My husband booked this converted barn as a surprise for me as he knows I fancied sightseeing in the Peak District. We often drive through en route from family visits to /from Manchester/Nottingham and I never fail to comment on the beautiful scenery and quaint villages .
He booked Church Barn in Fenny Bentley via Sykes Cottages and paid around £300 for a week in June. I was not disappointed.
Ken, the owner of the property gave us a warm welcome and showed us around.He was exceptionally friendly and very helpful. During our stay he never intruded but you felt you could knock on his door if you needed any assistance. He lives in the main house which although adjacent did not impact on your privacy. A really lovely touch was that he left a bottle of Rioja (which was excellent!) and a card welcoming us to Church Barn (see photo). Church Barn had absolutely everything you could wish for on a Peak District holiday. It had so much character! It was cosy, comfortable, very clean with a lovely garden and a great pub (Coach & Horses) within a few minutes walk – what’s not to like!! There was nothing that I would change. It was perfect!
It has one bedroom(upstairs) with a tiny but adequate bathroom,a galley kitchen and a very small but cosy lounge. Free Wi-Fi is available. The cottage style garden is really lovely (see pics) with a table, chairs and parasol. (We were lucky enough with the weather to be able to use it). There are leaflets relating to sightseeing in the area and also a selection of books in the bedroom bookcase.
Parking is at the front of the accommodation adjacent to the church.
The only thing that may bother some guests was that it was fairly close to the Church graveyard (it didn’t bother us) although it wasn’t visible from the accommodation. The Church – St Edmunds – dates back to the 14th century and is really lovely (see photos).
The Coach & Horses pub serves great real ales & fantastic food – beware the portion sizes!!! (We actually asked for smaller portions after the first 2 nights!). It literally is only a couple of minutes walk as there is a pathway leading to it – you just have to cross the road!
There are great reviews on the Sykes website for Church Barn ref 4149 (from Trip Advisor) and I will be emailing them this review once published on Silver Travel Advisor. The only negative is that I don't feel it's suitable for disabled or limited mobility guests .
The nearest town is Ashbourne –about 2 miles – and Tissington village is just up the road(see separate review). It was ideally situated for all our sightseeing plans and despite visiting many places of interest etc we didn’t manage to see everything on our list. That means we can hopefully make a return visit to this beautiful barn.
