Chris and Liz Snook and family live in the farm house adjacent to their delightful Peak District cottages and offer visitors a warm and friendly welcome. We hope the following will give guests some useful background information :
Swainsley Farm’s Peak District cottages lie at the heart of an area known as the White Peak, a limestone plateau of green fields and drystone walls, defined roughly as the countryside enclosed by Castleton, Buxton, Bakewell, Matlock and Ashbourne. The rivers Dove and Manifold rise in the gritstones and shales of the Axe Edge moors. They carry rainwater which has cut deeply into the gritstone and then into limestone reef knolls to form deep dales with overhanging pinnacles of rock and fast running streams full of fish. A succession of high hills and dales surround our Peak District cottages where the rivers occupy gorge-like valleys sliced into the landscape.
Dovedale and the Manifold Valley are deservedly beauty spots and there are other dales nearby with rippling streams that are a delight to explore. The rivers Dove and Manifold are synonymous with Charles Cotton and Izaak Walton who fished and wrote about these waters three centuries ago. The rich diversity of scenery has long been an attraction for visitors, sufficient to move the hearts and pens of many nationally known writers over the years.
The view from Swainsley Farm and its Peak District cottages is dominated by the massive limestone dome of Ecton Hill which formed part of Chatsworth and the Duke of Devonshire’s holdings. In the 19th century it became the home farm of Sir Thomas Wardle’s Swainsley Estate. Sir Thomas was a friend and colleague of William Morris who visited Swainsley along with many other distinguished artists and writers associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Swainsley Farm comprises of a farmhouse and substantial range of outbuildings originating in the 18th century. They are built from local limestone with gritstone detailing to windows, doors, chimneys, gables and copings. Chris and Liz Snook have converted a barn and coach house/stable block into three luxurious Peak District cottages and all have stunning views.
Paths and bridleways link the Manifold Trail, which runs in the valley below Swainsley, to the surrounding limestone plateau. From our Peak District cottages you can explore this rugged landscape and its picturesque villages with their ancient churches and welcoming old inns. Other paths climb through woods to the hills which tower high above gorges and wind past fascinating mining remains at Ecton. The area is steeped in history and our fields contain evidence of ancient agricultural terracing. The area has been noted for lead and copper mining since well before Roman times. There are numerous caves in the Manifold Valley, the biggest and best is known as Thor’s cave at Wetton Mill (about 1 1/2 miles from our Peak District cottages). This cave is 250 feet above the river and can be approached from a steep but spectacular footpath. Caves were the homes of stone age dwellers dating back at least 50,000 years and the surrounding hills have many burial mounds, stone circles and other religious sites of prehistoric people.
Under new legislation large parts of Ecton Hill have been given ‘Access Land’ status - which means that visitors are free to roam at will. Some areas are owned by the National Trust and a section on the opposite bank of the river has been designated an ‘Area of Special Scientific Interest’ for the intensity of its wild life and flowers. Swainsley Farm and its Peak District cottages occupy an area of south facing land along the north bank of the River Manifold. There is considerable ecological interest in the fields, slopes, hollows, wooded banks and riverside of our land. In a botanical survey carried out by the Peak District National Park Authority in 2002 a total of 86 species were recorded including rare moschatel, agrimony, angelica, betony, ladies mantle, water avens and ladies bedstraw. Wooded banks with grassy glades contain anemones, violets, primroses and bluebells while hedgerows and boundary features around Swainsley and its Peak District cottages have saxifrage, harebells, wild strawberries, salad burnet and cowslips. In summer flower-rich swards are a riot of colour.
The limestone dales of the White Peak are exceptional for their ash woodlands - amongst the finest in Europe and most extensive in Britain. Wych elm remains in many of the woodlands despite the ravages of` Dutch Elm disease elsewhere. Birch and holly woodland occur on upper dale slopes. The Manifold River is home to significant stocks of crayfish and water voles. Fish include bullhead, brook lamprey, wild brown trout and greyling. Above river level small springs are a haven for scarce plants and invertebrates. The area is rich in birds and wildlife. As well as badgers, foxes and rabbits you may encounter voles, polecats, water rats, brown hares, weasels and stoats. Caves and trees in the valley are home to several species of bat. The wonderful habitat around Swainsley and its Peak District cottages is an essential refuge for many types of bird.
Our Peak District cottages are surrounded by some of the prettiest villages in the National Park : Alstonefield, Butteron, Wetton, Warslow and Grindon. There is a superb choice of pubs and restaurants (some award winning). The nearest shop and pub (the Black Lion) is in Butteron (¾ mile), there is also a shop and superb pub/restaurant (the Manifold Inn) in the hamlet of Hulme End (1 ½ miles along the Manifold Trail). Warslow has the Greyhound (¾ mile through fields). The larger and very picturesque village of Hartington with its duck pond, shops, craft fairs and tearooms is approximately three miles away.
The Peak District National Park Authority has a visitor centre based in the restored former station of the Manifold Valley Light Railway at Hulme End. The Manifold Trail follows the route of this disused, narrow-gauge line between Waterhouses and Hulme End (approx 9 ½ miles). The track, which is surfaced and level, is shared by walkers, cyclists and pony trekkers - it is also ideal for wheelchair users and parents with push chairs. The Manifold Trail takes you through some of the most dramatic, breathtaking scenery in the National Park and is directly accessible from our Peak District cottages. Cycle hire is available at Waterhouses.
If you're looking for the ideal base from which to explore the Derbyshire Dales, Staffordshire Moorlands and Peak District National Park then our Peak District cottages are the ideal base.
Self catering cottages: The Old Byre | The Haybarn | The Coach House | Availability | Contact Us | Accessibility
Content Copyright(c) Swainsley Farm 2006. Farm Cottage.. Self Catering Cottages. Peak District Cottages.
Website design for small businesses by Surfscience