Follow the Heritage Trail:                                          

Derbyshire has some of the finest country houses, manors, halls and gardens in the whole of the country and most of them are open to the public. The jewel in the crown is of course Chatsworth House, the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire, recently featured in the BBCs Pride and Prejudice, with 105 acres of deer park and Capability Brown gardens and the famous gravity fed fountain. This is a 'must see' for anyone visiting Derbyshire! Don't miss Hardwick Hall, home of the famous Elizabethan, Bess of Hardwick or Haddon Hall with it's Mediaeval banqueting hall and royal tapestries and beautiful gardens on the banks of the River Wye, or Tissington Hall, the Jacobean manor house home to the Fitzherbert family, or Eyam Hall in the famous 'plague village' or Kedleston Hall near Derby, which often has the added attraction of large antique fairs in the grounds. Just down the lane from The Cruck Barn is South Wingfield Manor, now an English Heritage site, where Mary Queen on Scots was held captive by Bess of Hardwick and whose escape was planned from the neighbouring hamlet of Dethick. Florence Nightingale lived in the adjoining village of Lea and the gardens of her home are now a famous azalea collection open to the public  and  well  worth  a  visit.                                                                    Chatsworth House 

                                                                                                                                            Drink in the Stunning Scenery:                                         

If the country house trail is getting too strenuous or not for you then spend a day relaxing and soaking up the scenery for which Derbyshire is famous. Experience the quiet, rural beauty of Lathkill Dale, Monsal Head, Miller's Dale and the many other beauty spots. Choose from river valleys, wooded dales or the more rugged moorland landscapes covered with heather and rock outcrops and ancient stone circles like The Nine Ladies or the quaint and ancient villages little changed over the centuries, surrounded by wild flower meadows. We have walks to cover them all or simply pack up the pic-nic hamper, find a quiet spot and let the world go by!   

 Walking / Biking / Birdwatching:                                                       

We have some of the finest walking country in England right on the doorstep, whether you are a relaxed rambling type or a seasoned hiker and climber, we have walking books and instructions to suit all capabilities and you can also hire bikes and ride the Tissington Trail. The bird watching in this area is legendary, with Ogston Reservoir just 3 miles away. Here you can see many unusual visitors including wildfowl, cormorants, gulls, plovers,ospreys on their way north to nest as well as all the resident birds which nest in the area including the curlews who nest in the fields adjacent to The Cruck Barn. Carsington Water is a short journey away and a nationally important site with bird clubs and the RSPB.  There are shops anda restaurant here.   A walk along the Cromford Canal, close to Wheatcroft, can be very rewarding for those who are interested in wildlife; look out for voles and kingfishers. There is also the big steam, pumping engine here which is powered up by the conservation group several weekends or Bank Holidays of the year.  

 Visit the Caverns,  TheTramway Museum and the Carriage Museum: 

Derbyshire is famous for its' old Blue John mines and many of these are now open to the public. You can travel by boat into Speedwell Cavern or take a cable car up to the Heights of Abraham to explore the lead mining caverns there. At the charming little village of Castleton there are many gift shops selling gemstone jewellery and also museums tracing the story of mining in the county. The Crich Tramway Museum is well worth a visit with its beautifully restored trams running for you to experience the ride and its authentic Edwardian street complete with working pub! Look out for the special feature days when the local amateur dramatics group are out in force in costume..... you'll start to wonder whether you really have slipped back into the 1940s! Red House Carriage Museum and stables at Darley Dale has some of the finest horse drawn vehicles in the country, many of which you will have seen already on TV and in films.  

 Shop 'til you drop ! 

The old market towns of Bakewell, Buxton and Ashbourne have a host of individual shops and boutiques to suit all tastes - antiques,clothes, art, craft shops, jewellery as well as lovely tearooms and of course the Original Bakewell Pudding Shop! We are within easy reach of the cities of Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield with all that they have to offer. We have the Heritage Mills at Matlock Bath and at Cromford where Richard Arkwright revolutionised the spinning industry in the 18th century, recently featured on the Griff Rhys Jones programme of the Nation's favourite ruin and now an area of small individual shops and tearoom and please note this ......... in London and Paris you will find John Smedley knitwear shops in Sloane Square and Rue St. Germaine respectively. We have our own John Smedley factory shop in the nearby village of Lea Bridge housed in the original Georgian factory building with the eye catching bridge over the road and selling gorgeous knitwear at a fraction of the cost of London and Paris!  

Eat Out in Style :

There is a whole host of village tea rooms and traditional pubs and cafes offering good value food at reasonable prices but there are also some extra special places to eat. Don't miss Riber Hall, East Lodge or Fischers at Baslow for that really special occasion to remember. There is a wonderful Art Deco jazz brasserie featuring regular live music, a high quality Indian restaurant and a  restaurant with a riverside patio all in the little towns of Matlock and Matlock Bath. Within walking distance of The Cruck Barn there is a classy Italian restaurant, within a traditional pub which also does midweek 'steak and pasta nights' and is well worth a visit. We truly are spoiled here !

On the other hand......

If you just want a quiet morning  or evening in, there are two TVs, a selection of DVDs to pick from, two CD players and a selection of CDs.  There is also a library corner with plenty of books and games and jig-saws and a chess set and plenty of magazines.  We have an annual subscription to three magazines so you can be sure they are the latest copies.  We have comfortable outside chairs if you wish to sit out on the balcony or in the garden and a balcony cafe table for alfresco meals in the sunshine or listening to the owls at dusk.