Guests' Comments and Reviews
Judith Williamson left a note on our Facebook wall and uploaded a snap of the new terrace. They were the first guests to come after it was completed.
Kris Culmer has been Facebooking with us on our timeline:
"We thought the cottage was absolutely A1, fantastic loved every part of it ( bed a bit hard for me though,lol ) Will deffo be staying again with the boys and without, thank you sooo much. Sorry i forgot to mention that we had put the dishwasher on as we left. xx"
Barks Holiday Cottage near Alton Towers We like A1 fantastic . . .the bed has now been replaced and we opted for a softer mattress.
Pauline Hunter gave us ***** on our Facebook Reviews page "we had a wonderful stay which was unfortunately cut short by illness. The cottage was first class, the owners were really friendly as was Pickle the dog, our two dogs had a great time exploring the countryside as did our 2 children. We are looking forward to coming back again next October".
Adrian Barnett and his family wrote on our Facebook page: "We have just returned from a family break and couldn't fault Barks at all. The cottage is set in a beautiful secluded peaceful location just 10 minutes from Alton Towers one way and The Peak National Park the other. Nice modern kitchen and bathroom (underfloor heating very appreciated in both) whilst the rest of the cottage is very homely. The owners are very friendly and helpful and Pickle could easily have been snuck home in the car (hope stella is better soon). Will hopefully return for another visit and will certainly recommend to others."
Rhonda Coyle's review read: "Me and my family spent a wonderful 3 day mini break in a fantastic location which is excellent if you want to visit Alton towers. Cottage was just lovely everything is well equipped and the owner and their family are delightfull. I will definetly be going back next year. The owners dogs Stella and Pickle were just to cute to mention you will fall in love with them. Trentham Estate is also worth a visit the food there was amazing."
Tracey Worthington's Facebook comment was: "Thank you for making our stay at your cottage a lovely family experience for us - it will be memorable in various ways."
Phil Brant "Just returned from a week at Barks. Excellent cottage, great location and really helpful owners. We enjoyed the walks nearby, especially the circular walk from Froghall Wharf. Dovedale was beautiful and the cream teas at the Izaak Walton Hotel went down a treat. Pippin (our dog) quickly made friends with Pickle and Stella."
Leanne Campbell and her 3 friends stayed: "just wanted to say thanks very much for the great time we all had in your cottage and at alton towers. We stayed during the easter holidays and travelled down from inverness, quite the car journey but was well worth it. I would def stay again xx thanks again x leanne"
05 May at 17:39 on our Facebook timeline
Adrian and his family came down from Scotland for their holiday at Barks. Adrian has joined our Facebook Fan Page and left a testimonial for us on the Wall. "We spent a wonderful few days at Barks in October. After having tried a few other self catering places around Alton Towers over the years I can say with confidence that Barks is by far the best we have stayed at.... And Jenny our Cocker Spaniel loved it! Hope to see you later this year"
Elizabeth posted her comments in the Reviews section on our Facebook Fan Page: "Really enjoyed our stay when we took our kids to Alton Towers Waterpark. Enjoyed the walks and picnics too - I recommend other families go to Dimmingsdale which was really nearby and lovely. We have just booked our trip for next year and will be staying at Barks, of course. Great venue, warm welcome, I recommend it to other families." I am particularly pleased Elizabeth found the Reviews page on Facebook page because that definitely is the most helpful place to post such great comments, thanks for doing that!
Guy said "My kids probably think that Splash Landings was the highlight of our long weekend. We had a great morning there, but I really enjoyed my walk over to Whiston Barn. Youʼve got a great place in a gorgeous location. Iʼd recommend you to others looking for somewhere to go in the UK"
Guy's testimonial was left online on our feature on thebestof Ashbourne
Lucy and Paul posted their comments on this blog:
"Life gets in the way and have only just got around to blogging our June weekend at 'Barks'. Arrived on Friday in time for a dog walk. Fantastic circular walks, from the front door, of various lengths and difficulty - spoilt for choice! And the views....Barks perfect for the 2 of us and the 2 dogs - very comfortable and homely - and all very dog-friendly. Getting up in the morning to let the dogs out, we would find Pickle the terrier at the front door ready to say hello and take our 2 off for a roam around the field. The perfect canine host she even let Alice have her bone.Saturday morning was a trip to Ashbourne. Called in at the deli for the local oatcakes, then a roam around Bennet's. Re-fuelled at the truly excellent fish and chip shop in the corner of the market place. Great walking in the shady woods in the afternoon which was perfect for the dogs on this lovely sunny day.More walking Sunday and finished with Paul's highlight - a pint and pork pie at The Yew Tree. He was shocked to find that the beer had increased in price to a staggering £2.00 a pint! Had to remove the dogs from the bar as they had seen the local cat sitting on the piano and couldn't keep quiet for the radio folk who were recording an article. So apologies to them if we made their job more protracted than it might have been. So, a perfect re-charging of batteries. Will be back as soon as life allows."
Another Facebook Fan, Keith, posted this comment following his visit with his wife. "Wonderful location and very comfy accommodation. Thanks for a really relaxing holiday. We're telling all our friends and it's a definite for next year."
Dan posted his comment on this blog site while he was still here (using the Broadbank WiFi connection). "Yet another tremendous stay here. The weather was amazing, the welcome as warm as ever, the surroundings beautiful, the hens sociable....! Many thanks for making our weekend so special and restful!"
Catherine Mack, a travel writer, posted this comment about Barks on Facebook
"I don't want to write too much as it will give away some of this area's secrets, and you shouldn't tell too many people. Walking superb, even for tired end of term children (and parents), fine local ale and chips at the end of it, great hospitality at Barks. Only thing missing was our own dog, and thanks to your hospitality, this is a daily request in our house now. Highly recommended spot for families - Alton Towers just down the road, but we forgot all about it after a day - there is too much natural fun on the doorstep. I hear there's a great spa there though, so might have to check that out next time. Thanks again. Catherine Mack (travel writer, http://www.ethicaltraveller.co.uk/)
Joan lives locally and left her kind comments on the Wall of our Facebook Fan Page
"I love walking in Dimmingsdale, as it reminds me back home in Ireland of places that I used to walk. Its a lovely forest area with a big lake, a very quiet spot. I live quite local to this beauty spot and enjoy rambling there with my great big dog and its the place I have brought family from abroad to see. Definately I... would recommend it as an area to visit if you enjoy the countryside, walking, cycling, very near Alton Towers, as well as the Peak District and just to get away really. I personally know the owners and they are lovely honest hardworking people and I will certainly recommend their cottage to other people."
