A Bank Holiday weekend visit to Cod Beck Reservoir near Osmotherley can be a tricky operation, navigating the hordes of dog walkers and day trippers all heading for the same two car parks.

On Sunday morning, having just about made it through Osmotherley unscathed after two pick-ups tried to actually drive over the top of my car, I was one of the lucky few to find a parking space at Sheepwash – many others were risking fines by abandoning their vehicles along the roadside.

The views from a run over the old drovers' road towards Square Corner made it all worthwhile though. Whisper it quietly, but I think the panorama of North Yorkshire from here is actually better than the more famous viewpoint at Sutton Bank.

Running back through the woods to the reservoir, I found the crowds again – a mixed bunch including young families, older couples and two young men swigging from cans of lager as they walked.

This put me in mind of the options locally for refreshments. Once out of Osmotherley itself, there is the ice cream van at Cod Beck, or the Rusty Bike cafe at Swainby. A new addition this summer though has been a pop-up cafe at Cote Ghyll Mill youth hostel, a converted linen and flax mill which was once powered by Cod Beck Reservoir.

It sits in the beautiful valley between the reservoir and Osmotherley, and also has a caravan park and holiday apartments.

From 12pm to 3pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays the privately-owned hostel has been making canny use of its existing kitchen to run the pop-up cafe, and with strategically placed signs around the various footpaths in the area, it has surely proved popular.

Very hungry after my run, I met my sister there for lunch just after 12pm and it was already busy with a large family group and few solo customers enjoying a peaceful cuppa.

And peaceful it is. With the site's stunning waterfall providing the calming background noise, it feels a world away from the hustle of Osmotherley or the parking wrangles at Sheepwash.

The cafe is in a pretty little glass-fronted space to the left of the main building, and is all modern industrial-style light fittings and neutral tones. There is plenty of seating outside for the warmer days, but as the remnants of Storm Lilian were still blowing through, we grabbed a table inside.

The menu is concise, offering some light lunches – soup of the day (leek and potato) for £6.50, a selection of sandwiches for between £6.50 and £7 (£1 extra to be toasted), jacket potatoes for £7, a wide range of cakes for £3 to £3.50, and fruit scones, £3 with butter or an extra £1.50 to add jam and clotted cream.

I chose the mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto sandwich, and Claire opted for ham and cheese. We both got them as toasties on wholemeal bread.

Accompanied by crisps, salad and coleslaw, the meals were exactly what you would expect of youth hostel food – and I mean this as a compliment. When staying at hostels in the Lake District, I've always found the food to be hearty, satisfying and well prepared, with the aim of helping the body to recover from adventures enjoyed, and fuelling it for adventures to come.

Our toasties were delicious, the bread was really good quality, the salad was fresh and there was lots of everything.

With such a wide range of cakes on offer, it would have been rude not to sample them, so we got some takeaways to enjoy later.

I was sorely tempted by the fruit scones – so fresh out of the oven they were still steaming, but instead got a slab of surprisingly sweet carrot cake.

Claire's eye had been caught by the lemon sponge with meringue topping pretty much from the moment we walked in and her judgment was spot on. The light sponge and the tangy lemon sauce worked beautifully with the crisp meringue. Excellent.

The bill, with two hot drinks, came to a smidge under £30.

Service throughout was very impressive. Friendly, relaxed and efficient, with nothing too much trouble, including helping some fellow customers with an accidental spillage, and chatting to others who seemed keen for the company.

The pop-up cafe is a great idea given the sheer numbers of visitors now attracted by the beauty of Cod Beck Reservoir. It was a lovely, welcoming place to spend an entirely stress-free hour, and as we walked back through the woods to reclaim the car, we were truly sorry to leave.

Cote Ghyll Mill

Osmotherley, Northallerton, DL6 3AH

01609 883425

https://www.coteghyll.com/

Ratings (out of ten): Service 9 Surroundings 9 Food quality 8 Value for money 8