Elton Old Hall, near Bakewell,Derbyshire

We hired Elton Old Hall with our friends and their children. It has 6 bedrooms, lots of living space and a huge dining table which we all gathered round. Best of all - it was all ours!

From the moment we all arrived in a whirlwind of children's chaos(sticky sweet caught up in hair, missing shoe) you just step into a place of calm relaxation, where everything has been thought of in advance and is just to hand.

No comprise on the decor - it is beautifully furnished.

From the excitement of the children discovering the play castle(something to do with Robin Hoods Stride) in the kids secret garden to the wildlife on the local walks (alpacas, hairy cows, mythical fairies) to piling onto the huge sofas to watch the latest DVDs (filmed at Chatsworth) - such attention to detail.

We loved it, we got it and we did not want to leave.

As our friends said, "it is like a childhood memory of what a perfect family holiday is!"