Travel: Yorkshire.

"I could recommend the Pussimbing Estate, the Ceylon Blue Sapphire or the China Rose Petal," offers the helpful white-aproned waitress. Cue blank looks all round. "Maybe just some of your Special Blend," I venture, involuntarily raising my voice at the end in that way I do when I'm nervous, trying to mask the fact I haven't the foggiest what she's talking about.

The other half does the nodding dog thing beside me. He's as bewildered as I am at the tea menu set before us, featuring a dozen or so varieties. Who knew ordering a cuppa could be so complicated?

We are at Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms in Harrogate, an institution with six branches in Yorkshire. Opened in 1919 by Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont, it blends the sophistication of a Scandinavian chocolatier with the hearty hospitality you'd expect down t' Dales to produce a craft bakery and tea room quite unlike any other I've seen.

Afternoon tea is a treat for the senses and at Betty's it is wonderfully traditional. Leaf tea in solid silver pots and matching three-tier cake stands, all served by knowledgeable staff in formal gear who wouldn't look out of place at Downton.

Our selection of sandwiches – poached salmon (Scottish, of course) and roast chicken (free range, obviously) – is served with a large fruit scone accompanied by clotted cream and jam. If your waistband can venture further there's reward on the top tier with the daintiest, most delicious trio of mini patisserie treats, all washed down with a generous pot of Betty's tea room blend (no specialist knowledge required) for £17.95 a head.

If that was our sinner-like indulgence though, we more than made up for it with our accommodation with self-catering company Natural Retreats, which has found the perfect recipe for those seeking an environmentally-sound break that still has an element of extravagance. It has eight sites across the UK, with a ninth due to open at John O' Groats in August.

The formula the firm has employed is simple. Find a gorgeous location – a valley in Swaledale, near the Yorkshire market town of Richmond, is a good choice – drop a smattering of contemporary timber cabins among the trees, add home comforts such as a high-spec kitchen, a wood-burning stove and a well-designed living space, then stir well with smug looks all round.

Their ethos is that going green needn't necessarily mean going lean on luxury. We could salve our souls at the same time as our conscience with a portion of our room rate donated to sustainable local causes.

Made from sustainable timber with sloped roofs coated in evergreen plants, the 18 cabins each have three bedrooms, sleeping up to six adults. They are insulated with recycled materials and heated with renewable energy sources, and water for drinking and showers comes from an on-site spring.

It's not just for the knitted-shoe brigade: this is five-star luxury with all mod cons. By day, there's nothing nicer than a spot of al fresco dining out front on the large cedar deck with dozens of wild rabbits popping along for an impromptu lunch. By night, it could be a cosy dinner around the wood-burner or a movie night courtesy of the impressive home entertainment system.

Just over three hours' drive from Glasgow and Edinburgh (I know, not great for the carbon footprint, but give me a break), the site is an ideal base. With its Norman castle, busy weekend market and views across the foaming falls of the Swale, Richmond is worthy of a day's sightseeing and its surrounding hillsides are dotted with hearty hikes and fantastic bike rides.

Pitching up in the area seven months pregnant, I had less energetic pursuits in mind but was still game for exploring.

The spa town of Harrogate, an hour's drive away, is a great place for an afternoon's shopping among the elegant antique arcades – after, of course, that mammoth afternoon tea. A wander through the town's Valley Gardens, Grade II listed by English Heritage, is another treat.

Further south, York isn't afraid to blow its own trumpet, and it's entirely justified. It was crowned Britain's Most Beautiful City last summer and its medieval thoroughfare the Shambles was voted most picturesque street in Britain by Google users.

There were no meetings at York's famous racecourse, but we caught some National Hunt action at Catterick racecourse, just 10 minutes' drive from our temporary home. It's a far cry from its fellow Yorkshire track with a bend that looked too tight for racehorses to negotiate at full pelt and a "restaurant" rescued from Butlins circa 1953, but a 10/1 winner in the first race covered our entry, lunch and losing bets on the other six races.

Much more up my street was a day at the seaside in Whitby, a pretty fishing village where there's a bit of a tale of two cities thing going on. The quaint quayside and winding backstreets are a pull for coach trips, but high on the hill there's another brand of visitor, of the Goth variety.

The pale-faced pilgrims flock to see the sights which inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula – the writer stayed in Whitby's Royal Hotel while penning his novel. The Prince of Darkness might not be my cup of char, but at least I know where I can get the perfect afternoon tea.

TRAVEL NOTES

WHERE TO STAY

Natural Retreats has five nights in the Yorkshire Dales from £680 per residence (sleeps up to six). Visit www.naturalretreats.co.uk or call 0844 384 3166).

OTHER INFORMATION

There are six branches of Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms in Yorkshire. Visit www.bettys.co.uk. For more information on the area, see www.yorkshire.com.