Romantic cottages for two in the Peak District
Romantic cottages for two in the Peak District
We know that you come to Tom’s and Douglas’s Barns to rest and recuperate, to enjoy the peace, calm, comfort and quiet and possibly do very litle but luxuriate. At least that’s often the plan, but after a few days some of those enticing walks can start beckoning, and perhaps a bit of sightseeing, and then you start wondering – what about treating yourselves to a delicious meal – or perhaps even two, or three…?
Firstly, if you would feel happier starting off with a guided walk with a snack thrown in, it is worth looking up what Sally Moseley has planned. On Tuesday 2nd she has something called the ‘Trit Trot Trail’ which is not exactly a vigorous walk but sounds a lot of fun. Don’t worry, she does do plenty of vigorous walks as well.
For something significantly more energetic, also on Tuesday but in the evening, in Parwich, is the Parwich Panoramic Run. This a 5-mile cross country fell race which cretaes a lot of interest locally, and which all the participants claim is a terrific experience; we have to believe them – neither John nor I in our youngest, fittest, most sporting days could ever cope with – or even pretend to enjoy – running.
Throughout the week and for the next couple of weeks the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival is on in Buxton, at the Opera House. This is a great treat, if you are a G&S fan, which I am; John thinks he isn’t but invariably enjoys them when enticed to one by wife with ticket. All the favourites are being performed, by a variety of companies and we have never yet been to a poor performance.
Finally, we are also going to the Last Night of the Proms at Haddon Hall on Saturday (6th August) at 7.30 hoping that the fine weather will continue so we can enjoy the music in the wonderful mediaeval setting that is Haddon Hall.
No doubt there is masses more going on nearby but this is all the activity we propose for the moment from here.
Buxton Festival 2011 is now in full swing, havng opened officially on Saturday. It’s a cultural highlight of the year, which sadly, this year, we are not supporting as well as we usually do. There are various good reasons, one being a diary clash with prearranged trips and events and another, more shamefully, because we had left it too late by the time we got round to booking – even though as ‘Friends of Buxton Festival’ we have a chance to book before the box office opens to the general public. We’ll try to do better next time.
Anyway, with luck there may be a last minute opportunity as friends and colleagues in the village find they have bought tickets they cannot honour which will be advertised on the blog. We start tomorrow with one of their wonderful mid morning talks in the Opera House. These start at 10.30 – possibly after a leisurely coffee in the sunshine beforehand if one is sufficiently organised, or possibly a pleasent lunch afterwards if not. The talks last for an hour, concluding with very relaxed question and answer sessions; the Opera House is sufficiently small to make it feel quite intimate and uninhibiting, but the audiences are always very respectful and appreciative, and questions – even when very searching ones – are never offensive (or at least, the ones we have been to).
Amongst other literary talks we’ll be going to is Joanana Lumley, standing in for the Dowager Duchess, who sadly is indisposed (at 91 that’s fair enough). There are always a lot of opera and musical recitals, and then the odd cookery demonstration, debates, hosted walks round Buxton and masses of things on the Festival fringe. It is an excellent three weeks.
The talk tomorrow is Professor Christopher Andrew and Professor Keith Jeffrey talking about the MI5 and MI6 – we’re told “Expect an interesting debate on many different aspects of British, colonial and international history over the past 100 years”.
Our local Peak District Premier Cottages group of ‘the very best 4 and 5 star holiday cottage owners’ locally are setting up a very exciting scheme of discounted prices for our guests at various appropriate local attractions, products and restaurants.
Each set of guests will be find a laminated ‘privilege card’ on their set of keys while they are staying, which they will show to the relevant destination to receive the price discount, free pudding etc… The scheme is already up and running although the list is still growing; I have put it up now on a new page within the Tom’s Barn and Douglas’s Barn Facebook site which I can keep updating but you can also click on this link to see the current version from the Peak District Premier Cottages Facebook page.
I already know that Haddon Hall is starting in the autumn (when their tills have been re-calibrated to cope with this special situation) and Sally Mosley’s Guided Walks are offering a 10% discount off her walks which will make them even more enticing and there are numerous other concessions in the pipeline.
The sun has shone brilliantly all weekend, apparently there are more Nottingham campers and caravaners than ever and the Oddfellows Dinner had a record turn out yesterday (so I’m told).
It has been a busy and fun time for everybody and the Carnival and Rec. Committee has done us all proud once again. Our attendance has ben a bit sporadic as, after a buy day yesterday we missed all the evening jollities including our neighbours’ annual barbecue and the fancy dress parade last night as we had been invited to a very lovely party just outside Lichfield to say goodbye to Peter (the headmaster) and Ros Allwood (his very supportive wife) who are leaving the Cathedral School after a number of successful years there. More later, but back to Parwich where we did not return ourselves until lunch time today, having stopped overnight with friends in Lichfield; busy catching up we ducked out of the treasure hunt here this evening but tried to make up for our absence by offering helpful suggestions to the rather perplexed hunters wandering along past the house.
John always takes plenty of photos on these occasions and as their unofficial ‘Official Photographer’ he felt very honoured to be asked by Mick Edge to attend the midday ‘Feast’ of the local Oddfellow ‘Loyal Laurel and Crown Lodge’ as a guest.You can get an idea of the parade and general occasion by looking at the Parwich blog entry which saves me repeating it all!
While all this was going on there was a village market on the green with various stalls and attractions. My main responsibility was to help Sue Hughes on the 1st Responders’ site, selling heart-shaped biscuits and letting people practice or learn how to do CPR (chest resuscitations) on the two limbless Annies lying on the grass! We were most impressed by the children – they all, even six and seven year olds knew what to do, much more confidently than many of the adults. Apparently thay are taught it at school as part of life-saving, which I remember we did too, all those years back, although ours was largely to do with recuing people from drowning; we weren’t allowed to swim in the school pool (this was in Africa) until we had passed our life saving test.
Only one photo from us tonight. This is Parwich pulling Nottingham which sounds rather like David and Goliath! It passed me by, who actually won, but we do have some strong men so possibly it was Parwich!
There’s a real horticultural feel to this coming weekend; let’s hope the weather is kind so that all the visitors can enjoy in comfort all the treats that lie ahead.
The first treat is a one-off event, when Mike and Gill Radcliffe of Flaxdale House are opening their garden all day to raise money for the DRCS, a charity very close to my heart (I managed it for ten years and am now a trustee and a member of the very active Friends of DRCS Fundraising committee but this event is organised entirely by Mike and Gill ). All the proceeds are to go to the charity; Gill and several local artists will be exhibiting some of their paintings, and they are giving 25% of the total price of any sold to the DRCS (so with my DRCS hat on I hope plenty get sold!!).
There’s a host of exciting gardens waiting to be enjoyed this Sunday in Parwich (including Flaxdale again – Mike and Gill will be on their knees come Sunday evening) many of them are particularly impressive and most of them normally hidden from public view. The village has many interesting gardens and many highly knowledgeable and keen gardeners. Then there are some (or maybe it’s just us) who just love 
gardens and flowers and the scent and colour… but lack much horticultural know how. However, we are lucky enough to enjoy the much appreciated services of Sue whom many of you have met or at least seen at Orchard Farm on a Thursday morning, busily putting everything to rights, and tactfully instructing us about what we should be doing.
John will cut the grass and make sure things look as tidy as possible but that is as far as it goes – we take a perverse pride in not doing anything extra or special, mainly because it would take months and more time and expertise than we have but also it takes some of the pressure off what would otherwie be an impossible situation. Those who knew Orchard Farm of old will testify that the ‘garden’ did not exist, apart from a plum tree near the house, a honeysuckle by the front door and the lovely yellow ‘Parwich rose’ which flowers for two weeks in June.
The wider garden was, literally, a dump. Tom the previous owner had allowed farmers and builders to deposit their rubbish there so it was a perilously sloping tangled mound of everything from breeze blocks, broken bits of asbestos, old bicycle frames and tractor and various animal skeletons. It took someone with a digger and big truck three whole days to clear, before we had to start on the docks, nettles and brambles. John has some very telling before and after pictures, not that the after photos show any great development year on year!
Meanwhile, lots of photos taken yesterday morning and the day before are viewable in the Photo gallery ‘Orchard Farm Garden: Flowers’
These comments below all come from the Visitors’ Books too, but as they have some very helpful recommendations I have extracted them and put in links to help any research (I haven’t repeated any links (e.g. the George, which doesn’t appear after the first one). I felt quite tantalised copying them out and have made several mental notes of places and walks for us to try – one would need lots of walks to balance the lovely food one’s being recommended.
“Our 4th visit to the wonderful Tom’s Barn. As always a lovely warm welcome from Marion and John, and the barn is as perfect as ever. We took a walk along the Cromford Canal – the amount of different wildlife on one walk was amazing. Had a couple of meals at the Coach and Horses at Fenny Bentley – great food, served all day. Already planning visit no. 5. Thanks again to Marion and John and their team for our perfect holiday.” May 2011
“Many thanks for a lovely stay in a splendidly equipped cottage (Tom’s Barn). We enjoyed dinner at the George in Alstonefield, a walk round Carsington Water and the teashop at Monsal Head, plus lots of lovely walks. Check out the Teashop Walk books in the bookcase. A delightful time in a beautiful part of the country.” May 2011
“Our second visit to this fabulous cottage (Douglas’s Barn)! We’ve had another fantastic holiday – very relaxing and we couldn’t have wished for better weather! Good food and service at the Devonshire Arms at Pilsley, Saracen’s Head, Shirley and the George at Alstonefield…the lemon drizzle cake was delicious!” May 2011
“A beautiful cottage (Douglas’s Barn’) with wonderful hosts and lots of walks – Dovedale is quite near and quite spectacular. Haddon, Kedleston and Sudbury Hall all repay a visit. Bakewell is really good for shops and Lathkill Dale – in the National Nature Reserve – a hidden secret. Lovely holiday!” April 2011
“We’ve all had a great time. Lots of walks – Hawksmoor, Dimmingsdale (if you go there stop for lemon meringue pie at the Ramblers’ Retreat) and Dovedale. The house (Tom’s Barn) is so cosy it’s hard to leave! We’ll be back.” March/April 2011
“Our first visit to Tom’s Barn and we are already planning a return visit. Without doubt, the most comfortable, clean and well-equipped cottage we have stayed in. Completely satisfied our book addiction at Scarthin Books and Brierlow Bar Book Store and had lovely days at Chatsworth and Kedleston Hall. However, the highlight of the weekend was Marion’s cake, heaven on a plate!” March 2011
As the summer season approaches, and more prosaically, probably because half term and the next Bank Holiday weekend is coming up, there seems to be a lot of information about what’s on, so I will try to distill some of it, with links so you can find out more.
The Monsal Trail: There is exciting news abut the new stretch of the the Monsal Trail from Bakewell to Millers Dale which was due to be officially opened today by the Duke of Devonshire. Previously one hadn’t been able to go through the tunnels which have now been repaired. All our local trails are great for walkers, cyclists and people on horseback – and wheelchairs and mobility scooters; they are well maintained, reasonably level and completely free from cars; the Monsal Trail goes through spectacularly beautiful country and is well worth a trip – preferably on a weekday, possibly, as you may not be the only people there, particularly at the weekend…
There are various access points en route, but the first link we give is for the one nearest Bakewell, Hassop Sation, where one can park at the Hassop Bookshop and cafe, enjoy pleasant food, buy books and hire bikes, including the electric variety. (We’ve tried the cafe and the bookshop, not the bikes!) However, you could also start from Monsal Head – some pleasant decisions to be made!
Chatsworth: There is lots planned at Chatsworth this summer – best to look at this link which will tell you much more than I can. Do be prepared for the fact that Chatsworth House itself is shrouded in scaffolding so you don’t at present get that dramatic first view we all love so well, of thr house glinting in the sunshine as you descend through the park. If you’re interested in art you may like to see their first exhibition in their New Gallery (it opens May 27th) rather enticingly entitled ‘Britain’s Most Eligible Batchelor’ – the 6th Duke who sadly is no longer available. The 2011 Chatsworth Country Fair is on Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th September.
Sally Mosley Walks: If you rather like the idea of a guided walk, taken in a very relaxed, pleasant way by someone who knows and loves the area, it might be worth looking at this link for her forthcoming walks and contacting Sally. She will also arrange a personal walk exactly to suit your requirements if you ask her, which at least one guest recently has appreciated enormously.
The Heights of Abraham/cable cars: This is something that rather shamefully over the years we have never done but we happily pass on some info and yet another link, feeling we really must try the cable cars ourselves – manwhile we await some first hand reports from guests! Once up at the top there seems to be a lot to do, before you come down to earth again!
You don’t have to be competing to enjoy the Horse Trials at Chatsworth, which take place in May every year; you don’t even have to be horsey although it probably helps.
There was a lot to watch but one impressive thing for us was a man riding four at once, bareback – see the photo. His name is Jean Francois Pignon, a French ‘horse whisperer’ who attracted great and admiring crowds; people were pretty impressed with his horses too, who seemed to know by instinct or empathy rather than shouted instructions. In my ignorance I had never heard of him but he seems to be well known for his amazing understanding of horses, and goes around the world giving demonstrations and teaching
We went to the Trials yesterday and are going again tomorrow. We were only too delighted to go, but the official reason was because we are part of a large team of cheerfully willing friends and supporters of the DRCS (Derwent Rural Counselling Service) who have a stand there this year, as Chatsworth’s charity of choice for the event. For those who may have missed any previous explanations about the DRCS, it is a truly remarkable local (Bakewell-based) charity that provides professional counselling help to anyone, young or old, that asks for it and for whom it is going to be the appropriate help (otherwise DRCS would know and suggest a more relevant source).
Friday is a more low-key day and it was relatively quiet; the weather was changeable and pretty windy and cold if one was essentially sitting still – probably quite warm on horseback… Fortunately there were three of us on duty at any one time so nearly always one of us was able to shoot off to watch the events and look at some of the other stalls.
We were stationed near the main ring which was good, next to a wonderful stall selling homemade fudge which was less good – in fact a serious and totally irresistible temptation that we only managed to resist for a very short while.
The National Trust and the National Brewery Centre… a heady mix for one day and John and I have just spent a most enjoyable- and useful – day sampling both. Our local tourism board, Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, runs familiarisation trips to local attractions for its members; the idea is to give people an enjoyable day out, whilst learning more about the area.
It also gives the the attractions an opportunity to show off their wares, so to speak, so that accommodation providers can speak at first hand about local places, and be able to recommend helpfully and appropriately to their guests. We have just been on their most recent one: a guided tour round Sudbury Hall, including its impressive Museum of Childhood followed by another tour, round the National Brewery Centre in Burton on Trent and would happily recommend both!
Quite illogically both feel slightly outside our radar, possibly because both are in Staffordshire and we tend to look towards Chatsworth and Haddon, and even Hardwick Hall and Lyme Park (Cheshire) which are both quite a bit further away. Sudbury is only about 30 minutes’ drive from here. It is a stunning red brick late 17th century house, built by the Vernon family, and lived in by them until it was given to the National Trust in lieu of crippling death duties. It remained more a family house than a grand or ostentatious one, although the grand staircase, cornices and ceilings and Grindling Gibbins wood carvings are hardly modest.
Incidentally, apparently it is a favourite destination of the so-called ‘set-jetters’ who like to visit the settings of films they have enjoyed. The Peak District really comes into its own for this and apparently Sudbury is a favourite haunt of all Pride and Prejudice fans. We were shown the exact settings for many scenes everyone remembered from the film, particularly d’Arcy/Colin Firth addicts.
The Museum of Childhood is wonderful. Such a lot of care and imaginative thought has gone into the design and the content; while we were there there were happy groups of children being introduced to old fashioned games, watching someone in an old-fashioned kitchen ironing with a flat iron, having the chance of going up a chimney and ‘enjoying’ a lesson in a Victorian schoolroom.
None of us were remotely of young school age, but there were constant whoops of delighted remembrance as people pounced on Hornby trains, books, games, toys and clothes they remembered from their own childhood. The Victorian school room with its rows of double wooden desk-with-lids-and -inkwells looked very familiar to a number of us who were educated long after the Victorian era I hasten to say but obviously went to schools which had seen no need to modernise!
There is a very pleasant cafe at Sudbury and a very different one also at the National Brewery Museum which provided us with a delicious buffet lunch. Much more scope for nostalgia here on this second lap of our trip, and plenty of opportunity to sample some draught beer. The only time I personally would think of drinking beer is as a reward after a long walk to a pub but it didn’t take much persuasion to try something called White Shield which slipped down very sweetly! The trouble was for the rest of the afternoon one felt rather dosy and inattentive (good thing this came after the Victorian classroom!).
A quick trip back to Carsington Water, our drop-off point, where John and I saw for the first time the brand new electric bikes which are being piloted in the Peak District and Devon (hilly counties both, where extra power uphill is a great asset!). Friends who use them say they are brilliant but we haven’t yet had a try. You can hire these at Carsington.
So, two very good recommendations at any time, but probably even more especially if the weather looks unpromising and you don’t feel like being outside; the electric bikes a fun thing to consider if the weather is good!
You may remember hearing that Peak District Premier Cottages, the regional group of Premier Cottages owners, of which we are proud to be members, have been nominated by Haddon Hall as their holiday accommodation providers of choice.
Obviously this is something we are all delighted about; but it isn’t just a question of feeling flattered and privileged (which we do) – it also means that we and our guests will all benefit from preferential special offers and I think advance warnings of special dates and special events.
We will put more details up on our website in the next few days, but meanwhile, let me just mention the excellent Haddon Hall restaurant. This is on site but you don’t have to be visiting the hall to go to the restaurant so it would be an excellent place to have a lovely lunch or afternoon tea after a day in Bakewell; you’d be on your way home, it is such a beautiful setting in the shadow of the hall, the food by all accounts is excellent (we had a delicious lunch there last week) and parking should be OK although you do have to cross the A6 to get to the drive from the official car park.
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