Follow Friday #FF @ChurnetValley

For those that Tweet, you'll know what Follow Friday is all about.  If you don't, it's really not important at all but here's a little window on that world. We haven't tweeted much this week, but what little miniature interactions we have enjoyed have been just perfect.  Thanks to @SimplyStaffs for the #FF and the other suggestions that we followed up on - new connections have been made.  to @LeekArtSpace for helping me spread the word on a local research project. And thanks to @MalvernMeet who was kind enough to tweet to the world that as a previous self catering guest at Barks Holiday Cottage she tried to book again but we were full and defo intends to try again.  You see, withTwitter, it might just be a mini message, but it's the quality that counts.  Always good for morale to know that customers think you've got something right and it doesn't take more than 140 characters to convey that thought.  Thanks, tweeps.

What's the picture about?  No reason really, just that I am about to go on my Friday walk .... so please follow me virtually along the paths into the Churnet Valley.  In other words, it's the non Twitter alternative to #FF by @ChurnetValley.

@ChurnetValley

last minute June holiday cottage availability - Peak District Alton Towers

Last minute self-catering holiday cottage availability June 16,17, 18, 19 - NOW BOOKED
ideal for a short break to Alton Towers or Peak District.

We are having a terrific season.  Lots of interesting people: the usual mix of walkers and Alton Towers goers.  The new terrace is proving popular as well and the garden is springing up prettily around it.  July is nearly fully booked, August has a week or so left to book, and we already have bookings in September and October . . . but for some reason we have these 4 nights available in June.

June 16th - 19th - (4 night gap)
For 3 nights it's £295
For all 4 nights  it's £345
(If you are a group of 6 or 7 people then the annex is available at £50 per night.)


If you are interested please get in touch or jump straight to our online booking form .

Alton Towers Fireworks season finale 2010

The fireworks are back with a bang for 2010. 

We have self-catering accommodation available with three night holiday cottage mini breaks designed to meet the demand for the Alton Towers Fireworks spectacular in November.

3 nights self-catering allows 2 full days at Alton Towers including a night or two at the fireworks.  Of course you could spend one day at Alton Towers and the other enjoying something quieter, like the spectacular autumn walking or a visit to the Trentham Gardens or our local National Trust properties .  I am always trying to stress that there is a lot more to do around here than visit Alton Towers.  I am starting to realise that Alton Towers lovers only truly clock the holiday potential in the Churnet Valley after their first visit.  So if you haven't been before, the season finale is nearly upon us and it is time to book and sample the delights the Staffordshire Moorlands has to offer at all times of year.

I am not a fan of roller coasters, but I do like the fireworks.  In previous years we have watched the display from across the valley, but this year we will be flexing our Merlin passes.

A Churnet Valley gem - Dimmingsdale

It has been change over day at the holiday cottage today. Our last guests were two couples and Millie the dog, who were all keen walkers.
Our new arrivals are three generations of one family with Oscar. I have yet to meet them because I am enjoying an evening walk in the heart of the Churnet Valley.
I love to nip down the hill to Dimmingsdale and enjoy having this beauty spot all to myself after the weekend visitors have gone. I just thought I'd pause during my walk and share this lovely view of the lake.
Glorious!

Barks Holiday Cottage, 01538 703436

Insiders Guide to Alton Towers

Keep an eye out for the Unofficial Guide to Alton Towers that has been published by another Staffordshire local.  It has lots of discounts and offers.  It is sold locally and on Amazon.  Check on this website for some top tips when visiting Alton Towers and other famous attractions - worth adding to your favourites!

I was having a tidy up and came across a way to get reduced price Alton Towers tickets.  2 for 1 with your AA membership card.  You have to sort it all out online, of course, via tha AA website but definitely worth checking.  I have put the details of the offer into our Holiday Cottage welcome pack.  Our self-catering guests can then get booking, using the cottage WiFi no less.

A lot of our holiday cottage guests have Merlin annual passes and stay at Barks because it combines the best of both worlds:  really near Alton Towers and also a lovely tranquil countryside location.  A couple of days of high adrenalin, a couple of days of completely chilling out.

Holiday Cottage Rental:
3 nights:  £295
7 nights:  £450
sleeps 4 or family of 5 on a self-catering basis
for accommodation reservations please call 01538 703436 or email barks@btconnect.com

For summer availability  - follow the navigation above or click here

From Barks Holiday Cottage, ideal for Alton Towers and Peak District, sleeps 4 or family of 5

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. 

Self-catering holiday cottages - Tip 5: Cooking

Tip 5. Cooking


Cottage holidays are generally self-catering. Some cottages are supplied with large, well equipped kitchens while others will have a kitchen corner or kitchenette. You should always have enough pots, pans etc for the maximum amount of people that can occupy the property, but if you are planning on a lot of cooking it is best to enquire about the facilities. The larger the property, the greater your chances of a well-equipped kitchen. Remember to take some basic supplies with you so you don't have to go in search of a supermarket as soon as you arrive.

Barks - we are self-catering and make available a litre of milk, tea bags, instant coffee, soap. We have a farm shop that will deliver on a Friday, a Morrisons 3 miles away in Cheadle, and recommend those from the south to either come via Ashbourne where you have the choice of Sainsbury's and M&S Food, or stop at the services for M&S on M1 at junction 23A. The Kitchen at Barks is modern and well-equipped. We are next door if you need a particular utensil or pan.

Booking a holiday cottage. Tip 3: Choose the right-sized property

Barks self-catering holiday accommodation in the Churnet Valley - ideally situated for Alton Towers fun and Peak District countryside. 01538 703436. barks@btconnect.com

3. Choose the right sized property
Think about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you'll need and check whether any of the beds are sofa beds.  Is it practical for a member of your party to sleep in the lounge?

Barks - we sleep up to 5 all in proper beds. We have a double bed and 3 singles.  There are 2 bedrooms with flexibility as to how the beds are arranged.  There is also a cot if required. 

NB There is also a separately accessed double room with en-suite that can be made available if you need extra stand-alone space e.g for a couple of nights visit from grandparents.  Additional fees applicable, please enquire.

If your party is very large, we know other people in the area with holiday cottages that can accommodate large groups and would suit several families holidaying together.

Christmas holidays self-catering cottage in superb countryside

We can't guarantee snow I'm afraid.  On the practical side that is a good thing as we are in a little hamlet on the top of a hill and I'd hate our self-catering holiday cottage guests to struggle to reach us.  When it comes to that touch of magic, however, nothing beats being in the 'Staffordshire Alps' when there has been overnight snowfall.  My favourite is when the trees and paths in the woods are dusted with fresh snow, the sun sparkles off the ice crystals on the twigs and you can follow the animal tracks in the fresh powder.

Whilst we can't guarantee snow, we can tempt you with a cosy country cottage with open fires (and reassure you about the proper modern kitchen and a decent shower in the bathroom) and don't foget the lovely views, peace and quiet and fresh air.  There is open countryside to go for walks, and pubs and tea rooms to complete your rambling mission.

Come to the countryside and relax!
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Winter off peak weekends are £185 for self-catering with all linen and log fires included (and central heating too).  Self-catering country cottage sleeps 4/5.
High season holiday times, which includes when Alton Towers is open, we offer 3 night breaks for £295 and 7 nights self catering accommodation for £450.


Bookings for the Alton Towers 2010 season are coming in now, so to reserve the dates that you want please email us on barks@btconnect.com or call 01538 703436 for futher information.

Day out at Alton Towers

Barks Self Catering Holiday Cottage:

Winter weekend in the country £185 for 2 nights for a family of 4/5 with all bed linen and a real log fire included. Please email barks@btconnect.com or call 01538 703436. Winter weekends and short breaks are on offer from 1st November to 17th December so put your walking boots on and enjoy some fresh air in the Peak District.

Alton Towers 2010 season

Barks is 3 miles to Alton Towers and offers self-catering accommodation for family of 4/5.

3 nights for £295 and 7 nights for £450. Bookings require 50% deposit and remainder 4 weeks before arrival.

01538 703436 barks@btconnect.com.

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I am planning our last day at Alton Towers for this season. I have 3 tickets and my 6 year old has had to make some tough choices about who to accompany him. Parents - one, other, both, none - or friends. The friends option is top priority, so much so that finding a friend with a more daring parent is in fact the favourite option. Currently racking my brains to think which parent of my son's friends would enjoy this offer the most!

Railway Walks and ... Trains to Alton Towers

Railway Walks and the idea of taking the train to Alton Towers . . .

(First written in 2009 and updated a little in 2013)
I quite fancy Julia Bradbury's job. I watched Railway Walks, and as I watched her walking along a disused railway track in Scotland I thought of our local Beeching-closed railways in Staffordshire. It was a strange coincidence because during the day I'd noticed that Staffordshire County Council have published information on the stretch of former railway from Oakamoor to Denstone and given it a name: the 'Oakamoor to Denstone Greenway'.

The rail theme continued this morning. I picked up the local paper and the lead article is about a stretch of local railway that might be reopened. Cauldon Lowe through Froghall and off to Leek and Stoke has been acquired and may re-open for freight and passenger services. Wow! I've blogged before that the only traffic on the A52 (a dangerous road with some serious hills and bends) is mostly used by tractors and quarry lorries. It seems a crazy decision to start transporting the Lafarge lime and WBB (now Sibelco) silica sand via lorries along the A52 when it used to be transported more cleanly and safely by rail, and canal. Today's article suggests that Lafarge is seriously engaged in trying to use rail transportation again, which should be encouraged, and the result may be just 18 months away. (originally written in 2009, this has not yet happened by March 2013)

The newspaper article also raised the idea of being able to take the train to Alton Towers. Oh really . . .?! Further sections of the railway from Froghall to Oakamoor and Oakamoor to Alton Towers might, apparently, one day be re-opened to ease Alton Towers traffic. Surely this is our great local paper getting a bit sensationalist, or is it?

Rail access to Alton Towers logically needs to connect with existing rail links and probably add park and ride facilities. My mind always turned south to Uttoxeter for possible solutions. This story presents a northern option, which changes the possibilites dramatically. This option potentially opens the tracks to rail traffic from Stoke via Froghall . Interesting; I just don't believe this is even close to being seriously negotiated, let alone imminent.

There is good condition track in place from Froghall to Oakamoor and occasionally a steam train puffs along it. The end of the line is near Oakamoor at the river where there's no longer a rail bridge. Across the river, into the village, there is a long-closed tunnel, home to some lovely bats, I hear.  Needless to say, residents of Oakamoor are not convinced by the relevance of having the line re-opened for the pleasure of Alton Towers tourists, knowing that it will barely impact the level of traffic that speeds daily through the village when the theme park is open.

But things are changing round here by the day, regardless of the protests of local residents. Our gorgeous rural backwater has become earmarked as a 'Churnet Valley Leisure Corridor'. Oakamoor, a hidden gem and not currently a leisure destination in its own right, could find its status dramatically changed with the addition of 650 tourist lodges.

Nearby Moneystone Quarry (WBB/Sibelco), along this stretch of rail track, has now ceased operations (2012). The site has a restoration order on it but meanwhile new owners, Laver Leisure, are applying for an enormous leisure development, not just of the quarried land but of the adjoining farmland as well. Plans revealed to date (2013) show this to be disproportionate to the area, almost linking the villages of Oakamoor and Whiston with all these lodges. Further consultations with local residents are planned so we will see what transpires.

I predict that the deal-breaker or deal-maker for any serious rail development along the Churnet Valley will be the section from Oakamoor to Denstone, alongside Alton Towers (to the left of the picture); the stretch recently named the Churnet Way. Let's see what happens . . .

There is no denying the negative impact of Alton Towers traffic for miles around. Sadly, however, no obvious solution has yet been proposed. New roads through ancient woodland and private estates have not proved feasible for many reasons, despite a financial commitment from Alton Towers. The solutions voiced to date are worse than the problem, in my opinion.  And, for the record, the problem is serious.

Everyone is keeping tabs on the seriousness of this rail proposal and all the development proposals. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council are preparing a Masterplan, but for some time they have been keeping us, and the hopeful developers, in suspense. Interesting times!

Alton Towers in the Dark - Scarefest

Barks Holiday Cottage availability:

HALF TERM ALTON TOWERS - Sorry, we are fully booked from 20th – 31^st October.

SCAREFEST - We have a few short breaks available during the remaining Alton Towers season, Scarefest starts 17^th October. Please ring 01538 703436 or email barks@btconnect.com to check.

WINTER BREAKS - Alton Towers closes 1^st November but we remain open for cosy weekends by the open fire, countryside walking weekends and as a base for various outdoor activities – including pub walks!

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Alton Towers in the Dark

On Friday night I went to Cloud Cuckoo Land – and yes I have come back, but there was a moment when I started to wonder if I was going to live in Cloud Cuckoo Land forever. My son and I went because we were invited to a local fundraiser.

All my sons mates were there and they had the run-around of this one section, Cloud Cuckoo Land. It was really great fun for the under 7s and adults-in-charge. There was the Alton Towers Driving Challenge, Froghopper, the Carousel, soft play bouncy castle area, Cuckoo Tree swings and Charlie’s Chocolate Factory. Everything at Alton Towers has height restrictions and there were no exceptions granted, even for a private party. Parents were dragged onto rides where an accompanying adult was required. Nine year olds burst into tears because they were too tall to go driving. Little ones sobbed that they weren’t allowed to be propelled into the night sky on the Cuckoo Tree swings. Fair enough.

My son started quietly on the Driving Challenge – serious look of concentration and unnecessary stopping at red lights. “it’s the law mummy”, one little girl was heard saying. We moved on to the Carousel –“it’s for the little ones”, announced my son as he carefully checked his safety harness. He graduated to the Froghopper and his grin rivalled that of any wide mouth frog. “Again”, they all shouted and ran to the entrance gate and boarded straight away. There were no queues because we were all VIPs on this occasion. Half an hour from closing, pitch dark and we thought we’d exhausted available options, being too tall for Soft Play. It was at this point that a brave decision was made to try the Cuckoo Tree swings.

“Flap your arms, it will make you go faster” advised the voice in charge of the ride. My palms were sweating just watching my 6 year old flying through the air, high up in the night sky, in a chair on the end of chain. Why was I concerned? He flapped all the way round, even when others had decided holding on was sensible. My friend said “it would be better if he sat back a bit.” I flapped, in a mother hen way. He stayed on this ride continuously for half an hour.

It was well past the published close time and you’d think that the Alton Towers staff would be keen to get away but they called to children to have a last, long turn at the Driving School. Parents were wanting to leave. It became slightly surreal as the voice over the Tannoy directed the children where to go and what to do and I began to suspect that we had entered a world from which we would never be allowed to return. I imagined them saying, “And now children, you belong to us, here at Alton Towers Cloud Cuckoo Land.”

I can see why Alton Towers is staying open until 9pm during Scarefest. We all made ghost noises while we passed beneath the haunted castle and crossed the dark park next to the lake.

Country Walking Magazine recommends Churnet Valley walks

I have just placed an advert in Country Walking Magazine and while chatting to Natasha about the booking was simultaneously checking their website for information on our area. There I was trying to persuade them to think about some editorial to raise the profile of the Churnet Valley, a hidden gem for walkers, and to my surprise walks available from our doorstep are featured in their ‘recommended routes’. So Natasha is hopefully going to speak to the editor about planning a Churnet Valley feature for the printed magazine. It’s time!

Check what they say online about the Churnet Valley at http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Destinations/Search-Results/UK/England/Heart-of-England/Staffordshire/.

Dimmingsdale and the Ramblers Retreat

I wanted a place to walk on flat ground today. I met Clare by chance in Oakamoor and together we walked along the disused railway track from Oakamoor to Dimmingsdale. The rhododendrons are beautiful around the lake at the moment. We resisted the temptation to stop for coffee on this occasion. There is a lot to do today to get ready for weekend holiday cottage guests.

Walking weekends

Book a 3 night weekend at Barks self catering and enjoy a relaxing and possibly invigorating walking weekend.

Barks is a rural self-catering holiday cottage with fantastic unspoilt, varied countryside where you can walk for miles direct from the front door..

The Staffordshire Moorlands is renowned as an excellent area for walking. Situated on the southern fringes of the Peak District you'll find everything from gentle strolls to energetic hill walks. Some demanding footpaths can be found among the rugged crags of The Roaches or along ancient packhorse trails. Long distance walkers can enjoy the scenic pleasures of the Staffordshire Way, Gritstone Trail and Limestone Way. If you prefer short circular walks there are plenty locally around the wooded valleys of the Churnet Valley - accessed from the front door of Barks holiday cottage.

Please check our online availability or email barks@btconnect.com for the latest information. The countryside here looks magnificent at all times of year. So pack your boots and book your stay today!

Alton Towers encourages families

Alton Towers has just issued a press release about its expansion plans. There is much talk of the employment opportunities and spin off to local accommodation providers. Good, good, we like that. The detail of the many statistics, however, didn’t mention how many of the employees at the hotels and theme park are actually from Staffordshire, I suspect considerably more are from seasonal workers from places like eastern europe. Stop me now! I am trying to stick to the the good news . . .

In the report in our local paper, The Sentinal,( http://ow.ly/5mQ7 for full report) Liz Greenwood, Alton Towers communications manager is quoted as saying that they are wanting to move from a teen attraction to a family-friendly destination. Let’s hope they are successful at that. Ms Greenwood said:

"We are trying to reposition ourselves from a teenage market to cater for families. In trying to encourage families to stay for longer, there is a need to provide further accommodation of some kind."

Ms Greenwood said the resort would seek to do more than just erect "world class" roller-coasters – such as the Corkscrew's replacement for 2010, "Secret Weapon Six" – to entice thrill-seekers from all over the UK. She said: "In 2008, we worked extremely hard to attract families and we were very successful – growing in this sector from 35 per cent to 50 per cent of our total volume.

"Now, 75 per cent of our rides and attractions are suitable for children under 10."

Trouble is, that it’s impossible just to stick to this glimmer of good news when there is detail buried in these statistics. Ms Greenwood added that only 10% of the visitors stay at the on site hotels. I shall add to that my guestimate that another 10% stay locally. That means that 80% of the 2.5m visitors are travelling to and from the resort as day trippers (although that isn’t the thrust of the story). That’s a lot of traffic on our country roads, but let’s not start the bypass debate right now! This is another reason why I am focussing on the positive of marketing to families coming for more than one day. I shan’t miss the scary driving habits of the day-tripping twenty-somethings playing hooky off work who, in their eagerness, are pumping their accelerators. Nor shall I rue encountering those enormous coaches of day-trippers that I now associate with the possibility of having dodgy brakes. I shall herald their replacements – I am imagining a stream of well driven family Prius-type cars . . .

So to end on a positive. . . .! I am delighted that more families are being encouraged to come to Alton Towers because many will stay over longer and discover that there is so much more to this area than a theme park. I am confident these families will have a holiday to remember. We will make you welcome. Families of 4 or 5 report that they love it at our holiday cottage, Barks.

Seaworld at Alton Towers

It's really lovely!

I thought the Sharkbait Reef Sea Life section at Alton Towers was going to be just one room with a token shark, but then we went round a corner, and another and it goes on for ages.

I felt rather seasick looking through the magnified and curved glass tanks, but became used to it eventually. I was suprised how much I enjoyed spending a bit of time watching the Sea Life creatures and talking to the Alton Towers staff about the Sharkbait Reef exhibits. It's great that the staff are so knowledgeable and keen on what they are doing. They keep the place pristine clean, which is perfect.

Beware the Cleaner Shrimps! You are invited to stick your hand into the tank so that these shrimps can clean off any dead skin. With kids they make for the finger nails but with adults they seemed to love a knuckle or rough thumb. I had a tiny gardening cut on my finger and they very quickly 'cleaned' the wound and left it open again - not great for the following weekend's gardening.

I enjoyed our special visit to Sharkbait Reef Sea Life at Alton Towers and anyone planning a trip should definitely navigate their way to it.

http://www.altontowers.com/theme-park/attractions/sharkbait-reef/

Perfect walking weather

I walked for miles this weekend. Our friends Lucy & Paul were staying with their wire-haired vizsla so we went out as a pack. First we had to do a short 20 minute circuit for the benefit of my 17 year old lurcher Echo. It served as a hearty appetiser because it is uphill through the woods, has a fresh wind on the ridge and then a couple of fields coming back down where the younger members of the pack can really stretch their legs. The old girl senses we are past the half way mark and trots ahead a little bit until I need to carry her over the stile.

Echo went reluctantly to her basket and we carried on for the main event; down into Oakamoor’s Carr Wood and then back up past Orchard Farm and into the woods. We were out for a couple of hours and enjoyed the best of the weather. I had put too many layers on and ended up with sweater and heavy coat tied around my waist for all serious uphill stretches. Paul had a hip replacement only nine months ago and I was somewhat alarmed when there was a plaintive cry for help at the back and he was lying in the rut of the path. It is soft peaty ground, so luckily he was enjoying the drama of it.

On Sunday the plan was to meet Karen and Megan the spaniel and go for a 1 ½ hour walk in Cotton Dell, but the clock change meant that it was just Lucy and me and the dogs. My whippety-lurcher races up the track likes she’s been let out of a trap, my terrier checks all rabbit holes and the vizsla jumps straight into the river and all further muddy pools of water. This is a fluffy vizsla and a muck magnet, who must have wondered why we were so keen to throw sticks for her into the deeper parts of the brook. The sun shone, the birds were singing and the temperature was perfect for a long walk up hill and down vale.

Later, while I was gardening, a man walked past with his dog and checked directions with me. His wife had dropped him in Alton and he was hiking back to Ipstones – approx 8 miles. We agreed it is perfect walking weather.

Following the walking and gardening, my legs feel quite stiff this morning, so instead of the hour long return walk down to school I confess we went by car, taking all of 3 mins each way. Not the same at all!

Hens

We took delivery of a hen house on Saturday and some hens yesterday. Not an obvious time of year to start keeping hens, because we'll feed them all winter and as the nights draw in they won't lay so many eggs.

We went to a genuine farm dispersal sale last weekend. It was a fascinating event on so many levels. A reclusive old local farmer had lived on this 90 acre farm in the middle of nowhere all his life and now he has moved to a care home. I can only imagine that he held this fate at bay as long as possible, but seeing the state of the farmhouse I guess another winter was out of the question despite the amazing efforts of Staffordshire Moorlands visiting carers.

Many that turned up to the farm sale did so out of respect for this farmer, as much as to seize a bargain in these tough times. I overheard farmers and labourers with local accents so strong it could be called a dialect. There were a few other women, some children allowed to lark about on the haystack and farm machinery, but this event was noticeably dominated by local farmers; all white, predominantly male. They are a hardy close-knit local bunch, many of whom have been on their farms for generations. As a southern 'incomer' I felt priveleged to have been there, as I would if I'd been camel herding with the Bedouins or driving llamas up a mountain in Tibet.

So I was pleased that we scooped the coop for a reasonable sum. A local farmer brought it back for us in his trailer and then dropped off a couple of pullets for us yesterday. The coop is in the orchard in front of Barks, so visiting children will be able to collect eggs and catch hens. My 5 year old son is delighted by it all.

So to the business of marketing Barks self-catering holiday cottage now that we have welcomed our two chickens, and thinking up legitimate new straplines that might grab the search engines' attention:

Farm stays - self catering
Alton towers - dogs welcome - feed the hens
Stay on a farm with 2 chickens, 10 sheep, 3 dogs and some fruit trees.
I'll keep working on this . . .

Bilberry Season

In June 2008 I read an article in The Guardian newspaper about the Bilberry, aka Winberry or Blueberry, and its northern roots. link: http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2284528,00.html#article_continue

Apparently this superfruit is sold in Morrisons in its northerly outlets; I wonder how much for. Curiously, readers of this Guardian article were advised that the season is August and September - maybe that is so in the north. Here in the Midlands, however, it is prime bilberry season in early July.

Favourite uses in our household are bilberry and strawberry jelly and freshly collected bilberries on our breakfast cereal.  I trek into the woods first thing to gather them for breakfast (double health benefits from this).

Personally I am not keen on them when they become over-ripe.  There is something about the smell of processed bilberries that can be off-putting, especially in cartons of juice and bottled squash.  They have to be fresh from the woods for us.

Bilberry Tourism to Churnet Valley

From Walking the Moorlands - Walks around Barks Holiday Cottage

There are some woods and moorlands around our holiday cottage that are full of bilberry bushes.  In the spring the woods are buzzing with bees visiting the bilberry flowers (pictured above).

This is a popular area with walkers as it is, but in the July bilberry season we become a tourist destination for bilberry fans. Some stop for a chat and seek permission to pick these super-fruits.  Walkers are such polite people.  Really keen pickers come with those comb-like bilberry pickers that really speed up the fiddle of the picking.  I slightly regret not buying a bilberry picker when I saw one during our holiday in Norway.  But on the other hand it doesn't take long to pick a breakfast worth.  Some local friends make wine - I have yet to try it.

Two thoughts for eager, younger pickers: don't eat too many when out picking or you'll get purple poo (!) and please could you mind the walls with your purple fingers when you get back to our holiday cottage!?

Apart from that, enjoy foraging for these fruits of the forest and connecting with the spirit of our hunter-gatherer ancestors.  Bilberries are very therapeutic for so many reasons - physical and spiritual.