To mark the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin (on February 12^th), Darwin Forest Country Park is launching a new club for nature detectives  Membership includes a Starter Pack with everything needed to get the outdoor learning experience underway.  This includes Charles Darwin themed activity cards which cover: how to be an explorer and learn more about flora and fauna; how to spot tracks and work out what creatures are around; how to recognise different types of tree and how to identify and draw birds.  Others will be added over time.  Items such as bug jars, pond dipping nets, bird books and small microscopes will also be made available in the Woodland Store to help children develop their understanding of the great outdoors.

The ‘tourist information’ section of this website has been totally redesigned to give visitors to the area 10 top ideas of things to do, including great days out,  attractions for children, fishing, golfing and even 10 great places to eat out.  Website links are provided to a variety of places including Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall,  Chesterfield, Buxton, Hardwick Hall, Denby Pottery, bird watching, Heights of Abraham, Go Ape, Alton Towers, Tissington Hall….the list goes on and on.  We hope that you will find this resource useful in planning your next holiday in the Peak District.

There is no doubt that the way Easter school holidays have fallen this year, spread over 4 weeks, there will be plenty of accommodation available for everyone.  If you are still looking to get away for a few days in the Derbyshire Peak District, we have a couple of 4 and 6 berth lodges available for this coming weekend and into next week.   During Easter week, commencing Saturday 22 March, we also have a few lodges available for the 7 days and several more from Easter Monday.  With the weather hopefully picking up, Chatsworth House and Gardens, Haddon Hall, Heights of Abraham and Alton Towers are all open for business, making this a great time to fit in a short break to Darwin Forest or Sandybrook Country Park.

The top historic houses in the area open their doors to the public shortly.  Stately Chatsworth House and Gardens opens from 12th March and the romantic Haddon Hall is open from 20th March, just in time for Easter.  All the various National Trust properties including Hardwick Hall, Kedleston Hall, Calke Abbey and Sudbury Hall open up for visits from 1st March.  So if historic houses (and lovely gardens) are your thing, then take an early break with us (at bargain prices) and enjoy these delightful establishments while they are still quiet. Oh, and do let us know which is your favourite historic house in Derbyshire…

This year’s festival runs from 19th-27th April and offers a series of walks that allows you to explore the Peak District from a different perspective.  Walks are lead by local experts, with a variety of themes such as heritage, food & drink, ghosts and geology.  To receive your copy of the Festival Guide email helen.critchlow@derby.co.uk and she will send you a copy free of charge.   This period also coincides with our lowest rental prices of the spring, so why not make a full week of it?