self-catering holiday cottage, holiday rental near Alton Towers and Peak District

Self-catering near Alton Towers and Peak District - Call Barks Holiday Cottage 01538 703163 email barkshc@gmail.com

Merlin Pass Sale 2014 - Barks Holiday Cottage accommodation near Alton Towers

Hooray, the Merlin pass sale starts today! Perfect for families that love Alton Towers because you can go as many times as you like to all the great Merlin Entertainment venues.  Families that visit Barks Holiday Cottage make maximum use of their Merlin Passes at Alton Towers - saving a small fortune on tickets. Our self-catering holiday cottage sleeps 5 and we offer accommodation for 3 nights or 7 nights really near to Alton Towers ... and I truly mean really holiday cottage near Alton Towers because Barks is in the next village to the gates of Alton Towers.

So snap up your Merlin pass now that they are on sale, and then book the break of your choice at Barks Holiday Cottage near Alton Towers. Please don't leave booking your accommodation near Alton Towers to the last minute because you may struggle to find family accommodation as near to Alton Towers as Barks Holiday Cottage.

Click Top Dog Days for further info on Merlin Pass sale
Standard Merlin Pass for family of 5 is £395
Premium Merlin Pass for family of 5 is £495

This is a huge saving of £200 or £285 which goes a very long way towards your Alton Towers accommodation costs!

Book your 2014 family mini break (3 night self catering for up to 5 people plus a dog) in Barks Holiday Cottage accommodation near Alton Towers, ST10 4DB from £280 per week (low season).

Call 01538 703436 email barks@btconnect.com or check our 2014 holiday cottage availability.


Alton Towers Fireworks Finale

Alton Towers 2013
Loved the Alton Towers fireworks spectacular again this year.  We had a superb clear night, if chilly.

Now that Alton Towers has closed for the season our bookings are for people wanting a country weekend with friends, maybe to walk their dog in the lovely Churnet Valley and nearby Peak District National Park and come back to relax in front of the open log fire.


Self catering near Alton Towers 17 - 20th October for Scarefest

Self catering near Alton Towers 17 - 20th October

It's Scarefest at Alton Towers! And this is our last available long weekend self-catering break in Barks Holiday Cottage.

The cottage sleeps 5 in two rooms - one double, one family with adult sized bunk beds.
Alton Towers theme park is open late til 9pm during Scarefest, so come back to the holiday cottage afterwards, zap something to eat and light the open fire and ... recover! Especially if you are devoted Alton Towers fans who are going back the next day!

Let us know if you have a pet dog that needs looking after as we may be able to help you out by taking it walkies while you are at Alton Towers. The holiday cottage is pet friendly too.

Self catering near Alton Towers 17 - 20th October is £330 for 3 nights and £370 for 4 nights.

Please call 01538 703436 or email barks@btconnect.com for more details.

Alton Towers Scarefest self-catering holiday cottage accommodation

LATE DEAL - HOLIDAY COTTAGE NEAR ALTON TOWERS

6 - 10th October available £330 for 5 nights 

Love Alton Towers? Love Scarefest? Love Alton Towers late opening til 9pm? Curious about the new Alton Towers maze? Relieved that the clowns are, apparently, all friendly?

Looking to book a short self-catering holiday cottage in the next village to Alton Towers? Love that Barks Holiday Cottage is only 3 miles away in next village to gates of Alton Towers. Enjoy our family friendly holiday cottage.

Half term nip to Alton Towers sorted!


Half term Alton Towers Scarefest fun

We are mid summer holidays but there is a hint of autumn in the air and thoughts are turning to the next holiday opportunity to nip to Alton Towers.  I have had two enquiries today for 'half term', which around here starts Fri 25th and is perfect for some Alton Towers scarefest fun and games. 

Here are the remaining short break options for Barks self catering holiday cottage that week:
3 nights self catering at £330 

27 - 30th - 3 or 4 nights midweek
31, 1, 2 Nov - 3 night weekend
Please check the availability calendar for updates.


Barks Holiday Cottage - appox 8 minutes to Alton Towers gates

Beatrice Charity Boat

We took a trip along the canal today and said hello to the group who were enjoying an outing on board.

The Beatrice has been adapted for wheelchair use and is available to charities.

The canal is a beautiful spot and today has been gorgeous again.

Catherine and James, Barks Holiday Cottage, 01538 703436

Accommodation near Alton Towers - self catering August 2013

Barks Holiday Cottage - self catering sleeps family of 5

August short break - self-catering near Alton Towers

short break of 3 nights self catering accommodation for a family of 5. Pets welcome.
16, 17, 18 August three night long weekend break for £395

And two remaining breaks in September
midweek short breaks available - 3 nights £255 or 4 nights for £275
9 - 12 available
16 - 19 available

Please call 01538 703436 or email us for further information or book Barks Holiday Cottage online by completing the booking form

Holiday Cottage Summer Bookings

You might think that holiday cottage bookings would come in dribs and drabs as the months roll along, but no, it is not like that.  Strangely, several people have the same thought on the same day. "I really must get on with booking our trip to Alton Towers" they think to themselves and onto Google they go.  And you may be thinking that this is no great shock as it is well known that people discuss their holiday plans over Christmas dinner and retreat quietly to the PC to book the next thing to look forward to. Sure, I do this myself, and as a tourism provider I try to be ready for these predictable booking rushes. But why do I have two bookings before 11am today, a  regular Thursday in May?  Is it pure coincidence?  Is it because there was a bank holiday discussion about a summer trip to Alton Towers and this has now been actioned?  I guess that might be the answer.

Anyway, thank you to the two families that booked today, we look forward to seeing you here later in the summer.  If anyone else would like to book today I really am fine with updating our Availability again. Let's try for a hat trick!

Next week 11th May is still available so if anyone wants a last minute 3 night break for £230 please let me know. 01538 703436
The sheep are back from their winter pastures

Holiday cottage near Alton Towers sleeps 5

Holiday cottage terrace. Alton Towers less than 10 mins away in the next village.

We have the week 10 - 17 May available for £360.
June is now fully booked, sorry.
For summer holiday availability from 19th July - 22nd August please check the online calendar.

Barks holiday cottage sleeps a family of 5 very comfortably and your pet dog is welcome.

At less than 3 miles to Alton Towers, ST10 4DB, Barks Cottage is ideally placed self-catering accommodation. Enjoy the thrills of Alton Towers and then come back and enjoy the view and the peace and quiet.

Plenty of room for kids to kick a ball about in the field at the back or explore the woods, while you have a glass of wine on the terrace, maybe even light the BBQ.

Please check the availability calendar and book online.  Email barks@btconnect.com or call 01538 703436.

Signs of spring

It is chilly this morning, with just a handful of snowflakes decorating the grass. Snow drops are well named.

I have heard a woodpecker drilling against a tree trunk, and we took two bookings last night for our holiday cottage near Alton Towers, both signs that spring is coming.

Barks Holiday Cottage is well placed to enjoy spring countryside and the alternative charms of Alton Towers less than three miles away.

Catherine & James
Barks Holday Cottage
01538 703163

Staffordshire Alps


Went out for a walk with the dogs.  Lovely drifts of snow in the open, but blissfully sheltered in the woods.  Bizarre to think that in a few months time this area will be buzzing with bees enjoying the bilberry flowers.

Catherine and James, Barks Holiday Cottage, 01538 703436

Snowed in?

It's snowing hard now!  I don't have a 4x4, but even if I did, I would prefer not to tackle the drive today.

Catherine and James, Barks Holiday Cottage, 01538 703436