charities these days.. very sad
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Money spent on top staff income and not on properties. Property sold to fund their income.
Whilst there is undoubted truth in this, I don't think that its the sole reason. In most cases, it requires more than a lick of paint and some new bedding to modernise a property - reconfiguring the internal spaces to deliver what people now want takes a lot of money, especially in old buildings.
So the decision was taken to sell off some properties to stem the losses and allow the remaining properties to be invested in and modernised - which so far seems to be working.
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Interesting, but the list is incomplete.
There are over 90 of the hostels I've done which are now closed, and there are less than 70 of them on that list. They're also listing Bridges and Edmundbyers as closed when they're not.
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Welsh Bicknor
Boggle Hole
Osmotherley
Whitby
Stratford on Avon
Kings Dolgellau
Memorial Hostel Llanberis
These are still open. (If you count the new hostel that replaced the old stables at Whitby)