Holiday Cottage Peak District, Parwich, UK

Douglas's Barn

   ...ref.no: 713

Accommodation   (Self Catering Cottage, sleeps: 2)

Douglas’s Barn has Five Stars. We welcomed our first guests to Douglas’s Barn in early May 2006, and within the fortnight we had repeat bookings from the first two guests, who are coming back again!

It is totally different from Tom’s Barn (see related Holiday Units) in that there are no trusses (low or otherwise!) and no beams but lots of odd shapes and quirky angles, thanks - we suspect - to an 18C farmer building for himself in a fairly ad hoc way a new barn to connect the slightly older Tom’s Barn to the even older main house. We have gone with the general quirkiness rather than try to straighten things up, and we have consciously tried to make it different in style to Tom’s Barn, but aiming again for the same high standards (tasteful luxury rather than flashy!).

Ground Floor

• Downstairs, the painted kitchen is beautifully equipped, with top of the range electric cooker and a great selection of kitchen implements just waiting to be appreciated by an enthusiastic cook
  
• The cooker, fridge and dishwasher are all stainless steel and top quality. (The automatic washer and dryer are discreetly hidden behind cupboard doors.)
  
• There is a small round white table with four rather fun and surprisingly comfortable see-through chairs.
  
• The sitting room, with an ultra comfy modern leather sofa, flat screen TV and remote control inset electric ‘fire’ and glass occasional tables also has a contemporary feel, but it does manage to be old-fashioned cosy at the same time
  
• On the walls we have some delightful original paintings by local Derbyshire artist friends
  

First Floor

• A cast iron spiral staircase takes you upstairs to a spacious bedroom and a bigger/longer bed, and en suite whirlpool bath with a power shower over.
  
• Because Douglas spent all his working life in Africa, where Marion was born and brought up - and also because we spent last Christmas in Cape Town - a very subtle African theme has emerged upstairs
  
• Downstairs is more the gentle grey/greens/blues of the Derbyshire Dales and Staffordshire Moorlands, reflected by the original paintings on the walls (both oils and water colours) by local artists who live in the village; upstairs a wall hanging and some rather fun original African paintings inject a slightly more vibrant feel, with some magenta in the furnishings just to jazz things up a bit further…
  

However contemporary the style, the warm and welcoming atmosphere is as traditional as in Tom’s Barn.

Parwich is a typical small village in the southern White Peak area of the Peak National Park. It nestles in a hollow well away from main roads and consists of limestone farmhouses and cottages. There is a church, a pub, a village shop, a cricket ground, tennis courts and a bowling green. Parwich lies within a wonderful walking area and is close to many beauty spots and visitor attractions.

There is endless opportunity for WALKING in the hills and dales of the White Peak surrounded by dry stone walls wooded copses and wildlife. There is a wealth of footpaths, cycle tracks and trails surrounding us and we supply local maps and masses of walk and guide books. The Dovedale and Manifold Valleys are close by, providing riverside walks at the base of the towering limestone gorges; the Limestone, High Peak ad Tissington Trails are all excellent for walking, cycing and riding. We can lend bicycles or you can hire them locally; Carsington Water is a very popular visitor attraction with walking and cycle routes around the reservoir and facilities for cycle hire - including the new electric bikes - as well as watersports.. The adjacent Staffordshire Moorlands have different but stunning scenery.

STATELY HOMES AND GARDENS Chatsworth Hpuse and mediaeval Haddon Hall are both withing half an hour; a little further away lie Kedleston, Sudbury, Calke Abbey , Hardwick and Lyme Park...

ACTIVITIES There are several spectacular caves just a few miles north of here and the Dark Peak of Kinder Scout for the more adventurous walker or climber is within half an hours' drive. There is golf, fishing, tennis (courts in the village) and opportunities to ride; at Carsington Water there is sailing, caneoing, windsurfing and plenty of opportunities to do some bird spotting from hides along the edge.There is always also Alton Towers for the ultimate thrill!

SHOPPING, GOOD FOOD, PUBS AND RESTAURANTS We are lucky to have some excellent locally owned shops, including antiques and bookshops, some excellent farmshops and delicatessens and specialist foodshops, restaurants and pubs and a number f small locally owned breweries selling good local beer.

'CULTURE' There are many museums and interesting local attractions, potteries and art galleries. The Buxton Opera House has a varied exciting programme of plays, ballet and opera and of coure, the Buxton Festival is one of the great literary and musical highlights of the year.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION plese refer to our own website.

Douglas's Barn bedroom

Douglas's Barn sitting room

Douglas's Barn kitchen

Douglas's Barn sitting room

 

The lane behind the barns

Douglas's Barn front door

Parwich

Outside Douglas's Barn

week: Fri-Fri sleeps: 2 s.catering: pvt.garden: countryside: walking: cycling: golf: tennis: fishing: riding: