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Self catering cottage in the Peak District, sleeps 10 or more

country:England
location:Peak DistrictSee map here 
price:From £195 - £280 per cottage for 2 nights or from £325 - £650 per cottage for 7 nights (sleeps 1-5). Prices depend on season.
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
 
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description
Dramatic scenery, historic buildings, cutting-edge environmental sustainability and superbly comfortable accommodation combine to make our farm a wonderful year-round holiday destination. Set in a peaceful and secluded location close to Buxton and Bakewell, the property occupies 12 acres of pastureland - a stunning position in one of the Peak District’s most breathtaking valleys.

Seven cottages, previously converted from an imposing 18th Century barn and hayloft, have recently been completely refurbished with great attention to detail. Newly completed Sheldon Cottage has single-floor accommodation, is wheelchair accessible and is designed to meet M2 mobility impairment standards.

Combining traditional character with modern building standards, the weathered limestone walls conceal the latest in green technology – hot water and central heating from ground source heat pumps. Deborah and Martin Hofman, the farm’s new owners are proud of their Peak District Environmental Quality Mark and Green Tourism Business Scheme ‘silver’ accreditation.

Take advantage of the natural beauty and all the activities that the Peak District has to offer while enjoying a high standard of comfort. Deborah and Martin have installed under-floor heating, contemporary bathroom fittings and bedrooms with pocket sprung mattresses and memory foam toppers. The open-plan living areas with sumptuous leather furniture, flat-screen TVs, DVD, video and CD players with i-pod docking are complemented by kitchens with all the cooking equipment you might want. Most cottages have individual patios with garden furniture and stunning views over dramatic Parkhouse Hill and the distant moors.

'The Long Room', created from an old agricultural store, includes a pool table, table football, board games and a wide selection of books, videos & DVDs. Guests can prepare a meal together in the communal kitchen, enjoy home cooked gourmet dishes from the freezer or make use of excellent local caterers. Breakfast boxes are also available - with delicious local produce including eggs from ‘the Spice Girls’ and ‘the Sugarbabes’, Deborah’s own free-range hens.

Our Farm is perfect for couples, families and large or small groups seeking lazy summer strolls or bracing winter walks - children and dogs are very welcome. Join Deborah and Martin for a holiday to remember!
special things to do and see here
  • Organised activities (including indoor and outdoor rock climbing, caving, trekking, canoeing, kayaking, archery, guided walks) arranged in conjunction with local licensed activity centre.
  • Bus Route 442 to Ashbourne & Buxton passes the door – free to guests!
  • National Cycle Network route 68 passes the door.
  • Beautiful walks from the doorstep - easy strolls to strenuous hikes.
  • Quiet lane and bridleway leading to start of High Peak and Tissington Trails – 27 miles of traffic-free cycle ways.
  • Excellent pubs serving great food (and a red-hot chippie!) in nearby villages
  • Alton Towers, Chatsworth House, Gullivers World and Haddon Hall amongst numerous easily accessible attractions.
Book a combination of cottages for a group celebration or gathering, or just a get together for family and friends. With cottages sleeping from 1 to 5, we can easily accommodate your requirements, sleeping up to 28 in total.
rooms, food and facilities
Our eight cottages can sleep up to 28 in total. Individual cottages sleep between 1 and 5

  • Flexible start dates and short breaks
  • Heating, electricity, hot water, linen and towels included
  • The 'Long Room' - with table football and pool table, as well as fully fitted kitchen for communal eating
  • Video and DVD library
Walking & cycling: We hold Visit Britain 'Walkers welcome' and 'Cyclists welcome' awards. A separate space is available for drying outdoor clothing and footwear, so clothes can dry overnight. A lockable, undercover area for the safe overnight storage of bicycles and panniers is available. We provide boot scrapes at main doors. Guest have access to facilities with water supply for cleaning boots, bicycles and outdoor clothing. We lend guests maps and books on walking and cycling in the area.

Family friendly: Children are very welcome. Table football and pool is available in our communal games room. Indoor and outdoor games are available for guest use. In our guest information there is a special section on places to visit and things to do especially suitable for children. We have a library of children's videos and DVDs.

Baby friendly: Babies are very welcome. Cots and high chairs are available on request without charge (parents are requested to bring own cot linen). Storage is available for push-chairs. We have a selection of toys for very young children.

Disabled access: We have been assessed to Visit Britain Mobility Impairment M2 quality standard - typically suitable for a person with restricted walking ability and for those that may need to use a wheelchair some of the time and can negotiate a maximum of three steps. Special features include: all rooms on ground floor, sufficient space to manoeuvre wheelchairs, a wet room with grab rails, thermostatically controlled wheel-in shower and basin with lever taps, wide doorways, lowered light switches, raised power points and accessible rear patio.

Dog friendly: Dogs are very welcome, we provide a fenced and gated field for a dog exercising area, dog items: blankets, food & bowls, mats, towels/bedding, spare leads, torches for dog walking, holiday dog tags, washing and drying facilities, dog friendly outdoor seating areas, enclosed patio, a flexible approach to number and size of dogs – please check, information on suitable dog walks, no extra charge for a dog, contact details of local vets and a waste bin for scoop bags.
how to find us
By road: We're 5 miles south of Buxton, 8 miles west of Bakewell in the Peak District National Park.

By rail: Buxton Station - Regular connections with Manchester and onwards to Preston and Blackpool. Macclesfield Station - Approximately 30 minutes drive by car- Regular bus service to and from Buxton (30 minutes journey time)- Virgin West Coast Mainline connections to London Euston, Reading, Birmingham, Guildford and Bournemouth. Chesterfield Station - Approximately 40 minutes drive by car- Midland Mainline connection with London St. Pancras, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol, Norwich, Newcastle and Plymouth. 

By air: Both Manchester and Nottingham East Midlands Airports are approximately 1 hour away by car. There is a direct and frequent bus service between Manchester Airport and Buxton.

By bus: Bowers Bus Service 442 between Ashbourne, Hartington, Longnor and Buxton passes our door - Numerous bus services pass through Buxton including Trans-Peak from Derby or Manchester; X18 or 240 from Sheffield or 170 from Chesterfield.
lower carbon travel
We offer guests who arrive using lower carbon transport options, collection from Buxton bus or train station and a complimentary breakfast box containing locally produced bread, butter, milk, honey, jam and yoghurt. We also refund the cost of the local bus for people who arrive from or depart to Buxton.
how this holiday makes a difference
Aims and ambitions -
  • To establish a home and business where we can put into practice some of our ideas for living and working with a minimal negative impact on our surroundings and maximum use of what our local region has to offer
  • We want our guests to enjoy a fantastic holiday here with us in the Peak District National Park
  • To look after our environment and support the local economy
  • To develop our site and business whilst staying true to our ideals, providing our visitors with a great experience
  • Achieve a carbon neutral status – we are not sure yet how long this will take, but we are committed to it!

    Achievements -
  • Silver Award for East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards 2009.
  • Silver Award for the Green Business Tourist Scheme in August 2008. The leading sustainable tourism certification scheme in the UK, with over 1400 members, businesses opting to join are assessed against a rigorous set of criteria, covering a range of areas, like energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and more.
  • Peak District Environmental Quality Mark accreditation in July 2008. An award which recognises businesses who have adopted good environmental practices and contribute to the support and conservation of the Peak District National Park.

    What we do -

    Environment:
  • Recycle glass, paper, tins, cardboard, milk/fruit juice cartons and plastic.
  • Wherever possible, we use email and telephone, rather than paper.
  • Recycle our used printer cartridges
  • We provide our guests with a separate container in which to place all kitchen waste. The contents are ‘fed’ to our on-site green cone food waste digesters.
  • Supply our guests with recycled toilet paper, kitchen paper, tissues & aluminium foil for use during their stay
  • We've installed a ground source heat pump, which converts stored solar energy in the ground to provide central heating and hot water and only uses a small amount of electricity to power the pump. No need for gas or oil!
  • We've insulated the solid stone walls of our cottages with rigid insulation boards behind plasterboard lining and added extra insulation in the loft spaces.
  • Installed low energy lighting throughout and, wherever possible, fitted minimum ‘A’ rated appliances to reduce energy consumption.
  • We make as much use as possible of the sun and wind to dry our laundry.
  • We buy our electricity from Ecotricity – although not the cheapest, we like the fact that they are investing heavily in renewable energy sources.
  • All toilets in all our cottages are dual-flush.
  • All cottages are stocked with non-bleach cleaning products that do not adversely affect the functioning of our septic tanks. Our cleaning staff do not use bleach and make maximum use of e-clothes!
  • We use short-water cycles at 30 degrees using non-phosphate detergent.
  • Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste and supply our guests with complimentary toiletries in refillable plastic bottles for use during their stay.
  • We provide guests with information on cycle hire, local transport, and a place where they can lock bicycles up safely.
  • We have lots of information on “walks from the door” to give guests the choice of a car free break or holiday.
  • We offer a discount for those guests who choose to arrive by public transport or by bike, and can arrange collection from nearby train and bus stations.
  • We refund our guests the cost of local bus journeys during their stay, and we drive a hybrid Toyota Prius!

    Community:
  • Wherever possible, we use local suppliers. Our recent renovations were undertaken by local builders, architects and craftsmen
  • We offer local suppliers the opportunity to match prices we have received elsewhere.
  • We also offer guests a ‘breakfast box’ with locally produced goods and have a freezer stocked with locally produced ready-made meals, deserts and ice cream for our guests to enjoy.
  • Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

    We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

    'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

    We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

    We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

    This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.

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