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

Alton Towers 80s concert

Alton Towers cheesy 30th birthday was actually a good day out. The park was really quiet so we snuck in some rides before the concert started and then soaked up the sun while listening to the music of my heyday. All the acts were great and didn't take themselves too seriously. Midge Ure doing Vienna was a highlight.
There were loads of other parents who were, like me, proving to their kids that we had real, fun lives before we grew up and became responsible.
So now here we are running our holiday cottage near Alton Towers and the Peak District, as well as doing the day job. Great when festivals in the sun arrive on your doorstep. Happy days.

Barks Holiday Cottage, 01538 703436

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Accommodation for the concerts at Alton Towers - or a walking weekend?

The concerts at Alton Towers are proving very popular with visitors.  We could have taken bookings for the 2010 Pink Concert several times over.  The cottage and the Annex were both booked by an extended family.  The 80's concert was another matter.  We had no enquiries.  Not one.  Zip.  I went to the concert and rather enjoyed it!

More concerts are planned for 2011, kicking off with  McFly, JLS, Eliza Doolittle and The Saturdays. Then in July The Black Eyed Peas are booked to play.

The holiday cottage is self-catering and handily near Alton Towers.  Being in the next village, the holiday cottage is just 2.6 miles away from Alton Towers and takes just a few minutes. 

I hope for 2011 concerts the parking nightmare is sorted out.  Surely they can't make the same mistake twice.

Barks Holiday Cottage sleeps 4 or 5 in the main cottage and another couple in the Annex.  Book for 3 nights or more.
Check our availability online or drop us an email barks@btconnect.com or ring 01538 703436.



 

Bluebells in the woods between here and Alton Towers

Holiday cottage enquiries - 01538 703436
Alton Towers in the next village only 2.6 miles away.
Great walking country here in the Churnet Valley and Peak District - as you can see the bluebells are heavenly just now.
From Barks: self-catering holiday cottage accommodation near Alton Towers
Self catering accommodation for 5 people. Please visit our information pages for more details or just give us a call.


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Churnet Valley next to Alton Towers

I took my car to the garage in Alton and walked back with the dogs. A stream of traffic was leaving Alton Towers across the valley from us; I hope they noticed the beautiful views, but I know they missed the birdsong. I really enjoyed a peaceful walk through the lovely Churnet Valley.

Barks Holiday Cottage, 01538 703436
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Spring views at the holiday cottage

Daffodils in the sunshine outside the holiday cottage bedroom windows.

If you are heading to Alton Towers and want to add some romance, privacy and peace and quiet, then this is the place to stay. We have midweek and weekend Spring special offer until 20 May:
Weekends: £222 for family of 4/5.
Midweek: double room £50
Call 01538 703436 to book
Barks Holiday Cottage, 01538 703436

May deals to Alton Towers

There are great deals floating around for entry to Alton Towers. 
If you are prepared to wait and save up then Tesco Clubcard is useful - and brilliant for getting your hands on a reduced price Merlin Annual Pass.

If you find you can escape to Alton Towers at the last minute then I have two money saving tips to offer:
1.  Join the Alton Towers Facebook Fan Page and print off your own 2 for 1 vouchers.  As many as you need.  While you are on Facebook please join the Barks Holiday Cottage page and keep up with our special offers and updates.
2.  The couple that were here at the weekend said they got a 2 for 1 voucher at WH Smith.  Check it out.

If you can grab a deal and escape to Alton Towers at the last minute then check out our May mid-season special accommodation offer, available from now until 20th May:

Weekends - £222.  That's 25% off our usual price for a 3 night stay.
Add some romance to your Alton Towers visit and stay over in a lovely country cottage in the next village to your favourite theme park at ST10 4DB.
May Midweek Facebook special room rate*: - double room £50 per night.  
*This offer is for Fans of our Facebook page, but you could join our Facebook page now and get this mid-season deal and maybe more like it during the season ahead.  Midweek is Monday - Thursday.  Payment is cash on arrival.  Telephone for availability or post your dates on our Facebook wall.
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Rural holiday cottage - the lambs are so cute now

Barks is a lovely, rural holiday cottage even though it is less than 3 miles from Alton Towers. I suppose those that know Alton Towers well will have walked the Woodland Walk and seen the great views over the Churnet Valley and therefore appreciate the loveliness of our surroundings.

Well our holiday just took on an even more rural and lovelier quality because the ewes and lambs are now in the fields.  They are jumping about for no particular reason other than the sun is shining over the Staffordshire Moorlands.  It is such a lovely scene, you must come.

3 nights £295
7 nights £450

email us or call 01538 703436
Join our Facebook Fan Page and receive a discount on midweek visits before 20th May - just scribble the dates you would like on the 'wall' and we'll get back to you asap.

Got drenched at Alton Towers

We went to Alton Towers again and got completely drenched.  Not by the weather, by the log flume.  The sun shone gloriously, it was 18C.  Too early to herald the arrival of summer, but a reminder of the Alton Towers fun and sunshine that we are holding out for.

Good Friday Fun at Alton Towers

Barks Holiday Cottage - 01538 703436 barks@btconnect.com

We finally made it to Alton Towers with our passes.  We thought we would nip in early and avoid any holiday queues but that didn't work when we hit the rush hour for the monorail, which promptly broke down.  Took ages to get in.  Once in, however, Alton Towers was really quiet.  No further waiting required. 

I was expecting Alton Towers to have a relatively quiet day and was discussing this with one of the ride handlers, another local Alton resident.  Apparently it is always relatively quiet on bank holidays (even though Good Friday isn't a bank holiday).  The weekend should be quiet too, so we may go to Alton Towers again. Lots of the local Alton Towers accommodation providers of self-catering and B&B have told me the same story:  vacancies now, fully booked accommodation from Sunday.

BARKS HOLIDAY COTTAGE - SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION NEAR ALTON TOWERS  April availability:  
self-catering from 3 nights 11th April - 18th April
short break and weekend self catering for Alton Towers visits available from 21st April

While at Alton Towers we made use of our Merlin Annual passes and said hi to the fishes in Sharkbait Reef aquarium, pottered around on some of the old favourites at Old MacDonalds Farm and gave ourselves a mini adrenalin kick on the Dragon junior rollercoaster.  Really I am quite relieved that my six and a half year old can still be amused by these tame rides because I am not going to manage Thirteen, Air, Nemesis etc  Next time we go I think we will just nip to Cloud Cuckoo Land.  Handy to be only a couple of miles away in the next village.

Easter holidays near Alton Towers


What a gorgeous morning.  We are about to set off on the school hike and I bet it is going to be beautiful across the fields and through the woods.  Last day of term here.  Then a chocolate fest no doubt.

We have last minute self-catering availability for Alton towers tonight until Monday.  Then another gap between 11th - 18th.  Please give us a ring on 01538 703436 if you would like to book in for some country air.  I doubt the snow will still be here but it is lovely walking around here at the moment.  And of course Alton Towers is only a couple of miles away in the next village.

Alton Towers first weekend open

Alton Towers opens this weekend (unless of course you are Calum Best who tweeted that he was here on Friday).  Well, the big day came and it was raining, so we wimped out of going to Alton Towers and didn't make use of our Merlin pass.  Then today was glorious and sunny, so much so that we didn't make it to Alton Towers because we were too busy in the garden.  Oh dear . . . I hope our investment in an Alton Towers pass pays the expected entertainment dividend.

For those with more commitment to coming to Alton Towers, and looking for some family-friendly self-catering accommodation near to Alton Towers - it is just 2.8 miles to ST10 4DB aka Alton Towers Resort -  please take a look at the pictures and prices etc and give us a call or email with your preferred dates.  We look forward to hearing from you and offering you a warm welcome at Barks Holiday Cottage.

Easter weekend availability

Anyone fancy an Easter break?
  • How about a couple of days fun at Alton Towers?
  • Tempted by an indoor beach holiday at the Waterpark?
  • Need some pampering at the Alton Towers spa?
  • Is your spirit crying out for some peace and quiet and country air?
  • Need to entertain the family with days out?
April Availability (as at 28th March)
Barks Holiday Cottage has last minute availability for short breaks over Easter
3+ nights availability between now to 5th April departure
11th April - 17th April (7 nights Sunday to Sunday or for 3+ night breaks)

Barks is fully booked between 5th - 11th April and 18th - 21st April

Barks is child and pet friendly.

Call me now on 01538 703436 or email barks@btconnect.com

Easter Eggs

Our remaining hens are in a flap following the loss of Speckedly Brown.  Our neighbour slammed his shed door and Cinders flew onto the roof.

They are still happily laying eggs so we should have plenty for Easter.  Might have to work on them being chocolate ones.

EASTER AVAILABILITY
We still have some availability during the Easter school holidays for self-catering breaks of 3+ days starting at £295.  I need to update our Google Calendar, but in the meantime please drop us an email with your preferred dates or give us a call on 01538 703436

Speckedly Brown and the fox


The foxes have been busy, with their minds on the matter of spring.  A big golden dog fox has been seen quite frequently and we have been worrying for our free range hens.  He is a handsome, countryside fox, who looks you in the eye, unafraid.

Yesterday, as we set off on the hike to school, we heard a squeal from the woods and identified it as the fox.  We nipped back and put the hens into their run.  We let them out on our return, and they fluffed up their feathers, shook indignantly and set off purposefully up the track towards the cottages; on a mission to raid bird tables I rather suspect. 

Dear Speckedly Brown, my trusty broody hen, seemed to be the one leading them away.  Stuart, the cockerel, considered coming back to my call, but his duty was to stay with his girls and he followed them away.  I watched them leave.  I felt at the time their journey was high risk and intended to find some treats to tempt them back home but once indoors I was distracted by other matters.

Poor Speckedly Brown did not return.  We hunted for her at dusk, but there was no sign.  We looked for evidence of her demise, but there is not even a stray feather. 

Cinders, Ashes, Fenny and Suart .... stay close please.




Alton Towers opens 20th March

Many of our holiday cottage guests are families 4 of 5 who are looking to wrap a holiday around a couple of days of fun at Alton Towers.

Others are small groups of friends who want nothing more than a couple of packed days at Alton Towers.

To all you Alton Towers lovers . . . prepare for the season to start in earnest on 20th March.  There was a taste of the action over half term. 

We are ready!  The cottage is ready!

We have bought our Merlin Entertainments annual pass and have already been onto the London Eye.   If you have your Merlin pass, all you need now is some comfortable accommodation just a short nip from your favourite theme park.  Look no further  . . . please check out our 3 night and 7 night self-catering breaks.

Give us a call on 01538 703436 or email us to check availability on your preferred dates. 

Nearly Feb half term already

Feb half term - Alton Towers is open on reduced hours and ticket prices.  We have availability please enquire on 01538 703436 for dates and prices

March 20th - Theme Park opens in earnest.  If you are looking for self-catering accommodation near Alton Towers please do drop us an email to check availability at our holiday cottage on your preferred dates.  3 nights or 7 nights self catering lets available.

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Walking the Moorlands seasonal update

I can't believe it is nearly half term.  The school hike is going well.  We set off at 8.25am in a bit of a rush.  It takes about 10 minutes to get ready.  A 6yr old needs to be constantly hurried along and questioned about progress - teeth cleaned?  wellies on?  school shoes in rucksack?  coat? waterproof trousers?  bookbag?  Then I need to check my layers are warm enough for the downhill start and adjustable for the upward return - woolly hat, necker, ski jacket seems to be working at the moment.  Dog leads?  rucksack?  phone?

Whatever the time of year there is something marvellous about walking around the Churnet Valley.  The sunrise and cloud formations over Beelow Hill, on the other side of the valley, have been wonderful the last week or so. 

The wildlife is preparing for spring.  I have noticed that the birds are singing more.  This morning the woodpeckers were in action, clattering against some trees.  Yesterday there were foxes everywhere.  We shut the hens into their run even though the foxes had other seasonal matters on their minds.

The extra daylight is welcome.  And to add to our sparkling sunny morning was a sprinkling of fresh snow.

We only do the school hike going to school.  It is one thing for a 6yr old to kick a tennis ball along a downhill track for 20 minutes, but too much after a hard day at school to walk 40 minutes up a steep hill.  And sadly we have to fit some real work into our day.

Fancy an Alton Towers self-catering Spa weekend?

Banish the cold - how about an Alton Towers self-catering Spa Break to warm you up?
At Barks holiday cottage you'll lots and lots of warmth and comfort during the winter season: Open fires, underfloor heating, central heating, electric blankets and freshly baked cakes as part of your warm welcome. Add in the Alton Towers Spa - sauna, steam room, pool, footbaths, relaxation rooms (I love the heated tile recliners) and lots of extra treatment options to add to the indulgence.

With this idea there is no chilly pinch in your toes or your wallet:
2 night winter break at Barks Holiday Cottage £185
entry to the spa from £10 for 4 hours - £18 weekend and £10 midweek
Bring your own champagne for some fireside indulgence . . .

It might be cold outside and the Alton Towers theme park is closed until Feb half term week but there is warmth & comfort in abundance.

Is Barks self catering holiday accommodation near Alton Towers ? Yes - just 2.6 miles away! I checked on my way back from the Spa this week.

Enquire now about taking Barks holiday cottage for your summer Alton Towers and Peak District family holiday.  01538 703436
3 nights £295 - perfect for 2 whole days at Alton Towers
7 nights £450 - max out at Alton Towers and have time to take in the scenery, the local shopping, the zoo, the Opera House. . .

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Winter self catering


Winter view.

The snow has been fantastic here. Yesterday it was 6C but on the north side of the stone walls there was still a line of white snow giving the countryside a quilted effect.

The forecast is for more snow tomorrow. Maybe another school closure and day's sledging.

Meanwhile summer bookings are coming in from families looking for self-catering accommodation near Alton Towers for their summer holidays.

Please email us regarding availability on your preferred dates of 3 nights or 7 nights or just give us a ring on 01538 703436
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