Self-Catering in the Peak District
There is probably no better place in the country than the Peak District for self-catering holiday accommodation, for the nature and range of sites and places to stay is as diverse as the surrounding topography and there is something to suit every taste and occasion.
It’s a privilege to be a Peaklander (or Pecsaetan – as the Romans called the barbaric tribes who once populated the Peak) and to live in such a beautiful and exhilerating landscape, but it is estimated that around 40 million people live within an hours drive of the Peak District, and for many of them, living here would be the fulfilment of a dream.
Instead it has become a place of regular pilgrimage for seekers of both peace and pleasure; they come to pay homage to its diverse beauty and to enjoy its natural bounty – to live the dream by becoming a temporary resident for awhile, and in the most authentic way – a self catering holiday!
The term, `self-catering’ covers virtually any type of accommodation where food is not included in the price, and the Peak District has a whole range of such establishments ranging from country cottages, to motels and apartments, and from caravan and camping sites, and Swiss Cottage style luxury log-cabins – to farm cottages, and some of the best and most scenically situated Youth Hostels in the country.
There’s even self-catering available for up to seventy people, along with conference facilities, at the Holiday Conference Centre at Nightingale House in Great Hucklow!
But by far the most popular and attractive tourist choice for all-year-round self-catering accommodation is the vast array of holiday cottages available in the Peak District.
Ranging in size from large estate cottages to the cosy, stone-built hideaway for two, self-catering holiday cottages are located in and around almost every picturesque village and hamlet in the Peak District, with the majority chosen for their excellent location within the spectacular landscape.
The picturesque Peak District lends itself admirably to outdoor pursuits, and is regarded as a Mecca for rock-climbing, hiking and walking and other fresh-air outdoor activities like sailing, fishing, and canoing, or simply for exploring the spectacular and historic landscape on foot.
The area is rich in prehistory and is also noted for it’s stately homes; architectural gems like Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall vie for attention with a surprising array of unique and fascinating natural attractions which bring millions of visitors annually, notwithstanding to one of the most beautifully diverse and spectacularly scenic regions of England!
These activities are best enjoyed free-style, without hindrance of having to be in a certain place at a set time for meals, which is one reason why the Peak District has such an abundance of superbly diverse self-catering establishments – in fact, something to suit and satisfy every need or requirement – from families, to clubs & groups, couples and singles.
No matter what your choice of self-catering accommodation, another main consideration during your stay is the availability of food and provisions, and the Peak District is a veritable gourmet’s kitchen for superb local produce. As well as providing numerous self-catering establishments the surrounding market towns of Buxton, Ashbourne, Bakewell, Wirksworth and Matlock all have weekly outdoor markets, with the one at Chesterfield on the fringes of the Peak, boasting the largest outdoor covered market in the country!
Farmers Markets have greatly increased in popularity and are held in the above towns in addition to the normal market days, and there are supermarkets in all the main centres and a general store or village shop, some which double as village post-offices – in most of the larger villages in the Peak. Farm shops, and fresh meat and milk supplies are equally abundant, and with many farmers diversifying from agriculture into tourism in recent years, there has been a corresponding increase in the number and variety of self-catering farm cottages available, many in unrivalled locations with wonderful views of the breathtaking surrounding countryside – which altogether, makes the Peak District the ideal location for a self-catering holiday!