Top Tips: two walks, one wine and pubs that accept dogs

We are always grateful for up to date comments about what to do and where to eat and thought that this thoughtful review, left in the Tom’s Barn Visitors’  book, would be useful for a wider audience. This would  include Douglas’s Barn guests although none of them share the immediate concern about pubs that accept dogs, local visitors to our blog (we all round here appreciate good food and good walks!) and of course  future guests who may be planning what to do in the  time they are here.

(Please note, by the way, that we have  taken on board the comments towards the end about the misleading information re an enclosed garden on our website.  I  changed the description on the website immediately –  our garden is not – and never could easily be  – enclosed so that dogs could never get in or out.  We are sorry about that – in fact we quite often wish we could stop other dogs getting in who frequently have to be discouraged from deciding it might be a good local gents/ladies.)

“Tom’s Barn – what a fantastic find! Had everything we could possibly have wanted, rounded off our honeymoon perfectly. I am sure we will return in the future!

The weather was glorious – a little too hot to do all the walking we wanted to. We enjoyed a walk to the George at Alstonefield  (fab food, allows dogs, but we sat outside; the Bluebell at Tissington (nice meal); Red Lion at Hognaston (the best ever Sunday roast!).

We also walked from Parsley Hay to Biggin and back across the fields and along the Tissington Trail. We ate at the Waterloo (fantastic sandwiches and homemade chips – no dogs allowed but we sat outside) – very hot – 30C – a little too hot for this ten mile walk!

We spent a lot of money at H. Smith in Ashbourne – a great selection, especially of wines, and they stock our favourite ones. We recommend Vina Esmeralda 2007 – such a fruity wine for a summer day; we enjoyed sitting outside the front door with a glass!

It’s the finishing touches that make the cottage so special, the cake (that lasted all of ten minutes I add!) the fresh flowers that smell so lovely and freshly laid eggs!

If we can make one TINY criticism – the website implies there is an enclosed area of garden which is our criteria for booking a cottage, having a dog. It really didn’t matter here as Lily was a good girl and learnt the grass behind the cottage was for business but in the past we’ve had terrible trouble getting her to go in new places, so you might want to reword it on the website.

Having said that though we probably wouldn’t have found this special place if we hadn’t thought it had one. All in all an amazing stay – sad to be leaving, and our thanks to you both. (Another 5* review on TripAdvisor…!)” May 2010