Ashbourne Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jane - Verified booking

  Grey Roofs looked lovely on the site and and we wanted somewhere quiet where we could relax.

  I have to say, that while the pictures looked good, they do not do this place justice. It is, by far, the best rental property we have stayed in over the years. It is nestled right alongside the abbey (stunning architecture that deserves to be bought back to life) and is surrounded by woodland and fields with the only sounds being birds, the odd tractor and a few ramblers. The property is stunning, both inside and out. It has everything you need, from the fantastic high spec kitchen with top of the range appliances, to the calm, relaxing bedrooms (plenty of wardrobe and storage space and tv’s) to the comfortable lounge area (underfloor heating, brilliant log burner). You really couldn’t ask for more. If you want to forget the outside world, this is the place to be - stunning scenery and total tranquility. We didn’t have mobile reception in the property (which was great for us) but we could use our phones by standing in the middle of the field which was a very short walk away. The dog thought this was great - he had a brilliant time!! The building is totally enclosed and the outside space has everything you need as well, so it’s perfect if you have a dog or children. Dean, the owner was great. He didn’t mind us calling him when we got a little bit lost and took his time to give us directions and then rang to ensure we had arrived okay. He came over to introduce himself when he returned home (he lives behind the property but you don’t hear him) and offered to pick up groceries for us when he was going into Ashbourne. Very friendly, amiable and nothing was too much trouble for him. During our stay, we lost power (due to a branch falling on the line) - Dean had just boiled his kettle so he bought it round to us so we could make a cup of tea - top guy. He dealt with the problem very quickly and the electric company were there within half an hour and fixed it. Just want to mention, this did not cause any problems. Never been to the Peak District before, but what a beautiful area. Fantastic walks, great scenery, gorgeous picturesque villages and excellent pubs (which you will be grateful for after some of the walks!) We had a great time and we only had one regret - we should’ve booked 2 weeks, we won’t make that mistake again. See you next year Dean and thank you for proving such a wonderful place to stay.

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• Kay - Verified booking

  This has to be the easiest 5* review I have left for any place we have ever stayed in.

  We have stayed at Grey Roofs for the whole of the last month and have had a wonderful stay. It truly is a home from home. The property completely lives up to expectations from the description and photographs posted on Sykes site. Everywhere in the property was spotless on our arrival, including all the kitchen cupboards, microwave and oven (things that are often not as good as they could be). The bedding and towels were obviously all freshly laundered and although we actually brought our own towels (we always do) I would have had no problems at all with using the ones provided. Dean, the host has been welcoming, helpful and friendly. We have had particularly bad weather whilst we have been here and he has offered to bring us shopping in from the local supermarket on more than one occasion. He should be very proud of what he provides in his holiday rental. On our arrival we were greeted with the fullest welcome hamper I have ever seen, everything for a full english plus treats for the dog, a packet of sweets and even suet rolls to put in the bird feeder outside. Watching the birds through the lounge windows, of which there are many and varied has been a real treat. The property is situated down a long lane which is bumpy to say the least so be aware that there are huge potholes at the beginning of the lane. There is a secure garden area so we have been happy to let our little dog have a roam around and explore with no concerns that she could get out. There is a lovely walk accross the fields to the local pub The Duncombe Arms in Ellastone. Due to the excessive rain this month it has been extremely muddy for us (nothing our wellingtons couldn't cope with), but it has still been a great bonus and I am sure when the weather improves, this will be an even better. The market town of Ashbourne is only 4 miles away with all of the necessary shops and amenities. The Tissington Trail is also only a short drive so there is plenty of opportunity for some fabulous walks. All in all we have had a fabulous stay and I can't really think of anything negative to say apart from the lack of sun!! :)

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• Clare - Verified booking

  Fantastic holiday week at Grey Roofs.

  Me my mum and dog. Met by Dean who is lovely and friendly and arrived to a wonderful hamper full of everything to cook a full English breakfast, as well as dog treats for our girl which was amazing and we were very grateful. Beautiful 100% fully enclosed secure dog friendly garden, loved that the historic Abbey ruins form part of the garden enclosure, so much character. The accommodation is well equipped and very comfortable. TV in every room, lounge has Netflix and Amazon Prime for those who like TV. Loads of wardrobe space, and bedrooms are a great size. Kitchen is modern and everything you need is there. We were blessed with wonderful weather so out all day everyday averaging about 8-9 mile walks with our dog and for our 3rd trip to this area of the Peak District there is still so much to see and walk. Carsington water is a wonderful reservoir walk with great all weather path about 15 mins from Grey Roofs, great visitor center there with excellent restaurant, to walk whole way round is 8.5 miles but there are options for shorter if you prefer. The Tissington trail is great and you can walk sections of it from various points, we walked some from the start of the trail in Ashbourne, and more of it starting in Tissington village which has a couple of great dog friendly tea rooms. Eyam the Plague village is worth a visit with dog friendly tea rooms as is Ilam village parking on the Ilam Estate, you can also do the Dovedail walk incorporating the stepping stones from there. Ashbourne and other surrounding villages have tourist information centres and if you want ideas on where to visit or walk one of those is great, so many leaflets and walking books/leaflets, we bought a dog friendly pub walk and tea room walk book plus 4 other walking books around different areas of Peak District, easy to follow and parking details with points of interest during walk. You can even download the iFootpath App for more walks. Grey Roofs is a great accommodation in a great area for exploring, we would 100% recommend it and will definitely be returning when we visit the Peaks again.

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• Diane - Verified booking

  We had a wonderful time at Grey Roofs with our 2 dogs – stayed for 2 weeks and didn’t want to leave.

  The garden is secure being fully enclosed with high walls and you can even lock the door gate if you want although it certainly doesn’t feel confined – it’s just a delightfully spacious private garden whether you have dogs or not. The cottage is set in a lovely quiet spot set well back off the road with lovely short and long walks from the doorstep. The property is dog friendly with floor tiling throughout the living areas and underfloor heating so cosy and warm. Bed and sofas really comfy and bathroom has a great shower with endless hot water. The kitchen is well equipped with everything you need to self-cater and plenty of room to store your own things. The appliances are modern and everything is really clean pretty much like new. The Owner is a lovely chap and lives next door and so on hand if you need him although we didn’t. The property is quite newly converted and so all of the fixtures are clean, fresh and in good order. Wifi is strong although I couldn’t get a mobile signal in the cottage although it was available about 50yds away from the cottage door. There is a pay phone in the cottage for emergency’s. The cottage is between 2 lovely market towns – close enough to get a takeaway home without it going cold although far enough for peace and quiet. I’m not going to rack my brain for faults with the cottage as we didn’t have any – the Owner has clearly converted and manages the cottage with the aim of Guests having a wonderful holiday, which is certainly not always the case when you visit other cottages.

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• Catherine - Verified booking

  Lovely cottage.

  Very well equipt, modern, spacious and clean; ideal for me, my husband, baby and dog. We received a beautiful hamper too to welcome us which was a great touch. Definitely something we appreciate in a 5* cottage. We also ordered a Tesco delivery who did manage to find the cottage so this was perfect. Ideal for dog walkers as there is a large field next door where our dog could run off lead. The cottage was also very secure for him as it’s all enclosed. Ideal location for Ashbourne and Dovedale and about 30 mins to Matlock (all places I would recommend, especially Dovedale stepping stones). The cottage itself is very secluded and right next to the Calwich Abbey down a very long lane. This was a little unnerving at first as we’re used to neighbours but we got used to it by the end of the week. There was a very strong smell from the septic tank which put us off sitting outside which was a tad disappointing. This could have been due to the heat and the fact that the owner is renovating the cottage next door. As said in a previous review...I would have liked to have seen a king size bed with a more comfy mattress In the main bedroom! I ended up sleeping in the smaller room for some of the week. All in all though a great find and I would definitely recommend this place to others, especially if you have a dog.

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