Award Winning Self Catering Holidays In the Derbyshire Peak District
Browse through our blog posts to find out what life is like at Hoe Grange Holidays along with some great ideas for days out in the Peak District.
We all love to find unusual and inspiring gifts for our loved ones, especially at Christmas.
We’re passionate about the Peak District so have pulled together our top 12 gift experiences you can enjoy while staying at Hoe Grange Holidays.
2021 has been another challenging year in so many ways. So I believe more than ever giving is about experiences rather than material things that we don’t necessarily need or want.
If you can bring a little magic to light up someone’s life, then you will help create a happy memory to treasure. Not only does sharing experiences bring people together with a unique bond, it also has a positive impact on wellbeing.
Laughter is great therapy! Choosing exciting experience gifts over physical gifts is not just a feel-good factor but also reduces waste. In addition you are supporting small local businesses, helping them survive through difficult times.
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach! No need to slave over a hot stove. You can experience fine dining at Fischers at Baslow, an amazing experience for special occasions. Find out what delicious delights were on the menu at Fischers when David and I celebrated our wedding anniversary there.
If you are on a more limited budget then Umami restaurant in Wirksworth is perfect. The essence of deliciousness, serving street food dishes with bold, authentic flavours from around the world in a cosy and colourful restaurant.
Step behind the scenes at White Peak Distillery and experience the unique atmosphere, heat and smells of a working distillery. You’ll be guided through the Victorian distillery house set in the old Johnson& Nephew Wire Works and see the huge handmade copper pot stills.
Or if you prefer you can buy a gift voucher for a Zoom whisky tasting hosted by Distillery founder Max Vaughan. Max will chat through the background and set up at the first whisky Distillery in the Peak District region, his approach to whisky-making and what makes their Derbyshire whisky unique.
You’ll be guided through a tasting of three samples of lightly-peated single malt, including the new make spirit, and two ageing samples drawn from single casks.
Do you agree men can be so difficult to buy presents for? No stress here’s a great one for boys of all ages! The Great British Car Journey is so interesting as it explains the development of the British car industry from 1920’s through the decades.
We loved the audio guide as you could select whether to hear a brief summary of each era or an in depth explanation of individual cars. A real trip down memory lane and you can even book to drive your dad's car, or the car you learnt to drive in, anything from a reliant robin to a Rolls Royce.
Something more creative is a silver jewellery making workshop at Rock Paper Silver with artist Rebecca Green. Although I am by no means an artist I thoroughly enjoyed the full day workshop, and was very pleased with my creation. It was a great sense of achievement going home with a unique piece of silver jewellery, totally designed and crafted by myself. It was also fascinating to see what everyone else designed and produced.
Annie Maudling had a flicker of an idea following a fishing trip to Ireland where she purchased some handmade candles from a small local business. This sparked a passion and found Annie experimenting with her daughter’s candle making kit in her kitchen (which is where all good small businesses start from, including ours!). She now supplies the likes of the National Trust with her handcrafted candles.
You can enjoy crafting your own candles, personalised with the scents you love and helped by Candle Annie who will pass on all her handy tips on how to keep your candle burning perfectly.
For guests bringing their own horse on holiday Ellen at Peak District Guided Horse Rides can offer a bespoke ride from Hoe Grange for any size of group. Ellen does the hard work and navigation for you, so you don’t need to worry about getting lost. Together with her trusty steed Prince she will hold all the gates open as you ride through to save you dismounting, and knows all the perfect places to pop into a canter!
Why not arrange for Ruth Downing of Rural pictures to capture the perfect picture of your dog or horse while on holiday with us? Ruth puts everyone at ease and is a master at capturing the true character of your pet or horse. Her action shots are amazing.
Or you could gift someone a “Barks and Bakes 2022 calendar” which includes 6 delicious cake recipes as well as photos of cute dogs- what’s not to like?
Enjoy a retro bicycle ride through the glorious Peak District countryside with Glory Days Bikes. Choose your vintage bike and be guided by local experts, explore off-the beaten track routes and just have fun taking in the stunning scenery. Ideal for small groups, with plenty of stop offs along the way.
Take a guided walk with Paul from My Guided Walks and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn, from fascinating historical facts about the area to why peat is so important for conservation of the moors. Paul points out all the things you can easily miss if you're not familiar with the landscape, and knows where you are likely to catch a glimpse of the elusive Mountain Hare. Discover some of the famous film locations or aeroplane crash sites in the Peak District.
Do you often get lost when out walking? If you want to improve your map reading skills Paul also does navigation skills training in small groups.
Acclimatize organise action packed mixed bag adventure days which are ideal for groups or families. Try your hand at exciting activities including rock climbing, abseiling, ariel rope bridge, artery, and orienteering. Are you ready to take on the challenge?
Have you tasted a proper Bakewell pudding? The original Bakewell Pudding was a recipe created by accident in around 1860, and has become a firm favourite. Bakewell puddings today are still baked by hand at The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop to the original recipe in the heart of Bakewell town.
Enjoy a pudding making experience with afternoon tea and learn more about the history. However you won't discover all the exact ingredients as the age old recipe is a closely guarded secret! If you're not a Star Baker you can just opt to send your loved one a Bakewell pudding from the shop by post instead!
Who doesn’t love to be pampered? Make up artist Esther-Marie will review your current beauty products and regime and develop a bespoke step by step skincare and make up plan just for you. This can be done online on a one to one basis or as a group workshop while staying here at Hoe Grange. It's a real giggle; a fabulous idea for a girlie weekend away.
Don't forget you can always buy one of our Gift Cards for a stay at Hoe Grange! With the current uncertainty and Plan B it's difficult to commit to a date to stay, but with a gift card you have something positive to look forward to. Simply use the unique code to redeem your gift when you are ready.
We hope you love our top 12 gifts for Christmas inspired by the Peak District and will get a thrill from discovering something new.
Giving happy memories to treasure is joyous and supporting #lovelocal by buying from small, ethical, eco-friendly businesses is a gift that lasts all year! We'd love to hear what other exciting activities you have discovered here in the Peak District.
Felicity
Recently spent a week in "Pinder" and had a lovely time. The location is stunning - the site is nestled in a beautiful valley on the edge of the Peaks... read more
We've just returned from our second visit to Hoe Grange. The suggested riding routes with stunning scenery were enjoyed by my daughter and I while the menfolk were delighted with... read more
Arrived and was shown to our pod, fantastic location and the pod was very good indeed plus we had home made bread and milk and tea and coffee. A... read more
