2010 Prices from £435- £555 per wk

Douglas's Barn special info

  • Enjoy England Gold Award!
  • Sleeps 2
  • Longer/ wider king size bed with Vi-Spring mattress
  • En suite whirlpool bath with power shower over
  • Wireless Internet Access
  • Micro hifi with iPod player
  • FreeSat TV
  • Sony Netbook for your use
  • Short breaks Oct-March

 

Please Note...

  • Douglas’s Barn is completely pet free (although Boots our cat doesn't approve...)
  • It is not suitable for children, or anyone nervous of spiral stairs.
  • Immobile babies are welcome

 

Douglas's Barn is officially a romantic escape! See Stop Press below!

It's also charmingly quirky and instantly inviting, beautifully warm and designed for Five Star minimum-effort-relaxing...

The sitting room has a very modern 'burning pebbles' electric fire set in to the wall, with remote control.

 

There is a flat panel tv, dvd player and mini hifi cd/iPod player, with DAB radio, all with remote control.

In the bookcase you'll find local information, maps, games and novels.

You will even find boot dryers - useful if your walking boots have got wet the day before; a hair dryer, iron and ironing board and really everything you could need.

 

The kitchen is equipped with a top of the range electric cooker with rotisserie, a microwave, slow-cooker, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer.

 

We always leave you some fresh flowers, and – during the summer – a jug of herbs from the garden.

 

You will find a tea tray to welcome you when you arrive, with freshly baked homemade cake or biscuits.

 

There is more than a touch of Africa upstairs with a contemporary wall hanging and delightful original water colours bought on a recent family trip to Cape Town.

 

The bedroom is spacious with plenty of room to snatch a quiet moment for relaxed reading or perhaps peacefully watching the countryside through the low window.

 

There are novels to read, a digital radio to listen to and a small remote controlled colour TV you can watch from the bed.

 

The en suite bathroom is beautifully warm with a heated towel rail to ensure you can step right out of the bath and into a wonderfully warm and dry towel.

 

The whirlpool bath - with power shower above - is fairly spacious if you feel like sharing the bathwater!

 

 

These floor plans give a rough idea of the more than somewhat quirky layout of Douglas's Barn.

 

Outside Douglas's Barn there is a wooden table and two chairs, perfect for sitting out in the evening sunshine with a glass of wine.

There is also a more secluded south facing stone paved patio with picnic table and weber barbecue, and lots of roses in the summer.

 

A Gold Award for Douglas's Barn!!

We are very pleased to have received a Gold Award for 'exceptional quality of accommodation and customer service!'

Meanwhile, see our How to Book page if you would like to check this out for yourself.

2010 weeks have filled very fast indeed there is now only one week in September free, most of November and half of December

 

Douglas's Barn is officially a romantic escape!

Douglas's Barn was chosen by journalist Annabelle Thorpe for her selection of 20 Romantic Cottages for Two Escape Guide in the Observer Travel section (Sunday 13th January 2008)!

Obviously, we aren't surprised but it is nice to have recognised publicly what lots of delighted couples had already discovered for themselves!

 

See the Mentions in the Press section of our Blog for a lovely recommendation of our barns by one of our guests, in the Dec 2009 edition of BBC Countryfile Magazine

 

Why Douglas?

Why Africa? Why the Scottish connection...?

Marion’s father Douglas, whom many of our ‘older’ guests will remember, used to live here, in Douglas's Barn before it was re-converted into the holiday cottage for two we have now.

He and Boots the cat came up from south Devon where he and my mother had retired, to live beside us (not 'with' us as he was careful to point out) in 1999, at the age of ninety.  Still vigorous at that age, he loved walking and still at 91 happily walked either to or from the Olde Gate in Brassington.

He loved walking and he loved talking, above all he was a great 'people person' and loved nothing better than the chance to enjoy the company of our guests in Tom's Barn, and more often than not a leisurely  sundowner outside their cottages in the evening.

From a Lowland Scots family, he actually grew up near Lichfield, used to holiday in the Peak District (his favourite place of all was Dovedale) and spent all his working life in Africa, where Marion grew up…

Hence the Derbyshire/African mix with Scottish underlay.

Douglas's Barn

“ More than worth the 5 star award - Douglas's Barn is the perfect place for a relaxing, luxury holiday. My wife and I have never enjoyed better accommodation in this country and would recommend anyone to visit.” August 2010

 

Douglas’s Barn is a Five Star luxury self-catering cottage for two in the Peak District: it lies next to open countryside with glorious walks in every direction but also within only a short stroll of the village pub, shop and church.

Our guests love the 'quirky but gorgeous' contemporary interior with all its funny nooks and weird crannies; they love the calm, still atmosphere and soothing colours which make one feel instantly sheltered from the stresses of the outside world. They also appreciate all the little 'extra touches' and the fine quality of the furniture and equipment.

(They also seem to like the homemade cake and now the Orchard Farm marmalade!)

From cowshed to romantic luxury: both barns are very different, but equally charming.

Tom’s Barn is probably somewhat earlier than Douglas’s Barn, which we suspect was joined up to the house in a fairly ad hoc way by a late 18C farmer with more concern for his cows than architecture.

Douglas’s Barn was scheduled to open in mid May 2006. A fortnight before it was even nearly ready we allowed ourselves to be cajoled by two separate couples into agreeing to their coming earlier and act as guinea pigs. This they did, to everybody’s convenience and pleasure. Our very first guests – from Cornwall – have already returned for their fourth visit!

Several  of our guests like to come twice in the year - perhaps once in the summer and another in the winter: the comfort in the barn doesn't change but there is a wonderful contrast in the countryside from the luxuriant green of the summer to the barer but bracing winter scenery.

 

Recent Comments from Douglas’s Barn Visitors’ Book

“We have had a fantastic week! This is by far the best place we have ever stayed in the UK.” August 2010

“It’s great to return after six years and find everything as wonderful as we remembered. We’ve had an action week of walking and cycling and have enjoyed returning to the peace and tranquillity of Orchard Farm and the comforts of Douglas’s Barn. Thank you John and Marion for your warm hospitality and all the ‘little extras’, especially the seriously good Bakewell Tart.” June 2010

 

"Wonderfully relaxing holiday in the best-equipped cottage we’ve had the pleasure of staying in." May 2010

“It is rare indeed to find a holiday cottages of such high quality and exacting standards. Faultless, thoughtful and impressive attention to detail. A lovely weekend; Derbyshire has so much to offer.” Feb 2010

“Thank you for providing the ingredients for the best Christmas ever! We loved the cottage, the long walks in the snow and the peace and quiet. Bliss! Top notch accommodation – will tell friends.” Dec 09

“Have had a truly wonderful time here: stunning scenery, gorgeous weather and a friendly village. The cottage was the best place we’ve ever stayed in.’ Oct 09

"What a pleasure to come to a ‘cottage’ which actually lives up to its 5 Star billing!" Aug 2009