Find self catering and cottages with easy walking access in Central England

Marmadukes Folly, Alton, Staffordshire, Central England

Sleeps 8
Weekly prices from: £900 to £1299

Self catering accommodation in Alton sleeps 8.

Features include: • Short Breaks • Golf nearby • Pub nearby • Easy Walking • Sleeps 8

Accommodation overview: Resting quietly in the tranquillity of a secluded rural valley, this single-storey converted barn has been renovated to provide excellent holiday accommodation, equipped and furnished to a high standard. Set next to the owners’ home, it has its own private patio with furniture and enjoys views of the surrounding countryside, yet Alton Towers is just minutes away. This is truly lovely walking country where nature is at its most magestic. Perfect for wildlife enthusiasts. The pretty market town of Ashbourne, the Potteries, including Trentham Awakes and adjacent monkey park, and the Peak District are within easy driving distance. Golf 3 miles. Shops 2 miles, pubs/restaurants 1 mile.

Beamed sitting room. Modern fitted kitchen with dining area. Double bedroom with en-suite shower room and toilet. Further double bedroom with 6ft bed (can be two 3ft beds). Twin bedroom. Bunk bedroom (full-size bunks). Bathroom with over-bath shower and toilet.

Knockerdown Cottages - Bonsall Cottage, Carsington, Derbyshire, Central England

Sleeps 3
Weekly prices from: £300 to £599

Self catering accommodation in Carsington sleeps 3.

Features include: • Pool • Short Breaks • Pub nearby • Easy Walking • Sleeps 3

Accommodation overview: Fine cottages and facilities – in a county of unspoilt landscapes, deep dales and winding rivers . . .

This fine courtyard of old stone barns was part of a working farm, but has now been sensitively converted to offer seventeen beautifully furnished and well-equipped cottages, nine of which are featured here. Ible ref QVE, Middleton ref QUX and Wisels ref QUW are all next door to one another. Boasting a wealth of original features, they enjoy shared use of a rich choice of leisure facilities, including a superb indoor heated swimming pool in an adjacent purpose-designed building. With a shallow area for children, the pool has its own changing rooms and a sauna, and there is a separate games room. Brackendale Spa offers luxurious treatments. There is a separate laundry room with automatic washing machine and tumble dryer. Close to the cottages are patio and barbecue areas. All set in 3 acres of shared grounds, offering a children’s play area and plenty of space in which to relax.
This is an ideal setting for a Peak District holiday. Knockerdown Farm is conveniently situated on the road between Ashbourne and Matlock, within walking distance of beautiful Carsington Water, a superb windsurfing and sailing centre, which has an area devoted to wildlife and nature conservancy. Throughout the year they have special fun days for children of all ages. At the water sports centre you can hire (with tuition) Kayaks, windsurfers, Canadian canoes and bicycles. Professional fly fishing is available to enable guests to try their hand at fishing this popular, well-stocked reservoir. Fine walking country is virtually on the doorstep, and the renowned Tissington and Middleton cycle trails are both close by (with bikes available to hire). The principal centres of the Derbyshire Dales are nearby - Wirksworth, the market town of Ashbourne, attractive Bakewell (of pudding fame) and Matlock: all are fascinating ancient towns. Matlock Bath (6 miles) is popular as an inland resort, standing on the River Derwent amid lovely scenery, and offering boating, angling, bowls, tennis and cricket. The young (and the young at heart) will enjoy a day out at the National Tramway Museum - where visitors may enjoy the fun experience of trams from around the world! Magnificent Chatsworth House (16 miles) boasts a famous collection of art treasures as well as beautiful gardens. Haddon Hall (13 miles) is England’s most complete and authentic medieval house dating back to the 14th century. It is set in lovely countryside overlooking the River Wye, near Bakewell, which houses one of the National Park’s information centres. One of Britain’s premier theme parks, Alton Towers, within easy reach is amongst appealing countryside close to the picturesque village of Alton, offers a fun-packed day out for all the family. On site is a restaurant which is fully licensed and serves freshly prepared home-cooked food, to eat in or take away. There are several country inns within walking distance. Shop 5 miles.

Meadowside Cottage, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, Central England

Sleeps 4
Weekly prices from: £600 to £899

Self catering accommodation in Ashbourne sleeps 4.

Features include: • Short Breaks • Easy Walking • Sleeps 4

Accommodation overview: This 18th-century Peakland stone barn has been converted and refurbished to an exceptionally high standard. It has its own large garden, and is set close to the owner’s home, surrounded by 40 acres of farmland. Dove Dale and the spectacular Manifold Valley are close by. Alton Towers 5 miles. Ashbourne’s fine country shops, inns and restaurants, 5 miles. Shops 1½ miles.

Refurbished sitting-room with electric ‘wood burner’ and doors to patio and garden. Well-equipped, modern fitted kitchen with dining area. Double bedroom with four-poster bed (5ft), remote control colour TV and en-suite shower room (power shower), bidet and toilet. Twin bedroom and en-suite bathroom with over-bath shower, bidet and toilet.

The Coach House, Souldern, Oxfordshire, Central England

Sleeps 2
Weekly prices from: £300 to £599

Self catering accommodation in Souldern sleeps 2.

Features include: • Short Breaks • Pub nearby • Easy Walking • Garden • Sleeps 2

Accommodation overview: Offering spacious open-plan living, The Coach House has been converted to provide loft-style accommodation, and has enormous gable end windows overlooking the gardens on either side of the living area. Apart from the paved terrace for sitting out, guests can enjoy a pretty wooded garden area and have use of a hard tennis court by arrangement. Bicester Village Retail Park and Silverstone are within 8 miles. Shop 2 miles, pub and restaurant 50 yards.

Bathroom with over-bath shower, toilet and limestone floor. First floor: Large open-plan living/dining room/kitchen with 5ft double bed.

Swallow Barn, Warkworth, Oxfordshire, Central England

Sleeps 10
Weekly prices from: £1300

Self catering accommodation in Warkworth sleeps 10.

Features include: • Pool • Short Breaks • Detached • Easy Walking • Sleeps 10

Accommodation overview: Situated on the borders of two historic counties, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, this detached, spacious and beautifully appointed barn conversion has sweeping views over the Cherwell Valley and to distant Banbury. The lovely garden makes a perfect setting in which to relax at the end of the day, and from here there is ease of access to the popular Jurassic Way footpath, providing excellent walking.
Swallow Barn is in an ideal holiday location to explore and enjoy the many places of interest and great scenic beauty in this area of England. The quaint and often unchanged market towns and villages of the Cotswold Hills are full of charm; there are many fine houses and gardens to visit, a superb Wildlife Park at Burford, several farm parks and Blenheim Palace at Woodstock. The elegant university city of Oxford has world famous museums and art galleries, and punts can be hired for an afternoon on the River Cherwell. A visit to Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon should not be missed. A guided sightseeing tour is available taking in all the memorable and historic houses and churches including the two great theatres where the Bard’s plays are performed.
The lesser-known picturesque villages of Northamptonshire include Ashby St Ledger - the home of Guy Fawkes (not open to the public), and Althorp, the resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Silverstone Racing Circuit and Gaydon Motor Museum add further interest. Shop 2 miles.

Step to entrance. Beamed spacious living room with feature illuminated covered well and ‘coal-effect’ fire. Beamed dining room. Beamed spacious well-equipped, farmhouse-style kitchen with breakfast bar area and slate floor. Utility. Double bedroom. Twin bedroom. Two single bedrooms. Bathroom with shower attachment and toilet. Wet room with shower and toilet. Cloakroom with toilet. Open-tread stairs to first floor: Spacious sitting area with floor to ceiling window and sofa-bed (for +2), billiard table and other games. Double bedroom with en-suite bathroom with over-bath shower and toilet.

Alfies Barn, Ambrosden, Oxfordshire, Central England

Sleeps 5
Weekly prices from: £600 to £899

Self catering accommodation in Ambrosden sleeps 5.

Features include: • Short Breaks • Pub nearby • Detached • Easy Walking • Garden • Sleeps 5

Accommodation overview: This lovely 18th-century property is in an excellent position for exploring this historic and fascinating area. This converted detached barn sits within a quiet rural village location within the owner’s grounds, with great views across open countryside, located within the heart of Oxfordshire. Only 3 miles from Bicester and 12 miles from Oxford with a great train service to London, Birmingham and Stratford upon Avon. Shops and pub 250 yards.

Beamed living room with wood-burning stove and oak wooden floor. Large kitchen/dining room with terracotta tiled floor and French doors. Beamed double bedroom with en-suite shower room and toilet. Twin bedroom with exposed stone walls. Single bedroom with oak wooden floor. Bathroom with shower attachment, toilet and stone tiled floor.

Annies Meadow Barn, Offcote, Derbyshire, Central England

Sleeps 8
Weekly prices from: £900 to £1299

Self catering accommodation in Offcote sleeps 8.

Features include: • Short Breaks • Pets allowed • Detached • Easy Walking • Sleeps 8

Accommodation overview: Enjoying a peaceful rural location with unspoilt views of the surrounding countryside, Annie’s Meadow Barn sits within 8 acres of its own meadows, offering complete seclusion and tranquillity. This detached stone barn, which dates back to the 18th century, has been converted into a comfortable and modern holiday home offering spectacular views. Shops and pub 2 miles.

Living room with wood-burning stove, French doors, exposed brickwork, wooden floor. Spacious kitchen with dining area, TV and tiled floor. Twin bedroom with zip & link beds and en-suite wet room with bath. Separate toilet. First floor: Double bedroom with Velux window. Single bedroom, additional pull-out single bed (for +1). Shower room and toilet. Separate staircase to first floor: Double bedroom with TV, Velux window and en-suite shower room with toilet.

Dewsnaps - Dewsnaps Spring, Chinley, Derbyshire, Central England

Sleeps 3
Weekly prices from: £300 to £599

Self catering accommodation in Chinley sleeps 3.

Features include: • Short Breaks • Easy Walking • Sleeps 3

Accommodation overview: Enjoying a rural location and wonderful views, these two barn conversions (refs RB8 and RTT4) are furnished to a high standard throughout. Dewsnaps Spring is single storey and lies close to Dewsnaps Frost, which adjoins the owners’ home. There are many walks from the doorstep, including Kinder Scout Massif. Chinley, Hayfield and Chapel-en-le-Frith are 3 miles. Buxton is 15 minutes away, Chatsworth, Haddon Hall and Lyme Park within 30-minute drive. Shop 2 miles.