Hoe Grange Holidays

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Hoe Grange Farm, Peak District
Review by: - Scott Antcliffe

Derbyshire is by far one of my favourite counties in the UK.  I might be slightly biased living here, but to have the UK’s oldest national park, The Peak District, right on my doorstep is wonderful. The park was officially designated in 1951. When the opportunity to stay a few days at the stunning Hoe Grange Farm near Brassington came up, I jumped at the chance as it has been on my radar for the last decade since moving to Derbyshire.

My wife Lorna and I, along with our exuberant yet ageing Border Collie Drift, jumped in the car and made the relatively short 40-minute journey from Chesterfield. Nestled between Ashbourne, Bakewell, Matlock and Buxton, Hoe Grange Farm is ideally situated to use as a base and explore the surrounding picturesque villages and towns. From the initial enquiry through to the booking process and then arriving at Hoe Grange, the communication between myself and owners Felicity and David Brown was quick and clear and included helpful directions and a handy sitemap too.  We opted for one of the luxury glamping pods – perfectly sized for two adults and a Collie. When we arrived, we were blown away; a beautifully furnished pod, which for its size included everything you could need or think of. My wife Lorna said: “Wow, they’ve really thought of everything!”

The welcome basket was a lovely touch, including a freshly baked loaf of bread, some Peak District dairy milk, eggs, Fair Trade tea, coffee, sugar and some delicious homemade biscuits. The pod includes a kitchenette with all the utensils you’d ever need, a small fridge with a little freezer space, central heating and warm water, hanging space and coat hangers, outdoor deck chairs and picnic table, a firepit and barbecue, hosepipe for washing muddy paws, a king size pull-out sofa bed and an en-suite shower with a heated towel rail.

Drift was also spoilt with a welcome doggy bag which includes some lovely treats. Suitably refuelled, Drift headed off to explore the grounds of Hoe Grange and soon met some of the guests staying in the other cabins as well as the owners’ Labradors and Jack Russell.

Around the site there are four cabins, two glamping pods, and a beautiful, authentic Gypsy caravan – the latter being the latest addition to the farm, added just three years ago. There is also a play area and a small shop where you write any items down you buy in a book. The shop includes extra milk, bread, eggs, cheese, ice cream, butter, coffee, condiments, candles, and charcoal. Also, in the shop there are watercolour prints and cards available courtesy of landscape artist Roger Allen, who lives on site at Hoe Grange.

What really sets Hoe Grange apart from anywhere I’ve ever stayed is how accessible and eco-friendly the site is. They are a self-sufficient site and have their own electricity, heat and water sources. They have recently installed three new electric vehicle chargers which are free to use for guests. The two larger cabins, Pinder and Daisybank, both have outdoor hot tubs (for an extra charge) but the latter cabin isn’t dog friendly sadly.

Once we had unpacked, we headed out for the evening to nearby Brassington (a six-minute car journey away) and opted for the dog friendly Ye Olde Gate Inn. We couldn’t have found a more authentic country pub and it dates back to the 17th century, so it has plenty of charm and character. Friendly locals greeted us and fussed Drift as we entered and she was immediately offered a bowl of water. The menu is pretty extensive with all the pub classics and plenty of options for Lorna who is vegetarian. I opted for the mixed grill and Lorna had the vegan chilli with rice. Both went down a treat, as did the little bit of Cumberland sausage that Drift swiftly devoured, timing her opportunistic moment perfectly after it had rolled off my plate. With how hearty and wholesome the main meals were, we decided to share a homemade white chocolate cheesecake with ice cream…absolutely delicious. 

While in the small village, we decided to head to another nearby pub, the Miners Arms. As we drove past earlier, we heard live music being played so fancied soaking up some of the atmosphere after our meal. Once again, Drift was the star of the show as we entered and soon acquainted herself with locals and their dogs. While we didn’t have food here, it did look lovely from what we saw and had a great selection of real ales, which certainly ticked my ale afficionado box.

Although we drove to Brassington, it is walkable via the High Peak Trail, as is the lovely village of Parwich, which has another dog friendly pub, The Sycamore Inn. Handily, there is direct access onto the High Peak Trail from the fields at Hoe Grange. It is a 17-mile long traffic free path which runs from Dowlow near Buxton to High Peak Junction near Cromford. This makes it ideal for walking and cycling alike.

The next day, we were up and off early to make our way to Carsington Water, a large reservoir with an 8-mile circular walk, café, play area and wildlife centre. We didn’t do the full 8-mile walk, probably a quarter of that in total, but nevertheless it was a good stretch of the legs for ourselves and Drift. We opted for a caffeine pit stop at the café, which is dog friendly and has the usual range of snacks and drinks. There is also the option to take part in water sport activities, hire bikes and do fly fishing, all of which need to be booked in advance.

Our next stop of the day was the lovely estate of Tissington – a 20-minute car journey from Carsington Water. Tissington is a small, picturesque village with its 17th century Jacobean house, Tissington Hall, being the main attraction. Dogs are allowed in the grounds, but not in the hall itself. There’s a lovely cafe next door to the hall owned by the same family, the Fitzherbert’s, which has indoor and outdoor seating and offers alcoholic drinks too. Drift decided not to indulge in a pint, but she was happy with the doggy ice creams that the cafe had on offer.

After a little wander around Tissington, admiring the lovely, little cottages we headed to another well-known Peak District gem, Hartington. 

Only seven miles from Tissington, Hartington is just on the Staffordshire border, close to the river Dove. If you are cycling, you can travel between the two villages via the Tissington Trail cycle route. Handily, electric bikes are available to rent from Hoe Grange for a small fee and manual bikes, including a tandem, can be rented for free.

The village is a busy, bustling place and great to while away a few hours, with several local gift shops to browse around. Hartington has no shortage of great places to eat and drink too. We called in at a dog friendly pub, the Charles Cotton. With it being a warm day, we decided to sit in the large beer garden with picnic tables at the rear. Drift soon made friends with a fellow Collie from a nearby table, sharing a bowl of water. While we didn’t eat at the pub, we did browse the menu which had a good range of typical pub fare, with several vegetarian options and the portions looked plentiful.

Refreshed and hydrated, we made our way to the jewel in the Hartington crown, The Old Cheese Shop. Dating back to 1870, it was founded by the Duke of Devonshire from Chatsworth House and produces a number of its own local cheeses. Dogs aren’t allowed in, so Drift patiently waited with me on a bench overlooking the beautiful duck pond outside. Before we left, we had a look at the beautiful church of St Giles which dates back to the 13th century and it is built of local sandstone, which is quite unusual for the area. We took it in turns to have Drift, while the other explored inside.

We then headed back to Hoe Grange for the evening and sampled some of the local cheeses that we bought along with a lovely glass of merlot… or three.

Brushing aside our hangovers, we got up early the next morning and headed to Earl Sterndale close to the Staffordshire border. There are two large hills in the area famed for landscape photography, Chrome and Parkhouse Hills. The latter was shown on the final episode of BBC series The Peaky Blinders. 

Due to a recent knee operation, I didn’t walk up the hill, more admired it from the base as the sun rose into the valley. Drift had a good stretch of the legs and tried to check out every pile of sheep excrement possible before we headed back to the car. For those thinking of walking to the hills, there is a five-mile circular route that you can do. It can be quite strenuous and steep in places and the ground can be a little loose underfoot, so if you do go, proceed with caution. The views from the summit are breath-taking. Sadly, due to work commitments we then had to head back home after a lovely few days at Hoe Grange. 

We couldn’t have wished for a better stay in an amazing place. The hosts have had some of the accommodation since 2005 and are well versed in looking after guests. This was evident with all the little touches. Hoe Grange is so unique and special due to the accessibility and eco-friendly initiatives that they have in place, and they cater extremely well for dogs. Not only that, but they also have horse-friendly stays available too. A truly outstanding visit where we will hopefully be back again, albeit longer next time.

Hoe Grange Farm, Peak District, review by Scott Antcliffe and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 74.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit  https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine