Peak District with toddler and baby

[Tallblue]

I live overseas and will be making a trip home to the U.K. in July.
DH and I really miss spending time in the Peak District so we are planning to spend a week of our holiday there and introduce our two little ones to the wonderful countryside. By the time we travel they will be 2.11 and 9 months.

Looking for recommendations for family friendly places to stay- kitted out with as much baby and toddler equipment as possible, stair gates, cot, sterilizer, high chair etc etc. as we are flying in from overseas and don't want to carry these with us.

Ideally self catering accommodation e.g. Cottage/house/barn with 3 bedrooms so we can have friends and relatives spend time with us, but could make it work with 2 bedrooms if necessary.

We would want to be close to amenities but still a countryside feel with nice views etc. ideally plenty nearby to keep toddler occupied. We'll have a hire car but it would be good to be able to walk to places directly from our door too.

I've already looked at Wheeldon Trees and Darwin Forest park but would welcome any other recommendations (or reviews of the above two places if anybody has been). Thanks!

Bumping the thread and hoping for input!

Darwin forest is great. Their sister park, sandybrook near Ashbourne is also very good.

I would 100% recommend wheeldon trees through baby friendly boltholes. All the kit you could need is provided and stunning location near bakewell iirc.

Oops just read you've found them and want reviews! We stayed last October with 2yo and 5yo and loved it. Little wooden adventure playground (really little for under 5s) a great games room with tons of puzzles, toys, walking books etc. We borrowed a backpack carrier and booster seat - all free of charge, and travel cot etc provided too. Farmer Deborah was great and took the kids each morning to feed the chickens, rabbits and sheep (when they could be found!) and the whole place is very eco friendly, even refunding bus fares to encourage you to use it. Great local pub apparently although we used their babysitter and went further afield. It was the first time we've ever used an unknown babysitter and was a great experience. There's frozen homemade meals and essentials to buy in their outhouse, and I recommend ordering the breakfast basket. Deborah also catered wonderfully for me being gluten free, including some lovely gf cake and biscuits.

We can't wait to go back :)

Thanks all

sleepless is Darwin set in pretty countryside? When I look at google maps it seems to be outside the green area of the map designated as the Peak District? I'm hoping to feel like we are in the countryside rather than a park that could be anywhere, if you know what I mean? DH is leaning towards this option.

misty I'm leaning towards Wheeldon but DH thinks it will be too remote. Is there anything within reasonable walking distance? A Village centre? Bit worried about what we'd do on a rainy day. I'm really tempted by the idea of a trustworthy babysitter, how did that work?

Thanks so much for your advice!

You could probably walk to the local village and there are fantastic walks on your doorstep. We didn't feel too isolated and if other families are there and you're more sociable than us, you could probably strike up conversations easily
The baby sitter was organised by Deborah and was a local teenager. Not cheap but we were happy.

Email Deborah with questions - I had loads and she was very patient! I even just looked for next week, but it's a bit far for a short trip for us. And cold!

Darwin is set in some quite wild moorland and woods just on the edge of the peak. Lovely setting (and takeaways in Matlock will deliver in evening)

Thanks for your responses, I'm so torn between the two places!

Have also found a nice looking cottage in Castleton. Decisions, decisions....

I live locally. Have stayed at Darwin for a university reunion and go to soft play there a lot with my kids. Looking at location of wheelden I'd go for Darwin. Castleton is lovely but better with bigger kids for a lot of walking, pub lunches etc.

Darwin is really near Chatsworth house (fab adventure playground and farm) plus there's heights of Abraham, Gullivers Kingdom, crich tramway and masses of other good attractions very nearby. Plus there's a lovely indoor pool on site and loads and loads of lovely restaurants, cafes, pubs and takeaways within an easy drive but it's still in the countryside.

Thanks sleepless

What a wonderful place to live, I'm quite envious!