Say Yes to Youlgreave and a self-catering cottage break in the Peak District.
Renting a self-catered cottage provides you with a private holiday home where you are able to eat, sleep and love to your heart’s content. It is the equivalent of a hotel stay except with a complete suite of rooms and your own front door. There will be a kitchen that has a refrigerator and perhaps a freezer, a cooker, microwave, kettle and toaster. The beds will all be made up with quality bedlinen and there are wardrobes to store your clothing. Some properties in the Peak District have drying or boot rooms for wet clothing because ill walkers tend to go out into the dales in all weathers.  There may be a wood burner in the sitting room. Most holiday homes are centrally heated and cosy.

Facts about Cottage Breaks in Youlgreave

Youlgreave (sometimes called Youlgrave) is a charming Derbyshire village in the Peak District National Park, situated in Bradford Dale, a particularly pretty destination favoured by hikers. Lathkill Dale is another favourite location in the area.  This village has a reputation for welcoming backpackers and the local landscape is interesting and diverse for walking in. If you want to do parts of well-established long distance routes, The Limestone Way, The Alternative Pennine Way and the White Peak Way all go through the village. There is a wide range of self-catering accommodation for walkers in the Peak District, in cottages, flats and houses to suit most pockets.

Anyone familiar with the local customs of Derbyshire may already know about the art of well dressing, unique to this county. With regard to Youlgreave, well dressing here began in 1829. It’s quite a big undertaking here, with lots of people involved every year (22nd – 27th June 2013) in decorating five large wells. Visitors love seeing the images made by flower petals etc. During well dressing week, the village hall shows a film on a loop. You can see the wells floodlit after dark. The five wells are Reading Room Well, Holywell Lane, Fountain Well, Coldwell End and Bank Top Well.
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ll Saints is the village church and is much admired. Thought to have its origins in the 14th or 13th centuries, it perpendicular tower is a local landmark.

The nearby village of Middleton is also pretty and if you want to see it at well dressing time, its celebration takes place in late May and early June, with the extra attraction of a market too. If you’re into ancient history, Arbor Low is close by and worth a visit. Here is an interesting example of a large ring of stones. They are an unusual sight because every one of the 39 stones that made up the circle, bar one, has fallen down from its upright position. Protected by English Heritage, experts believe the circle was constructed almost 5,000 years ago and that it served some ritual purpose.

If you want to visit a popular town, Bakewell is very near, when staying in Youlgreave. Famous for Bakewell Pudding, this market town offers a pleasant shopping experience amongst its courtyards and independent shops. Walking by the river and seeing some of the town’s historic buildings bring another dimension to shopping and trying out the tasty confectionary in homely cafes. If you come in early August, you can time your visit for the popular annual Bakewell Show.

A self-catering break in Youlgreave brings typical Derbyshire hospitality with lots of unspoilt places.