Nestled in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales is a holiday centre with a Christian ethos. Despite not having a church background, Gavin Havery took his family.

HOLIDAYING with a baby can be a bit tricky, when you think of all the clobber you need to take away with you. And then there is car journey.

People used to driving long distances with an upset child in the back will tell you what a nightmare they are. So, when the opportunity of a log cabin in the Yorkshire Dales came up, my girlfriend and I jumped at the chance.

It seemed the perfect place to take our eightmonth- old daughter, Matilda, on our first family holiday. We live near Newcastle, so the drive to the Jonas Centre, which is near the village of Redmire, was a doddle and done in an hour and 20 minutes.

Eyebrows were raised among family and friends when I told them it was a holiday centre run by a Christian charity as neither of us is particularly religious.

The charity offers discounted holidays to people who need a break, to get away from it all in comfy accommodation surrounded by beautiful countryside.

The Jonas Centre gets its church groups and has conference facilities as well as a prayer hall, and while Christian iconography is on sale in the shop, there is no pressure to get involved in anything.

Suggestions we were running away to join a cult had to be laughed off and manager Simon Eastwood says people have the wrong idea about the place.

“It is not somewhere people come and get brainwashed,” he says. He is right, we weren’t.

The biggest draw is the value. You get to stay in practical and cosy digs, in a wonderfully scenic part of the world, on the doorstep, for £150 for four nights midweek, or the weekend.

Bear in mind each of the 12 log cabins has five beds, with room for two more on the settee, and you have got a decent short break in tranquil Wensleydale for under a tenner a night.

The cabins are comfortable rather than luxurious, no hot tubs or saunas, and ideally suited for people who to use them as an affordable base to explore the area and unwind. They are kitted out with a fridge, microwave, electric cooker, toaster, kettle, plenty of kitchen utensils, crockery and cutlery, making it easy to make your own meals. There are, however, a good selection of pubs and restaurants within walking or driving distance for those who fancy spoiling themselves.

The bathrooms have a full size bath, sink and toilet so there is no running across woodland with a toilet roll, wash bag and a towel.

Each cabin has a colour television and heating is provided by night storage heaters with small electric heaters also available for additional warmth if needed. Something we did miss a radio so if you are a fan of Jeremy Vine like us you are advised to take your own, as well as any CDs/MP3 players you need to help you unwind.

The main bedroom has twin beds while the second bedroom has a single bed and twin bunk bed. There was a travel cot and high chair, which made it a lot easier when packing the car with Matilda’s bits and bobs.

Days out can include walks on the moors, or by becks, rivers and waterfalls, or in a wide range of the market towns and villages nearby.

One of our loveliest strolls was down to Redmire Falls, which is about a mile from the centre, and offers simply stunning views.

Visitors can also explore the nearby castles, museums, farms and tea rooms. There are workshops where ice-cream, chocolate, rope and teapots are made. Horse-riding, fishing, golf, and swimming are only some of the activities which can be enjoyed nearby.

But the best day out, by a country mile, was our jaunt to the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes, where about 25 samples of the finest dairy creations possible are available for sampling.

We may not have found God while staying at the Jonas Centre, but we definitely found cheeses.

• The Jonas Centre, Redmire, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 4EW. Tel. 01969- 624900.