Award winning holiday cottage in Staffordshire!

Oh my goodness we won an award in the Staffordshire Tourism Awards.

Silver award in the Staffordshire Tourism Awards

We are thrilled to have won Silver in the Dog Friendly Business of the Year category. We were up against some stern competition, and the Gold award was deservedly won by a dog friendly pub in the south of this huge county of Staffordshire. Apparently they know all their doggie regulars by name and shake paws when they come in etc etc so of course we can't compete with that. But we do our best to enable families to stay together during their holidays, including taking the much loved family dog.

I know from experience it is really hard to fully enjoy a holiday break without my dog. Sometimes, however it is difficult to please all tastes. Your kids want to be riding the rollercoasters at Alton Towers, your dog ... not so much! The dog wants to be hiking the hills of the Churnet Valley, your kids... not so much, especially after a hard day at Alton Towers! Even couples with a dog want to visit country houses and do some shopping and if it is a hot day, the car is not an option and after a long day out sometimes the woods and fields seem too exhausting.  So who hikes the hills with the dog... we do! All part of our 'dog-sitting' service.

We understand that Barks Holiday Cottage is not suitable for all dogs because of the lack of fences, but the dogs that come here are wonderful. We have met some real characters over the last few years and we look forward to seeing who the year ahead brings.

Solar panel installers

It is quite unusual to get long bookings, but we have just said hello to a team of solar panel installers needing self catering accommodation in this part of Staffordshire while they work on a job somewhere round here for three weeks. Perfect! Things can be quite quiet at this time of year.

We have now had our own solar panels on the roof for a while and they are great. We have set the underfloor tile warmer to come on in the kitchen and bathroom when the sun shines. This is not designed to be a full heating source, but just makes it nice to pad about in bare feet. The main heating is the gas central heating, which warms the place up in trice and keeps everyone cosy .

Iron Man Staffordshire

I think maybe it is a bit late for me to start training for the Ironman competition that is being held in Staffordshire in June. Aw there now! I just checked the distances and saw swimming 1.2 miles and thought, yup that is manageable.  But then there's the rest:

Swim: 1.2 miles

Bike: 56 miles

Run: 13.1 miles

Totaling 70.3 miles

Anyway, I expect we'll be needed at the holiday cottage that day ;-)

So hats off to the competitors who are coming to Staffordshire to compete in this gruelling challenge. I hope you see something of the lovely countryside!

Alton Towers - and the rest . . .

As you will see from the lovely review that was recently posted by a guest on our Facebook page, there is plenty to do around here other than go to Alton Towers.  And thanks to Taryn, you don't just have to take our word for it.  Her suggestions are great.  Consall Hall Gardens is proving very popular and I still haven't made it there, which is shameful.  Blackbrook Zoo is a little gem - mostly birds and the entertaining penguins, although I hear that Mrs Meerkat is expecting some offspring any day now.

If you need any help planning your stay in this area, please let me know.

And by the way, please stay in touch with us.... join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/barks.holiday.cottage or chatter with us on Twitter if that is your thing @ChurnetValley

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

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

Holiday cottage guests sent us this photo

This is what the hens get up to when you go out! Cheeky or what? I think they are just reclaiming 'their' space while the holiday cottage guests go off to Alton Towers or Trentham Gardens or wherever . . .

Thanks very much Phil for sending us this snap.

for latest self-catering holiday availability - visit our availability page

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. . .

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 4: Transport

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

Tips on booking a self-catering holiday cottage as provided by Travelsupermarket.

Tip 4. Transport
Be prepared for traffic jams if you're travelling in peak season, get directions to the cottage and don't forget your breakdown cover.

Barks - It can be busy getting in and out of Alton Towers at peak times.  Normally the queues are from the Uttoxeter side (south) and through Alton so staying at Barks means you avoid the busiest roads.  I make no claims in favour of the M1 or M6, but at least they are not as bad as going south on the M5 on change-over day.

Directions are provided with confirmation of booking and Sat nav can be relied upon to get you pretty close. 

Tour of Britain cycles the moorlands

Barks Holiday Cottage, self-catering accommodation near Alton Towers and Peak District

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Tour of Britain cycles the Moorlands

James made a deliberate visit to King of the Mountain – Wootton Hill and was given a flag to wave encouragingly at these keen cyclists as they powered up the hill to the ‘finish line’ (although there was no finish in the sense of them stopping). Three riders were clearly leading the pack, as announced by a van with loud speaker courtesy of ITV, heavily escorted by motorbikes. A few minutes later the peloton arrived, whizzed through en masse and that was it.

I caught the Tour of Britain inadvertently as I returned from a meeting in Matlock along the A52 between Ashbourne and Stoke. At the highest point of the ridge, with a grand view of most of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, I became stuck in a traffic jam. A traffic jam that is not causally linked to Alton Towers is such a rare occurrence it is almost worth blogging in its own right. I figured out it was the Tour of Britain when the motorbikes, 40 or more, roared past with lights flashing. Meanwhile the A52 in both directions gently filled with quarry lorries, the main traffic on this stretch of road. Then the pack of riders, tightly packed together and seemingly not in a rush to my inexperienced eye, breezed over the ridge and off in the direction of Blackbrook Zoo. The view and zoo would not have registered with the riders who were head down and intent on their mission. Before the quarry lorries and I could resume our journeys, there was the amusing spectacle of the 50 or so support vehicles with the cycles on the top. More cycles were visible on the top of 4x4s than in the peloton.

It’s quiet in these rural parts, can you tell?

Les Oakes on Gardeners' World

Staffordshire rarely makes it onto TV so I was pretty stunned to see our local Cheadle ‘architectural reclamation’ yard Les Oakes featured on Gardeners’ World. I loved David Oakes’ wheeler dealer TV appearance. Les Oakes have some great stuff lurking in heaps around the yard. We have bought all sorts from there.

I have to say I preferred the original colour scheme of the reclaimed doors and wouldn’t be able to live with the giant wendy house look that the Gardeners’ World team created. I need a shed though!