Douglas’ Barn | A luxury holiday cottage hidden in a rural Peak District farm building

We love the rolling Peak District hills and this is the pampered way to experience them. Douglas’s Barn is a five star romantic retreat, full of rural charm and contemporary luxury. This charismatic limestone bolthole is ideal for a couple seeking a peaceful escape, in the quaint setting of Orchard Farm, in Derbyshire.

From the outside, this converted cowshed still has a rustic appearance. Inside it has been given a makeover, with a calm atmosphere and soothing ‘Peak District’ colours.

Wake up in a comfy extra-long king size bed in a spacious bedroom. There is plenty of room to snatch a quiet moment for relaxed reading in the rocking chair and watch the countryside through the low window. Next, you can step into the ensuite whirlpool bath with its power shower above. Upstairs has been given a taste of Africa, with a contemporary Zulu wall hanging and watercolours bought from Cape Town.

Down the spiral staircase, there is a relaxing little world to enjoy. You will find a tea tray to welcome you when you arrive, with freshly baked homemade cake or biscuits. The cottage owner, Marion, bakes popular cakes and her version of Bakewell Tart is particularly popular! There will also be some fresh flowers cut for you and budding chefs can enjoy their own herb-garden-in-a–tub by the front door. Douglas’s Barn kitchen is equipped with top quality electric cooker with rotisserie, along with everything you could possibly need to cook up a culinary storm.

In the evenings, you can relax in a sitting room with a ‘burning pebbles’ electric fire and flat screen TV. This is a great cosy hub to relax after adventuring in the Shire.

Douglas’s Barn is set in a south-facing suntrap – perfect for alfresco lunches or a nice glass of wine in the evening. Just outside, on the stone paving, is a wooden table and chairs surrounded by pots of flowers. Guests also have their own secluded south-facing stone-paved patio with roses and clematis in the summer, a picnic table and chairs, sun parasol and Weber barbecue.

This retreat has received a Gold Award for exceptional quality of accommodation and customer service. The little village of Parwich, where the barn is situated, is away from the roads, with no through traffic, so it is particularly peaceful and quiet. Some of their first guests have now been back eight or nine times. It is pet-free, and kiddy free too.

If you’re looking for a great pub walk, the owners recommend The George at Alstonefield, which you can reach via a country amble through Dovedale.

Nearby is a culinary hotspot. Fischer’s of Baslow Hall is about half an hour’s drive away, through the stunning stately home of Chatsworth Park. This the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Derbyshire - seriously good and seriously expensive, but we are told their 2015 £20.15 lunches are amazingly good value - sounds great to us!