Last minute or plan ahead?

I am naturally a last minute sort of person. Essays at uni and report deadlines for work only received the attention they deserved a day or two before the deadline. But some decades on, and last minute travel plans are causing me a bit more stress than they used to. I have been persuaded by dear son to jet off to the Alps before Christmas, leaving other half in charge of dog, Christmas card writing and holiday cottage. Are you thinking it's a lot of effort to go to in a bid to get out of writing Xmas cards? I feel a bit guilty because I am pretty certain that the personal messages won't be included in the cards this year. 

Anyway, for those of you who prefer to plan ahead, we are now taking 2024 bookings for the holiday cottage. We are in the midst of changing booking agents, so it may look like all dates in the summer are blocked off - but rest assured, direct bookings can still be made. Just drop us an email.

Self catering holiday cottage for Peak District and Alton Towers, sleeps 5, available for 2024 summer short breaks (from 3 nights), weekly holidays, and off-season longer lettings. For the latest availability please contact us.

Self-catering accommodation for Alton Towers Scarefest, Halloween and Fireworks

Alton Towers Scarefest, Halloween and Fireworks

27th October for 3 nights - £485

30th October for 4 nights - £495

 

Book direct with the owners to avoid booking fees 👍

If you would like more information or to book one of our last minute breaks please email

barkshc@gmail.com

🐕Two dogs welcome 

🎠Really near Alton Towers ST10 4DB

☀️Great for walkers and getting outdoors 

🍰Nearby tea rooms

🌳 Peak District & Churnet Valley await

😃 Family time 

Loving this sunshine

What an amazing few weeks of sunshine we've enjoyed. The holiday cottage garden is a joy to wander past. 

The grounds are looking great too. The paths through the grasses are lovely and our recent self-catering holiday cottage guests made the most of this space with their young alsation. 

Just a quick reminder that the cottage has no secure garden or fencing so best suits trusted doggos. The location is away from it all with some of the best walking from the doorstep. 

For the latest availability please check online or contact us.

Scarefest 2022- Holiday cottage near Alton Towers

Where has the summer gone this year? I honestly don't think I have ever been so busy. It must be a post covid thing, where the pace of life picked up massively... and possibly my multi-tasking skills were a bit rusty. Everything has felt so hectic all summer.

Last week dear son packed himself off to university, so I am starting to get everything back into some sort of order in my own house. I also have a few tasks and improvements to get organised in the holiday cottage. But first we have Alton Towers Scarefest season. 

I saw pumpkins in the shop today and was tempted to get some to decorate the cottage for our Scarefest guests. I resisted because I regularly drive past a pumpkin farm and would like to support our local growers if I can.

We still have some short breaks available for Scarefest and October half term. 

Available dates at the time of writing

3 - 7th October £420 for 4 nights

14 - 17th October £395 for 3 nights

20 - 24th October £495 for 4 nights

28 - 30th for £395 for 3 nights

31st  - 4th November £525 for 4 nights

Please check availability or message us if you are looking for self-catering accommodation that is really near Alton Towers.

Green and pleasant

I went for a walk locally yesterday and can't  quite believe how lush and green is the countryside of the Churnet Valley compared to only 25 miles east around Derby and Nottingham. That slightly frustrating period of a daily drizzle is suddenly worth it. Hopefully this means local woods and gardens will cope with this heat wave. 

Our current holiday cottage guests are making the most of the sunny terrace and parasol as well as the benches in the little nature reserve. We were chatting with them and all agreed we're loving this August weather and the pleasure of an evening stroll through the cool woods.

For the latest availability please check online or contact us. We currently have holiday cottage availability in August. Explore the Peak District and Churnet Valley. 

August availability

We have availability for short self catering holiday cottage breaks during July and August 2022 and school summer holidays. Please contact us with your preferred dates. We can offer 3, 4 or 5 nights, from £500 - £660.

In the summer holidays families like to take a short break in the area because we are so handy for Alton Towers and the Peak District.  After a hard day on the rollercoaster you can come back and enjoy some peace and quiet and do your own thing.

October half term and Scarefest

The guests that stay at Barks Holiday Cottage are often parents who were brought up on family fun days at Alton Towers and are keen to start a new tradition with the next generation, their young children. So I am always pleased to see that there are fun things to do at the theme park for all ages. New for 2021 during Scarefest is the Trick or Treating thrill. Should be suitably scary for younger age groups. It is also rather fun for youngsters being at the park in the darkness with the old building all lit up across the lake. My son and his friends used to love the twirling swings (forgotten the name now) that lifted him and his friends high into the drizzly night air. They were meant to hold on, but stretching their arms out was favourite.

But having said all that about Scarefest, I am a fan of fireworks night. That is a spectacular event. I have watched it a number of times from afar as we can actually see it from our hill across the valley, but that is quite honestly just frustrating. You can see how amazing the fireworks are, but we don't get the accompanying music, lights and lasers. So no compromise this year, we're dressing up warm and going to the theme park.  

We currently have self-catering availability at Barks Holiday Cottage for a 4 night break during October half term - 22nd to 26th October. We also have fireworks weekend available. Please message or ring to check availability.

For the latest availability please check online or contact us.

Scarefest at Alton Towers

As we move into the second half of the school summer holidays we start being asked about holiday cottage availability for October half term and Scarefest. Such a great time of year around here. 

Update - Scarefest and October half term 

A cancellation means we have a Scarefest break available for £525 arriving Friday 22nd October and departing Tuesday 26th.  

Dog sitting is available for families wishing to visit Alton Towers.

And looking further ahead into November, the Alton Towers fireworks weekend is available for £375.

For the latest availability please check online or contact us.

Self-catering in August 2021 for Alton Towers trips

I just spoke to our holiday guests and offered them flat sheets to keep handy for those hot nights when a duvet is too much. They chuckled at my optimism, given that is was a little bit overcast at the time. But now the sun is out and I am thinking ahead to hot days. 

I have just updated the booking diary and we have some short breaks available that make ideal family fun times around a trip or two to Alton Towers. (Update: August is now fully booked)

The sunny south-facing terrace

Pathway to the woods through our field

Next availability is 13th September for 4 nights at £475 

For the latest availability please check online or email hello@barks-holiday-cottage.co.uk

2021 self catering cottage availability

If you look at our calendar on the major booking sites we look fully booked in the 2021 school holidays, but actually I have just blocked those dates off so that our regular guests and direct bookings get first dibs on their preferred dates.

How we are managing 2021 bookings

In the strange season that was 2020 we closed for a night between all bookings as part of our Covid policy. We felt a lot better managing change over after the cottage had been fully aired for a couple of hours. We also found that arriving guests were reassured that the cottage had again been fully aired after we had finished ready for their arrival. We even gave all the pillows and duvets an outside airing, as well as freshly laundered mattress and pillow protectors between each booking. So with all this airing and the extra time required for laundry and cleaning, 24 hours between bookings was about right. 

This year, with good vaccine uptake we think the situation is sufficiently different that we are going back to on-the-day change-overs. We will however be giving ourselves a bit more time than previous years by having 5pm arrival and 10am departure for all guests. And we shall ask our guests to do a few extra Covid prevention measures in addition to the standard tidying to leave the cottage as they found it. Nothing complicated, just a spray round in the bathroom and to leave the doors and windows open as they leave.

We appreciate the later 5pm arrival time can seem frustrating when you just want to arrive and get on with your much-needed break, but I do hope that everyone understands that we need the time to offer our services safely in these times.

To check dates for long and short breaks please see our self-catering availability

If you would like more information about our Covid policy for 2021 please don't hesitate to contact us.

hello@barks-holiday-cottage.co.uk

Merlin passes

Our half term guests have Merlin passes and made good use of them by all accounts. They built a holiday around daily family trips to Alton Towers. Having said that, they also made daily outings to local attractions - walks, tea rooms, browsing local towns. A good time was had by all, according to their feedback. Personally, I think this is the framework for a brilliant family holiday - something for everyone with never a dull moment. I have just come back from my own family holiday and reviewing it in the light of our departing guests' comments, I can see that we fell into a framework for our time too. Funny how that works out!

I will also mention the other bit of feedback we just received as it is something we were pleased to hear. Our holiday cottage guest was pleased to be able to comfortably accommodate her three children in a bedroom by themselves (so that she had a room to herself) in a sweet cottage that is close, but not too close, to Alton Towers ST10 4DB... all within her budget.

Family time, that's what we believe in.

Teenagers on family holidays

What do you do with teenagers over the holidays? If your family doesn't have to make compromises to keep everyone happy then please write a book and give the rest of us the secret!

I was having coffee with another school mum while our teens 'interacted' over a computer game and we discussed how to keep teenage boys interested in family time. She has three boys, I just have the one. They have taken up sailing - making it a family holiday that everyone will enjoy. My friend has fingers crossed that her oldest son might even forsake his girlfriend for a week and turn down travel options with friends to sail with the family this summer. They are lucky enough to have the money for this kind of dream holiday. But even on a lower budget, the theory applies. Find an activity or a destination that will appeal to everyone in the family.

Alton Towers new ride - Wicker Man

So that is where a Alton Towers fits in. Some parents love the rides at Alton Towers more than their kids do, others stand around holding the bags and coats. The bag-holders do this because the promise of a few days at Alton Towers meant that teenagers raised a bit of smile at the prospect of a family trip together. Maybe additional promises of being able to take a friend were added. We love to see our families having a great time.

Perfect family walk

So that is where Barks Cottage fits in. Family time. You lure the kids on holiday with the fun of a day at a theme park and maybe even the extra perk of Alton Towers waterpark. And then on other days, everyone actually spends time together on a family walk, maybe via a local pub, and explore the local attractions.

These are activities that too rarely happen at home because everyone has 'better' things to do, but when you go away everyone's priorities change. And that's the magic. You get to explore, chat, eat together and have fun times.

Cockadoodle doo

Say hello to the handsome new addition to our little flock. We can't decide what to call him. He has a lovely crow and seems to be good natured. But he has a hard act to follow...

New cockerel struts his stuff outside Barks Holiday Cottage

We said a very sad farewell to Stewart our cockerel of about 9 years. We had raised Stewart from an egg and he had been a good fellow to have around. Very friendly indeed. He used to come and hang out near us if we were sitting in the garden. He was starting to get a bit tired and was clearly feeling his age, but sadly it wasn't time that did for him but either a fox or a neighbour's dog. Truly not a fitting end for such a fine bird.

Our new chap is not very confident and is a rather short of hens following a second attack, this time definitely by the neighbour's dog. He is on the mend and re-growing his tail feathers, but dare we name him yet???

Just in case you are thinking that you don't want a self-catering cottage where you are going to be woken before dawn by a cockadoodle-doo, fear not, the hutch stops him stretching his neck and getting full volume and they are not kept on the bedroom side of the cottage.

You may however wish you were woken at dawn so that you can get to Alton Towers and be first on the rides. The early bird catches the worm and all that.

2018 bookings have opened

High Season 2017 is now over, it has been very busy! Some very organised people have already booked their repeat visit to Barks Holiday Cottage for 2018. They booked before they left, which is the sort of endorsement that speaks volumes.

We have just published our prices for next year. Please check our availability page for rates for 2018 and get in touch if you would like to check any facts about the cottage or surrounding area

Barks Holiday Cottage - 2018 bookings have started.

Last minute self catering availability August

18th August: - 
7 nights is £495
3 nights is £375
3 nights breaks available from Fri 18th or Mon 21st

We don't very often get cancellations, but Tracey and family have had to change plans. So there is a last minute availability in August that is ideal for families to stay for a 7 day holiday or grab a 3 day break.

A 3 day break with the kids in the summer holiday can be jam-packed with entertainment round here. There's a theme park (Alton Towers, no less), two water parks, steam railway, zoo etc etc. And there is loads of walking or more extreme outdoor pursuits like bouldering and rock climbing. After you've done all that, let the kids carry on burning energy on our playing field playing penalty shoot out while you have a cup of tea (or something stronger) on the terrace. Sorted!

Alton Towers 2017 season details

I have just received the Alton Towers 2017 opening details:-
The Theme Park will re-open on Saturday 25th March and close on Sunday 5th November next year. Scarefest dates haven’t been confirmed yet, but it will be back in October and they'll be running the fireworks again on the 4th and 5th November. The mid-week quieter trading period closed dates are also still being firmed up, apparently. Please also note that the Alton Towers Spa will be temporarily closed from January whilst building works take place on the new CBeebies Land Hotel. The Spa will re-open in Summer 2017.

Barks Cottage is very close to Alton Towers and a number of our guests will be planning their visit to us around these Alton Towers opening times. We hope this is useful information.

Alton Towers Scarefest 2015

We have a few half term dates available for self catering for Alton Towers Scarefest when the theme park is open late into the dark nights.

Please check our availability page for the latest update or call us on 01538 703436 or email barks@btconnect.com

Scarefest - Saturday 17th October - Sunday 1st November

Alton Towers Scarefest is back for 2015 and is promised to be scarier than ever before with two brand new spine-tingling horror mazes, including for the first time ever a chilling hooded maze - The Haunting of Molly Crowe. Molly’s house lies empty, but her tormented soul is yet to depart. Travel back to Molly’s childhood in this theatrical experience that will heighten the senses as you attempt to cleanse the house of evil spirits…

‘Sub Species: The End Games’ is where you’ll need your wits about you to race for survival from the post-apocalyptic sewer dwelling community. Choose your own path and work your way through a sewer - your decisions will seal your fate as you find yourself alone in a maze that could take you to many different endings. Also new for Scarefest 2015, set in the Sub Species maze, is Operation Lockdown -  described as an intense new horror escape exclusively for those wanting to extend their scares into the late evening! With dark confined spaces, this physical and immersive two hour escape room puts you at the heart of your very own horror movie. Strictly for over 18’s who have nerves of steel, the experience combines real life gameplay, extreme performance and hands on interaction where destiny is in your own hands.

Returning for Scarefest 2015 is the fearsome favourite, ‘Terror of the Towers, What Lies Within’. Set inside a new route, it will once again reveal its dark and horrifying secret and will have two startling scare zones - The Dark Apocalypse where a deadly virus has infected Forbidden Valley and Nox: Infernus in the Dark Forest, where the underworld rises again.

For brave young visitors there’s a chance to learn how to spook with Phil’s Ghoul School then meet up with the famous freaky four for more Halloween excitement with Skelvin’s Spooky Storytime and Patch’s Trick or Treat Party. With frightening family fun and many spine-chilling attractions open until 9pm, there are lots of Halloween horrors to be enjoyed by everyone, including the chance to experience many of our amazing rides and attractions in the dark.

Alton Towers Scarefest & Fireworks - Self Catering

The 2015 Alton Towers Scarefest and Fireworks is nearly upon us. Should be a good season as I have heard that Alton Towers is going all out to make this the best Scarefest EVER!  Good for them, we say.

Barks is the ideal self catering holiday cottage accommodation for your Alton Towers Scarefest break because we are very conveniently located in the next village from the gates of the theme park - we are ST10 3DX and the park is ST10 4DB if you want to check on Google Maps.

We have a gap for 3 night breaks between 18th - 22nd Oct and arrival 31st Oct for Fireworks. Please check our Availability page for more details

Alton Towers Scarefest accommodation

Alton Towers Scarefest and Fireworks display will soon be upon us. We are taking self catering accommodation bookings for family of 5, including pet dog.

If you would like to bring your dog please take a look at our 'dog sitting' unattended pets arrangements because if you are going to spend a long day at Alton Towers you may need us to look after the dog. Give us a call on 01538 703436 if that is of interest.

Please take a look at the latest bookings on the Availability page.

Sunny times at Alton Towers

What a joy it is to have some lovely sunshine again! The birds are singing, the lambs are dancing around in the fields.

We have a family staying who are enjoying the sunny terrace after they return from their adventures. Visits to Alton Towers have been paid, of course, but also Heights of Abraham and Chatsworth House have proved popular.

Summer is nearly upon us, the swallows have returned and we are getting quite booked up. If you would like to check our availability and make a booking please do get in touch. barks@btconnect.com  or by phone 01538 703436