Where to stop over between Brighton to the Peak District

[Hendersonsisnotrelish]

We will be travelling from Brighton to the Peak District in August. There will be me, husband, dd5 and ds2.

We are scheduled to arrive on the 15th August but I am thinking it might help to break up the journey with an overnight stay. I would like 2 rooms so the children can be put to bed and we can have a relaxing evening. Not particularly fussed about amenities though nice is always nice, of course.

I don't fancy a family room in a hotel but an open to any other option. I have been looking for ages and am really struggling to find something suitable.

Do any wise mumsnetters have any recommendations, please?

Brighton and the Peak District the title should say. And am not an

Two rooms with an interconnecting door? One night probably not possible on holiday lets/air b n bs.

That could work but any family rooms I come across have all the beds in one room. Thanks. Any ideas of hotels with connected rooms?

Pear Tree Lodge in Milton Keynes. It’s not naice, but it’s clean, quiet and the staff are lovely. It’s on the waterfront and our kids love watching the boats. It’s a lovely place for a leg stretch. We get an interconnecting rooms. The adjoining restaurant does a super kids menu too www.stonehouserestaurants.co.uk/nationalsearch/southeast/thepeartreebridgeinnmiltonkeynes/childrens-menu

Ooh that is certainly worth a look. Thank you so much. Milton Keynes seems roughly half way so could work

Holiday Inn Express have interconnecting rooms. I don't know if you can find one en route

Thank you, will have a look

Hopefull bump for Sunday evening. Its not like anything else is happening tonight

Watching this because DS has just asked me the same thing. He's travelling from Kent to Yorkshire and wants a stop off.

It really won't take an unmanageable time to get to the Peak District from Brighton but my favourite stop place is Woodstock, just north of Oxford. That's a couply weekend kind of place (Blenheim Palace, hotels with beams, pubs with fires) rather than particularly kid-friendly. The Bear hotel is very nice and quite reasonably priced (or was, last time I went).

Welcome Mikehat

Thank you for the recommendation. I have done a similar journey without a stop off many times.

This time my son is at a bit of a fussy stage and I am worried the roads will be extra busy in the summer holidays. Possibly even worse than usual due to the year we have had. I may be overthinking!

I will check out your suggestions. It doesn't need to be hugely child friendly so thanks.

Stratford upon Avon or Kenilworth would be a good break point with various b&b options.

To be honest, if you are uneasy about a hotel just drive straight through, it's about 5 hours but depends on exactly where in the Peak District and traffic on the m25. Start earlish and get the m23&m25 out the way, stop for breakfast/break at Luton area, then lunch once you come off the m1 heading into the peaks,

If you want a cheap stop Leicester is a good option, there's several premier inns with family rooms and many other options including Airbnb's, unlike seaside and rural destinations it shouldn't be too expensive

Thanks for the replies. All good options to explore. I remember a trip to Kenilworth as a child and think it's quite nice. A vaguely remember a castle?

Leicester also a good cheap option.

Or I could stop being a baby and just crack on and drive.

What about Airbnb? There might be some fun/quirky places to stay on the way?

Fawsley Hall

Whereabouts in the Peak District are you going? Because if you’re going to the southern end - around Ashbourne - that’s only really an hour on from Leicester and you may as well press on.

Warwick
Massive castle
Google says 2hrs 50 min from Brighton, 1hr 50 from Bakewell (randomly chosen Peak District town).

It’s not that long a journey is it? Wouldn’t it make more sense to stop off midway for a few hours doing an activity and lunch, then finish of your journey same day?

Thanks for the replies. Fawsley Hall looks amazing but no availability for the night we need.

Those saying crack on, it's not that far. Thank you, you're right. I forgot to mention we have a lunch booked for 1.30 so breaking up the day won't work this time.

Warwick sounds like just the right kind of break and the kids will love the castle. I will look into this further, thanks.

And good point about Leicester. Probably not worth stopping at that point!

My parents used to do a similar drive (Brighton to Leeds) fairly regularly, and they sometimes broke the journey with a night in St Neots, which they said was a nice place. It’s on the A1 rather than the M1 though, so you’d need to cut across further up.

Ooh st Neots has just been added to the list of possibilities. Thank you.

Thanks for the replies. Fawsley Hall looks amazing but no availability for the night we need.

Well maybe The Windmill at Badby just over the wooded hill? The website is not overtly inviting but maybe its for a reason . Great pub and keep it tranquil. You can walk from there through the village and into Badby Woods. Lovely walk, quiet, lots of birdsong and something about the air in the valley that is fresh. Too late for the bluebells now sadly.

The Holly Bush at Priors Marston is the other side of the A361 and unlikely to be booked up with staying guests. The Red Lion at Hellidon is also excellent. Two UK rivers spring there, but the locals are oblivious.

As you can tell I know a bit about that area, but I have lived there among several other places in the UK. I think that is your best bet to go from Brighton to the Peak District if going clockwise round the M25.

There is some serious geography awry with some posts here I might (tentatively) add.