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.
Did you know it’s national gardening week?
Whilst we all have to stay at home have you been enjoying your garden? Although busy lambing, as we have no holiday guests, we have more time than usual to enjoy our garden. We have a little helper this year, Boris the cade lamb has been eating all the dandelion flowers in the lawn!
When the Covid crisis is over we are looking forward to welcoming guests back to Hoe Grange. So as it's #nationalgardeningweek we thought it would a good time to inspire you with the beautiful gardens you can visit when you stay with us.
We are lucky to have so many wonderful gardens in the Peak District, but by far the largest and best known is Chatsworth Gardens.
Chatsworth house and garden were first constructed by Sir William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick in 1555. The original Elizabethan garden was much smaller than the 105 acres it covers today. The gardens as we know them were developed in 1830’s when Joseph Paxton was appointed head gardener by the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Paxton proved to be the most innovative garden designer of his era, and remains the greatest single influence on Chatsworth’s garden.
In the last 60 years, many of the historic features have been restored and numerous new features have been added. These include the ravine and azalea dell, the serpentine hedges and the redesign of the trout stream.
What we love about the gardens at Chatsworth is that you can pay just to visit the gardens without having to go into the house. There is so much to see you can spend all day exploring the 105 acres. You can freely wander the many paths and at each turn there is a new exciting vista, from the dramatic Cascade to the Victorian rock garden and modern sculptures.
Unlike a lot of formal gardens you can even eat your ice cream on the lawn or dip your toe in the water Cascade without fear of being told off!
One of our favourite spots is the remains of the gigantic conservatory, which was 84m long, 37 m wide and 19m high. It was the largest glass building in England before Paxton build Crystal Palace in London in 1851.
RHS Chatsworth Show is a marvellous mix of gardening inspiration, stunning summer colour, practical workshops and superb shopping. Sadly this year it is cancelled, but here are some highlights from the first RHS Chatsworth Show in 2017.
magnificent mix of gardening inspiration, spectacular summer colour, have-a-go workshops and unique shopping against the breathtaking backdrop of Chatsworth
Closer to home just a few miles down the road is Hopton Hall Gardens. You can easily get there by cycling along the High Peak Trial and down into Hopton village, where you will see the unique crinkle crankle wall. The alternate convex and concave curves of this unusual wall provides stability despite it being just one brick thick.
In summer the formal gardens is awash with colour and the delightful fragrance of roses in full bloom. There is also two ornamental ponds leading to the wildlife lake, an arboretum, laburnum tunnel, and a dramatic birch avenue.
In February you can wander through the woodland walk to see a carpet of delicate snowdrops peeking through the soil. Whatever the season it’s worth stopping at the tearoom for some delicious home-made cake before cycling back to you cabin or glamping pod.
Haddon Hall is a real jewel. It is a rare example of a well-preserved Medieval Manor. In Victorian times many old buildings were extended or adapted, but as Haddon was not the Manners family main residence it remained untouched.
The Elizabethan walled gardens, originally designed by the celebrated Elizabethan architect Robert Smythson, are a rare survival of the 16th century.
The Haddon Hall Gardens are arranged in a series of terraces, retained by enormous buttresses, that cascade down to the River Wye with panoramic views over the ancient parkland and Peak District National Park beyond.
The best time to visit is in June when the roses are in full bloom.
Lea Gardens near Matlock are home to a rare collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmias in a hillside woodland setting. The garden is on the site of a medieval millstone quarry and covers approximately 4 acres. The rockery is alive with colour with alpines, dwarf conifers, heathers and spring bulbs.
To see the most dramatic displays of colour you should visit in April or May. You can perk up your garden with a purchase from the specialist plant nursery.
The Pavilion Gardens is a beautiful historic venue dating back to 1871 which superbly shows off the Victorian splendour of Buxton in it's hay day as a spa town. Set within 23-acres the gardens have been recently restored to their former glory.
Although Buxton town isn't actually in the Peak District we wanted to it include The Pavilion Gardens as they are a delight for all ages with plenty to see and do.
There are several play areas, a miniature railway, a boating lake, a bandstand and a hot house conservatory and fish pond. There are many varied events in the Pavilion buildings throughout the year. It's situated right in the town centre so you can combine it with a little retail therapy in the local shops.
Further a field and not in The Peak District, but worth visiting is Renishaw Hall and Gardens which have been home to the Sitwell family for almost 400 years. The gardens are Italian in design and were laid out over 100 years ago by Sir George Sitwell. The formal grounds are divided into areas featuring clipped yew hedges, intriguing sculpture, ornamental ponds and classical statues.
Recent additions include The Visit Peak District garden - designed by Lee Bestall - which was transported and established at Renishaw in 2017, after winning a Silver Gilt Medal at the first RHS Chatsworth flower show.
Best of all you can take a tour of the vineyard and sample the award-winning Renishaw Hall wine, produced from grapes grown on site.
We hope you are inspired by our little tour of local gardens. Which one will you visit on your next stay in one of our log cabins or glamping pods?
David
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