A FAMILY-RUN B&B on Shipley Glen has reached the finals of the White Rose Awards for the second year running.

Bracken Hall House B&B has been named finalist in the 'B&B and Guest House of the Year' category of the prestigious White Rose Awards, which celebrate tourism in the Yorkshire region.

The luxury Baildon B&B is the only one of the five finalists to be located in West Yorkshire - all the others are in North Yorkshire and are well-established businesses.

Bracken Hall House was opened in 2017 by local couple Sally and Stuart Illingworth and has already reached the finals of the White Rose Awards in 2018, the B&B won ‘New Business of the Year’ at the 2018 Keighley & Airedale Business Awards.

The idea of opening a B&B at Bracken Hall on historic Shipley Glen happened when Bradford Council decided it could no longer fund the popular Countryside Centre.

The fight to save it seemed doomed until Sally and Stuart stepped in and offered to buy the property, turning the main house into a luxury B&B and housing the Countryside Centre in a separate wing.

Following a thorough refurbishment, Bracken Hall House reopened as a luxury B&B and has since gone from strength to strength. As well as traditional bed and breakfast, Bracken Hall now offers whole-house hire for weddings and parties, business meetings and ‘crafternoon’ teas.

Sally said: “I’m thrilled beyond belief that we’ve made the finals again. It was such a big step to give up my job and sell our house to set up the B&B, so it’s wonderful to be recognised in this way. We love our new life and we hope the guests who stay with us get a real taste of Yorkshire and love the area as much as we do.”

The White Rose Awards aim to reward the cream of Yorkshire tourism. This year’s awards ceremony takes place at the Leeds First Direct Arena on November 25.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s Head of Special Projects Claudine Shaw said: "A huge well done to everyone who’s made it onto this year’s shortlist. The White Rose Awards is one of our flagship events, and it’s such a privilege to be able to honour the stars of Yorkshire tourism.

"The competition is always tough as the standards are so incredibly high in the county. Good luck to everyone and we can’t wait to see you on the night for one of the biggest parties of the year.”