Allotments 4 All

... and just wondered if anybody had any nice ideas of places to visit?  We're not going until June and I will do my usual googling but I like it when peeps tell me about the not so well known treasures they've discovered (bit like the tv series Secret Britain ... lovely) We'll be staying in town/village called Swadlincote(!)

Saddad is your man Sam. He lives there and will probably be able to give you some info.
We camped there when the kids were younger but thet were walking holidays.

Lots of us live in Derbyshire.

First thing is to get onto the Open Gardens scheme and see what open gardens there are at the weekends.

What do you like to do on your hols?

and How far are you prepared to go for a day out?

Also, Swad is not too far from Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire - you can get to alot of places in an hour from there due to the M1/M50/M42; but somewhere like Chatsworth would be nearly 2 hours from you but still in Derbyshire - so give us an idea of the above and perhaps we can make some suggestions.

Sorry AJ. I only knew abou Saddad ;D

Loads of lovely places like the Manifold valley, but we really know the more northerly bit of Derbyshire.
Belper is a nice but not touristy town. Lots of industrial history down there, but like others say if you give us an  idea what you like to do.
Don't go to Matlock bath unless you like lots of bikers and black leather!!!  ;) ;) ;)

Dorothy Clive garden is lovely-not in Derbyshire but driving distance
Arbor Low and Nine Ladies near Birchover.  Also at Birchover is Rowter rocks- all carved into the rocks by a vicar , you just wander  round the woods trying to find them.

Kedleston Hall - only seen on telly but used for wildlife films.

Derby Silk Mill- again not seen but on my list!

Google Derwent Valley Mills project if you like history of fabrics etc.

Guided tours of villages like Cromford and Belper.

Tissington village -preety but popular.

If you want to drive further north to Peak District let me know

Saddad will give you ideas for the area you are in.

Anne x

You are within easy reach of everything... Alton Towers... Kedleston Hall... Tutbury Castle... any preferences? If you are NT members you could get your annual subs back in a week... Calke Abbey, Hardwick Hall... what sort of things do you want to do? Small children love Markeaton Park if the council haven't closed down all the bits by then...  :)
Snap

Sorry don't know much about nice places to visit in Derbyshire. But i will be attending Derby real ale festival 26 feb  :P :P :P

That's only the Winter Fest Lottieman... the real one is in July probably the week ending Saturday 9th if you want to pencil that in too!  ;D

Bike ride along the old railway track???    Starts near  Ashbourne.

That corner of the County is a bit out on a limb if you are searching by county... as it sticks into Leciestershire/Staffordshire and Warwickshire. It's in the new "National Forest" and the CONKERS and EUREKA sites are worth visiting. You aren't far from the National Memorial Arboretum... There's the Bass Brewing Museum in Burton... There's usually an excellent Maize Maze outside Burton...
There's lots to do... a week? a fortnight? a month? how long do you have...   ;D

 That all sounds very interesting Samantha, i shall let dad, know  :P :P ;D.

Oops, yes I was a big vague, wasn't I?  That'll teach me to post when I'm half asleep :P  Thanks all for taking the time to reply.  We're staying here http://www.hoseasons.co.uk/cottages/AY29?SCODE=AY29 for a week and it looks lovely and peaceful (I really hope it's just as it appears and not just the way the photos have been taken, lol)

It'll be just myself and my husband and we like to do pretty much anything when away but we're not party animals, LOL!  We like bird watching, walking, picnics, history, gardens, parks, boat trips, steam trains, caves and such and also towns n villages with little local shops, etc.  We might (only might) even have bikes by the time we go.  I'm really disappointed that Chatsworth House is such a long drive away.  I don't know why, but I thought it was nearer.  My geography is awful. I feel like a having a really silly/fun day too so we'll probably give Alton Towers a go ;D One thing my husband said he'd like to do given that it looks surrounded by forest and countryside is get up for a dawn chorus (good luck with that, I said.  ;D ;))

The holiday had to be booked on a Monday to Monday basis so we've also got the Sat/Sun to spend two nights in different places on the way up.

Thanks again :)

Quote from: rosebud on February 15, 2011, 12:11:24
That all sounds very interesting Samantha, i shall let dad, know  :P :P ;D.

Erm...did I tell you that we've changed the dates? :P

I just put up a long post about Calke/Staunton Harold/Kedleston... but it ate it..
Ashby De La Zouch has good shops and a Castle...

 ;D You can come and visit me..'stone throw' away..but on Nottinghamshire side..and while you are here..bring your spade and fork with you..I'll have spare gloves ;)..Shall I get barbeque on? ;)

You're not too far from Attenborough Nature Reserve for bird watching,
http://www.attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk/

Midland Railway Centre
http://www.midlandrailwaycentre.co.uk/

Tamworth Snowdome if you fancy skiing

Uttoxeter races with events thrown in if you fancy a flutter.

Look at Staffordshire too.

Cannock chase
Shugborough - not quite as pictureskew as Chatsworth but still lots to see and the grounds are lovely
Calke Abbey has a restored fruit and veg garden if you need an allotment fix :) and a house full of stuffed birds
Rosliston forestry park has some nice walks

'Heart of the country' at Swinfen has various crafty shops.
The butcher at Yoxall is worth travelling for.
Harlaston has open gardens on 19th June, I'm told. Alrewas w/e of 25th June. Yoxall w/e of 2nd July

Sally

At one time you could have visited the American Adventure....buts its closed down  :-\.....joking apart....lots to do and see and it looks like most have been mentio

if you like Caves you can always give the Blue John mines a go. If I remember right there's one that involves a boat..... but this is going back a wee while when I was a kid, and lots of our school trips seemed to involve the B J mines  :-X (I loved 'em  :).

Found a link (i think) http://www.bluejohn-cavern.co.uk/


Happy hols  ;D

That's well up in the Peak District... quite a hike from Swad... Swad has a dfry ski-slope with tobogganing if you like that sort of thing. When I said Eureka I was getting mixed up (That's in Halifax) with Snibston Discovery Park, but there's the Space Centre in Leicester...  :)

I rather like Melbourne Hall gardens. They go back to the time of Queen Anne and have not been mucked about too much.
Also near Melbourne is the Hardinge Arms at King's Newton where the Newton Wonder apple was found allegedly growing through the thatched roof of an outhouse. It's next to a cycleway converted from an abandoned light railway (translate: no hills, no cars, good wildlife)