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.

Holiday Cottage with open fire

The Chimney Sweep has been today and carried out all the safety checks, including testing the carbon monoxide alarm. 

It may be a surprise to learn that we also have a fire safety policy and have undertaken a risk assessment. This is just an example of the sort of thing that we do because we take seriously the responsibility of running holiday accommodation.

So that was just a little peak behind the scenes of life as Holiday Cottage owner.

For the latest availability please check online or contact us. We are now taking bookings for October half term and Alton Towers Scarefest. 

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.

Spring half term holiday cottage

So far we have not let the holiday cottage for May half term. It's the only week in the year that I'm not offering short breaks, and I'm wondering if that's an issue or whether everyone is a bit caught up with Jubilee plans. Trouble is, I don't have anyone to do the holiday cottage change over cleaning during half term week.  I actually turned away a short break enquiry because it would be easier if we have a full week booking over May half term - was that a mistake? Honestly, the things you have to fret about when running a self-catering holiday cottage accommodation business. 

On the subject of Jubilee plans, there are some rather lovely things happening locally. I think I shall nip to Alton - the village, not the theme park. 

More on that another time. 

Our weekend holiday cottage guests departed this morning and came over to settle up for bits and pieces. We had a little chat about the walks they'd been on and our rescue dog so I completely forgot to take a snap of their two four-legged companions. When I dashed round to the cottage to try and catch them I found this lovely note and some treats for our new arrival. How kind!

Spring 2022

The snowdrops are good this year, and we took two bookings last night for our holiday cottage near Alton Towers, both signs that spring is well on the way.

Barks Holiday Cottage is well placed to enjoy spring countryside and yet the alternative charm of Alton Towers is less than three miles away.

Catherine & James
Barks Holday Cottage

barkshc@gmail.com

For the latest availability please check online or contact us.

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.

Winter cottage rental

In the winter we take longer bookings of 21 to 28 days. The maximum length that any single booking can be is 28 days (so as not to affect our status as holiday accommodation)

The cottage is fully furnished so ideal for a short let for those moving house or working locally. We can be flexible in how the rooms are laid out. We have 3 single beds and a double bed.

• Gas CH.
• Open fire.
• Heating and fuel are not supplied for longer lets.
• Sheets, duvets and towels are supplied.
• Hairdryer.
• TV - large digital TV.
• Microwave.
• Dishwasher.
• Fridge-freezer.
• Washing machine - available for winter bookings 21 to 28 days only.
• Wifi - not superfast broadband but good enough to stream TV favourites.
• Parking for 2 cars.
• Pets welcome: we accept dogs - please check that the situation regarding Pets is acceptable to you.

hello@barks-holiday-cottage.co.uk

barkshc@gmail.com

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 holiday cottage season opens

It is very exciting that lockdown is easing off a bit and people can get out, go places and see people. Rule of 6 makes things a bit complicated. It caused me some difficulty this week. We have a family of 8 wishing to see my mother on her 95th birthday - but rule of 6. As you can imagine, this has not been easy to resolve. In turn I think each of us offered to stand aside so that we meet the requirements of the Rule of 6. Even my mother offered to stand down, which didn't make a lot of sense really as it's her birthday! We are very grateful that my brother-in-law and my other half are both true gentlemen.

Anyway, family time commences across the nation, albeit a lot easier to manage for smaller families. We are all about family time. As Barks Holiday Cottage sleeps 5, this is not going to cause any issues for our bookings. And if another household wishes to visit, there is a good sized terrace and large parasol for comfortable, compliant outdoor get-togethers.

So, let family time commence.

 Check availability

For the latest availability please check online or contact us - barkshc@gmail.com 

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

Special offers to fill the gaps in holiday cottage bookings

Special offers at Barks Holiday Cottage

Spring 2024:

Last minute discounted short breaks

 Spring 2024 Last minute discounts:

week of June 1st -  last minute booking discounts. Short breaks available from £450. Please message for details.

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 

☀️Great for walkers and getting outdoors 

🍰Nearby tea rooms

🌳 Peak District & Churnet Valley await

😃 Family time 

Generally speaking we work on a Friday change over, but we like to try to be flexible about when people can arrive so that sometimes leaves a gap. To encourage our lovely self-catering guests to book these gaps, we make last minute special offers at Barks Holiday Cottage

Please check latest availability and email us at barkshc@gmail.com

'Good to Go' certificate

We have followed government and industry COVID-19 guidelines for our holiday cottage business, have done a Risk Assessment and created a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing. And after much time planning and making changes, and a few hours of necessary (but strangely bizarre) bureaucracy, we can now show everyone a certificate to prove what we've been doing 👌👍. 

I feel a bit like I am back at school 😃

We are sending our revised guest information pack to everyone that books at Barks Holiday Cottage. If you would like more information about our processes when considering making a booking, please contact us.

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

Holiday cottage is open again

It's been a long wait, but we are now advised that we can open again. Yippee. 4th July sees guests return to Barks self-catering holiday cottage.

We have put in place revised procedures, and taken away 'non essential items' in line with advice to holiday cottage owners. We are also going one step further and for the next couple of months, when possible, blocking out the night before and after guest bookings. We will then be able to give the cottage a good airing and take extra time cleaning and preparing it for our self-catering guests.

Lovely walks and picnics in the Churnet Valley and Peak District await our guests.

For the latest availability please check online or contact us.

It is so quiet in lock down

We have stayed at home, as directed, since the big announcement. The garden is starting to look quite tidy and we are only on day 3 of Lock Down. This glorious sunshine means that spring has sprung and everything is taking off.

I have been chopping and pruning as if I need to get it done quickly. Pacing myself would be a lot more sensible. It's not like I'm about to rush off to a gym class, after all. So I made a deliberate effort every now and then to stop and take stock. In these anxious times it is good to identify moments of joy every day.

Even though we are really lucky to be isolating ourselves in such an idyllic spot, we are still having to adjust from our usual routine, including the lack of holiday guests in the cottage. The sunshine helps a lot and having so much space to be quietly outside is a blessing that I am aware others do not have right now. It is almost like a holiday. (Here's an idea... why don't we run a holiday cottage? Ah...maybe later!)

With everywhere so quiet, this bee was quite a noisy visitor.

As a result of my gardening labours I have cuts on my arms from some aggressive roses and have blisters on my hands and fingers from the secateurs and the trowel. With blood dripping down my arm it was time to reach for the soap and Savlon, it being a particularly bad time to bother the NHS with an avoidable case of sepsis.

Social distance walking

A friend and I went for a walk today. It was lovely weather and we needed to get out. We were meant to be going out to a favourite restaurant, booked months ago to get a good upstairs table. Last night's announcement put paid to that plan. So we arranged a walk instead. Since we did not want to share a vehicle, in the times of strange new rules and etiquette, we set out from her house in Alton.

The wind gusted and my ancient, threadbare map was hard to study. I suppose I could have been on an app and known exactly how far off the footpath we strayed, but that would have been unsatisfactory in today's mood. My friend left the erratic map reading to me, as both of us handling the map doesn't work these days. We could also have walked in the usual favourites, but it is a weekend and the nation seemed to be out walking today, so we headed off the beaten track. And we were rewarded!

Without realising, we had ambled to a high point where there were spectacular views all around of the Churnet Valley, and further to the horizon in neighbouring counties. It was extra gusty at the top, and my friend doesn't like walking through fields grazed by horses, so we diverted from the planned route to a clear path, following the hedge, back towards Alton. It was a treat, with magnificent views over the village and Alton Castle. We were also very conveniently returned near to her house.

Walking is the new social. Plus, our little trek was precisely 10k steps. Perfect in every way.

Insurance update

Insurance claims: The Government declared COVID-19 a notifiable disease, a key criteria to allow insurance claims. If you have booked a holiday cottage and need to cancel, it is worth confirming this position with your insurer.

Bio-security measures at the holiday cottage

We have been reviewing what we need to do at the holiday cottage to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests and our team. Here are some of the things we are committing to doing in the months ahead.

Stocking up on bleach for the cottage

Deep cleaning. We have stocked up on bleach and will be cleaning all surfaces, door handles and hard surfaces between bookings. Obviously we always deep clean between bookings, now extras like every door handle will be routinely included in the cleaning schedule.

Extra time for change-overs. To enable us to achieve these extra measures we need more time. We have delayed check-in until 5pm. Check-out remains 10am.

Also, we have removed all non-essential items, in line with the advice provided to holiday cottage owners.

Social distancing. We will not be greeting our guests with a handshake or fussing our canine guests. 

We are able to offer people a place to get away from it all. If you like walking and fresh air and not seeing people, Barks Holiday Cottage is the place for a break.