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    hoe grange blog posts

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.

Who do you think you are?

August 1, 2019
August 1, 2019 - Who do you think you are?
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Trace your ancestors

With instant access to online registry records it has never been easier than now to research your family history. On holiday you will have time to find out who your ancestors were and where they came from. You never know you might discover a skeleton in the cupboard, or be related to royalty!

Discover your roots

If you are interested in tracing your ancestry you may find branches of your family tree rooted in here in Derbyshire and the Peak District. Staying in our cosy log cabins or gorgeous glamping pods at Hoe Grange Holidays is an ideal base for further research. As you unravel your personal heritage and family history you can enjoy the dramatic Peak District landscapes and visiting fascinating historical buildings.

Sir Richard Arkwright’s cotton mills were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and drew their workforce from far and wide. Or maybe your family helped build the networks of railways and canals that connected the factories to the cities.

In our rural setting most families were involved in farming. David’s family all lived locally and were dairy farmers around the Ashbourne area. David's Great Grandfather, John William Brown, was very progressive, customising Model T Fords for farm work. He was an innovator and ahead of his time and featured in several farming publications.

Where to start?

You can trace your ancestry by visiting birth places, work places and churches to discover where you came from and who you are, just like the celebrities do on the BBC programme ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’

Or you can work online.There are lots of ancestral and family tree websites with genealogy records to get you started, such as Find my past or Ancestry.com. It's amazing how quickly you can work back through the generations using the online data.

We recently traced my family tree back to the 1700's in a relatively short time, whereas when my father was working on it he had to physically visit registry offices or wait days for the post to arrive!

Are your relatives Derbyshire born and bred?

If so according to the local saying they were "Derbyshire born, Derbyshire bred, strong int arm - an quick in t'ead"

A good place to start building your family tree is the main family history collection and archives for Derbyshire County which is kept at the Local Studies library in the Derbyshire Record Office.

Derbyshire County Council has lots of useful links and places to research on their website.
Derbyshire Local History page
Picture the Past - a great source of historic pictures and photographs of Derby and Derbyshire.
Another valuable research resource is Derbyshire Births, Marriages and Deaths
Local History
Ashbourne Library has a small collection of local photos and documents relating to the town and surrounding villages. A microfilm reader is available for Ashbourne’s historic local newspaper, The Ashbourne News, later known as the Ashbourne News Telegraph.
Ashbourne Heritage Centre  has displays and information through the years about the local businesses, people, buildings and customs of Ashbourne and the surrounding area.
You can also learn about the quirky game of Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football - an ancient tradition going back hundreds of years.
There is more information at Ashbourne History which has an interactive map exploring local places, people and events.
Derbyshire Family History Society links together people researching their family history in Derbyshire and has an extensive library of documents.
Hope you have fun discovering your roots and tracing your ancestors!
Felicity 

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Hoe Grange Holidays Tripadvisor Comments...

  • star rating  We love this place. Very wheelchair friendly, really well equipped and comfortable, with easy access by car to lots of places of interest particularly Crich Tramway Village, Chatsworth, Bakewell and... read more

    David H
    October 25, 2019

    star rating  We stayed in the Skylark pod last October (2018) and had a lovely time. There was homemade, rustic goods (bread, biscuits etc) when we arrived. Felicity and David who run... read more

    KBarry
    September 15, 2019

    star rating  Stayed last week, from 6th to 13th September in the log cabin called Hipley. This was amazing, it was our first visit but certainly not our last. Gold standard disability... read more

    548julie
    September 14, 2019
  • star rating  Second visit to the accessible holiday cabins at Hoe Grange. David and Felicity were as helpful and friendly as ever. We had a welcome pack of freshly baked bread, butter,... read more

    Charlotte M
    August 7, 2019

    star rating  Another great holiday at Hoe Grange - such a great place for us all to holiday as a family - this time with a baby, a 3 yr old, a... read more

    Thesamps
    October 4, 2019

    star rating  What a wonderful find. As our first experience of needing accessible accommodation we could not have wished for better. Beautiful well equipped lodges in lovely surroundings. We stayed in both... read more

    L9943KBlesleym
    April 3, 2020
  • star rating  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

    Jdrichie12
    July 11, 2019

    star rating  For the second year running, we have had a great family holiday at Hoe Grange. We had one cabin for the week, for two sisters and our elderly wheelchair-using... read more

    EJYork2013
    June 25, 2019

    star rating  Myself and my sister travelled to Costa Rica and Panama via Viva Holidays Ltd. The holiday was exceptional and one to be treasured forever. Andrew at Viva Holidays... read more

    Paula C
    July 4, 2019
  • star rating  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

    Peachey167
    July 16, 2019

    star rating  We wanted a complete break and some peace and quiet and this was perfect. The caravan was secluded with beautiful views over the countryside. Everything was spotlessly clean and well... read more

    joanne B
    June 4, 2019

    star rating  Lovely place to holiday near to interesting locations and easy access to the High Peak trail and Carsington Water. Part of a working farm with fresh produce to enjoy during... read more

    Angie B
    August 3, 2019
  • star rating  On arriving at Hoe Grange in a downpour, we doubted if we’d made the right decision to go glamping, but after the warm welcome from David and a quick tour,... read more

    karenmD4738KD
    June 25, 2019

    star rating  A beautiful place to stay! Amazingly run family business! Everyone were very welcoming, friendly and cozy! The skylark pod we stayed in was very clean, cozy and well equipped! The... read more

    sophiee249
    January 2, 2020

    star rating  We have just returned from a short stay in one of the pods on site at Hoe Grange Holidays. We couldn’t recommend them enough. The pod has everything you could... read more

    Catboy86
    August 17, 2019
  • star rating  We stayed in Pinder cabin and had a lovely stay, the cabin was spacious and comfortable, nice and warm after cold days out. The children loved meeting the animals and... read more

    Tiggywinkle15
    November 5, 2019

    star rating  It's been three years since we last visited but once we arrived it certainly didn't feel like it!
    We stayed in Hipley again which had had a refurbished wet... read more

    ElizabethA717
    September 21, 2019

    star rating  We stayed for a night in one of the cabins . The cabin was spotless and very well equipped , lots of extra touches were added like fresh eggs and... read more

    Ajtravels14
    February 3, 2020
  • star rating  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

    mickvfr
    July 28, 2019

    star rating  We had a lovely time staying in one of the incredibly well equipped pods. I bought my pony along and we had some great rides on the high peak trail.... read more

    plopster1
    June 7, 2019

    star rating  We stayed in Skylark, one of the two glamping pods available at Hoe Grange in February 2020.

    Felicity & David welcomed us when we arrived to show us around... read more

    HelenLCarter
    February 6, 2020
  • star rating  Felicity and David made us feel very welcome right from our booking. The pods are well equipped and spotlessly clean. The area is very peaceful with great views and we... read more

    Adventurer_12121
    January 30, 2020

    star rating  Loved every minute of our stay, and so did the family and friends that came to stay. Excellent facilities in our cosy Hipley log cabin. By far the best... read more

    krimpenijssel
    October 25, 2019

    star rating  What can I say?
    Absolutely superb!
    We have just returned from a family weekend staying in Daisybank cabin and the Skylark pod.
    It was our first trip away with my... read more

    Wheelieuser
    June 13, 2019
  • star rating  What a lovely weekend away! We stayed in the lovely gypsy caravan, which was a wonderful and really unique experience. We took along our two horses, who also had a... read more

    rachelthomas2015
    June 18, 2019

    star rating  lovely surroundings real farm country with chickens paying you a visit nice decking area to chill at the end of the day accommodation very good plenty to do nearby... read more

    vincent s
    July 28, 2019

    star rating  We spent four nights at Hoe Grange and had a lovely time. The location is fantastic and right next to the High Peak Trail. The cabin was very clean and... read more

    Big_Al_0000
    July 16, 2019
  • star rating  We stayed in Rainster cabin for a long weekend 6 th to 9 th September. This was my 5 th visit to the amazing Hoe Grange. I had visited before... read more

    Jan Horsman J
    September 17, 2019

    star rating  We love this place. Very wheelchair friendly, really well equipped and comfortable, with easy access by car to lots of places of interest particularly Crich Tramway Village, Chatsworth, Bakewell and... read more

    dghiggs61
    October 25, 2019

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