Comments from the visitors book

Over 50% of our customers come back every year and some enjoy two or three weeks every year. We are always interested to read the comments in our visitor book. If someone makes a reasonable suggestion (sorry, we can't guarantee the weather) we will always try to make sure that this is done. Our aim is to make people feel at home as soon as they walk in the door.

Here's a few entries from our visitor's book.

What a brilliant place to end one year and start a new one. We had plenty of precipitation but sadly it wasn't snow. We had a lovely walk every day then loved coming back to a wonderfully warm barn. Many thanks as always, hope to come back later in the year.
Andy & Lynn
Bedforshsire.

Our first visit to the Bears Barn. We have had a very nice time - the cottage is very comfortable and very well equipped - it is also nice to see some "proper" art work on the walls. We have had a wonderful week here and hope to return in the future.
Steve & Jennette Ramsbottom.

This is our 2nd visit to the delightful Bear's Barn. Once again we have found it still with high standards, very clean, well equipped, warm and comfortable. We have had two very enjoyable weeks so much to choose from to do in this ideal location. Recommend Biddulph Grange Gardens, especially the Chinese garden. Kedleston Hall - beautiful mansion and parkland with stunning displays in its rooms. Castleton supplies the full package - caverns, a castle, very informative visitor centre and a lovely village to explore. Weather has been very good, couldn't have wished for more. Hopefully will be back again very soon, thank you.
Jean & John
Cornwall.

Our first visit to Hartington and the very lovely Bear's Barn (I can see why people return). Tried all the local pubs which were excellent but particularly liked The George at Alstonfield, nice distance to walk to and from. Enjoyed cycling the Monsal Trail from Blackwell Mill very good bike hire and avoided the crowds by starting from the Buxton end. Great weather for walking, water in the rivers at Manifold and Wolfescote but Lathkill Dale largely dry. A very interesting area, will not be long until we return to see more of the Peak District. Warm, comfortable and very relaxing week, thank you.
Rob & Liz
Wiltshire.

Another wonderful week at the Bears Barn! The weather was perfect for some new and some very familiar walks. Great food in all the usual local pubs and a new find - The Coach and Horses at Fenny Bentley. We'll be back.
Graham & Linda
Watford.

Our 4th visit to the Bears Barn and another wonderful holiday. We managed to get out and explore a few new places this time as well as a couple of our old favourites. Sadly Chatsworth is looking very sorry for itself this visit and some of the new interior schemes are very strange - especially the pink walls and purple plastic chairs in the courtyard restaurant. The farm shop is brilliant though. We look forward to coming back soon and hopefully the scaffolding will be down. Thanks as always for a lovely week. Hope to be back in 2012.
Colin & Sam
Kent.

Our second visit to Bears Barn and just as enjoyable as before. Weather good enough for a few walks and we enjoyed several 'Derbyshire Car Tours' from the book. Tried to eat at the Jug and Glass but it looks like they have closed or not yet open for 2011. The Black Lion in Butterton was open and doing two main courses for the price of one. Would have been very good if we hadn't been the only people in the whole pub between 7 & 9pm. Mobile chippy excellent on Friday as before. Manifold Inn brilliant as was the Farmyard in Youlgrave. Overall an excellent week. Thank you Linda & Paul.
Colin & Barbara
Pontefract.

What a wonderful week! The weather was amazing, super-friendly village and the 'home from home' that is Bears Barn - we couldn't have asked for more. Thank you for providing such a comfy and well-equipped cottage. I'm sure we'll be repeat visitors.
Miriam & Jaap
Kapelle
The Netherlands.

Our second visit to Bears Barn, and again, amazing weather! We have done four lovely new-to-us walks, including walk 18* from Hartington in the OS Peak District Walks Book on the bookself here. Walking along the River Dove is lovely. Spent Monday in Bakewell going round the market and enjoyed a lunch at the Red Lion of hot roast pork in a bap with salad and chips. We have eaten twice at the Devonshire Arms and twice at the Manifold Inn, the latter still being our favourite. Today, our last, we are going to have an easy day by driving to the famous stepping stones and having a short walk before coming back to pack, tidy up and sample the fish and chips from the mobile van. However, normally when we say a "short walk" we end up doing 10 miles! Thank you Linda & Paul for helping our holiday be so memorable. We love it here and will no doubt come again one day.
* Oops no, that was 2009, it was from the Short walks book walk 19.
Jacquie & Craig
Hilsea, Portsmouth.

Another good week at the Barn. The weather was great for the time of year apart from one day when we were forced to go shopping! Great homemade chips at the Waterloo Inn in Biggin. As usual the Bears Barn offers everything one can need for a relaxing week. Thank you, we look forward to our next visit.
Pauline & Peter
Hants.

Thank-you for letting us use your Bear's Barn for the last two weeks. It has provided an excellent base to walk many of the Footpath Trails around the White Peak. The barn is very comfortable and has always been a welcome place to come 'home' to after a day walking the ups and downs of the dales and moors. We have been fortunate with the weather only one partially wet day, though if it was bad just curling up with a good book at the Barn would be a most agreeable way to while away the time. We have to agree with other entries in this book that the village folk are friendly, the Manifold Inn a great place to eat and the cheeses from the Cheese Shop worth our stay in Hartington. Thank you once again for sharing the Barn and its' family of Bears with us.
John & Barbara
Sydney, Australia.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay and had a great holiday. The cottage is very well equipped and very comfortable with everything we needed. The welcome pack was lovely! Enjoyed some lovely meals at the Manifold Inn at Hulme End. Visited many National Trust properties and enjoyed several walks. Many thanks.
Annette and Angelo
Gloucestershire.

Had a wonderful stay in Bear's Barn, very clean, comfortable and well equipped. Particularly enjoyed a few pints of Hartington Bitter in the Charles Cotton Hotel and eating eggs for breakfast laid by hens you can see from the bedroom window. Wasn't very impressed by the Devonshire Arms, but had a lovely meal in the Manifold Inn (get there early as they were turning people away at 8:15pm). If you make it to the end of the Tissington Trail the Flower Cafe on the market place in Ashbourne does fantastic home made scones. We didn't spend the entire holiday eating and drinking (though perhaps most of it), had some fantastic walks (and some very wet ones) but most of all enjoyed the fresh air and greenery.
Jessica & Steve
London.

We have enjoyed a lovely week at Bear's Barn, so comfortable and relaxing. Loved the 'bears theme' in every room, very cute. Hartington is a lovely picturesque unspolit village with great charm and character. Our visits to Carsington Water, Castleton, Bakewell + Tittesworth Water were all great days out. Weather has been very good couldn't have asked for more. Thank you. Jean & John Carr
Cornwall.

We had an absolutely brilliant week, weather couldn't have been kinder, sunshine all week. Went walking every day, the Bears Barn was nice to come home to. We are avid bird watchers and we weren't disappointed. Red Start, dippers, spotted fly catchers, curlew, grey wagtails, tawny and little owls to name a few.
Marlene and Roger
Leicestershire.