Croft Bungalow: Access Review

I was lucky enough to be the first ever guest at Croft Bungalow, in the Peak District, back in April.  I was encouraged to fill the lodge, which had 2 bedrooms, so along came my husband Darren, friends Rachel and Alastair, and of course, Poppy the puppy.

Croft Bungalow is a level access bungalow that can sleep 3 or 4. It has been recently refurbished (completed October 2015).

There is one large bedroom (which can be set up as a twin or double) and one single bedroom with electric profile bed. This can also be turned into a sensory room and lighting can be provided if required. It has a large lounge (with bed/settee for one adult or two children), kitchen and wet bathroom, with grab bars that serve the shower and toilet. Wheelchair access to Croft bungalow is via a ramp. All internal doorways have been replaced to be wide enough for wheelchair access.   Outside at the rear is a large private south facing garden with open country views and a large level flagged patio area, a wheelchair friendly picnic bench and a gas barbeque.  The bungalow also has Wi-Fi, and Freesat TV.

The finishing touches really make Croft Bungalow special. It feels so homely and comfortable that we settled in almost instantly, and they’ve done a fantastic job of adapting what is a relatively small property.

After a full cooked breakfast (prepared by chef Darren) on our first morning, we decided we’d spend the day at Crich Tramway Village.  A couple of week’s beforehand, whilst exhibiting on the Tourism for All stand at the British Tourism & Travel Show, I’d met Amanda from the Tramway Village who offered us some complimentary tickets. 

As vintage trams ride down the traditional village street, it really does feel as if you’ve stepped back in time, to a bygone era.  All areas are wheelchair accessible (and dog friendly, with the exception of the National Tramway Museum) and there is an Access Tram which runs twice a day, and should be requested on arrival at admissions.  Unfortunately, the Access Tram had broken down on the day of our visit!  But with help I was able to transfer to the regular tram, and the staff were so accommodating, knowledgeable and enthusiastic – many of them are volunteers .  A “smoothway” provides a smoother alternative to the cobbles for wheelchairs and buggies, and is shown on the village map.  We enjoyed a delicious ice cream fromBluebells, drinks at the Red Lion pub (which has an accessible toilet) and took home some old-fashioned treats from Barnett’s Sweetshop.

On our way back to Croft Bungalow after such a fun day, we decided to pop in to one of the village pubs, also called the Red Lion Inn, which is just 100 metres from Croft Bungalow.  We had a lovely time here chatting to some of the locals and enjoying drinks.  It definitely isn’t the most accessible pub I’ve been in – the doorways and toilets were tight and difficult to navigate, but manageable for a manual wheelchair user with some mobility.  The pub boasts it’s own microbrewery and a varied menu of tasty looking food.

We enjoyed a relaxed evening at the bungalow, making use of the garden patio.  After yet another hearty breakfast the next morning we set off to visit our friends David and Felicity Brown, at Hoe Grange Holidays just down the road.

Darren and I had awonderful stay at Hoe Grange back in 2014, so we wanted to visit for a quick catch up, to introduce them to Poppy and see the latest additions to their holiday accommodation – glamping pods!  At the moment the pods aren’t easy to get to using a manual wheelchair, so the famous Boma 7 was wheeled out, and off up the farm fields I went.  The glamping pods are a chic mini cabin just for two, with the added luxury of your own bathroom and kitchen facilities.  Though they haven’t been purpose-built for accessibility (there are 4 very accessible, larger cabins on site for this) a pod would be manageable for me, and we hope to return soon to try one out!

The final destination on our Derbyshire trip was Carsington Water, as recommended by our colleagues at Accessible Derbyshire.  This is a reservoir, with a visitor centre, and a wide range of facilities including shops selling souvenirs, craft items, embroidery materials, ceramics, books etc and a cafe and restaurant.  You can hire Tramper mobility scooters and accessible bikes here, and there is a Sailability Club offering accessible sailing.  Our visit here was the perfect end to our trip, and we had such a lovely walk on the very accessible path around the water.  We were pleased to see that it was so busy, with locals and tourists alike, and Poppy made lots of doggy friends!

This was our second trip to Derbyshire, and we will definitely return, as we still have so much more to see.  Thanks to all of the people who welcomed us so warmly!

Disclaimer: Accommodation was provided on a complimentary basis for the purposes of this review. This is an honest review and my opinions, as always, are entirely my own.

Hoe Grange: Access Review

Back in February I was invited by Hoe Grange Holidays to take a weekend break in one of their accessible self catering log cabins. They have a selection of 4 homely cabins, based on a working farm on the edge of The Peak District, Derbyshire.

Darren and I arrived and were shown to our accommodation, Daisybank, by David, who runs the farm and holiday business with his wife Felicity. Despite the gale force winds and pouring rain the cabin was so cosy, centrally heated using latest ground source heating technology. We were welcomed with freshly baked bread and cakes, as well as eggs, marmalade, and gorgeously fragranced eco friendly toiletries.  

Every requirement had been thought of and catered for in a truly inclusive way – fully accessible accommodation without an ‘institutional’ feeling, a real home from home. We had a wet room shower with shower chair, as well as a luxury whirlpool bath. The fully equipped open plan kitchen was spacious and easy to use from a wheelchair. A wide range of specialist, accessible equipment can be provided, such as mobile hoist, electric profile bed, perching stool, shower chairs and bed rails. 

After a relaxing evening reading the wealth of information provided – accessible places to visit, eat & drink and countryside trails – we started our Saturday a with a delicious Farmhouse takeaway breakfast, brought to our door by David and Felicity. As the weather had not improved, we spent the day visiting the local indoor attractions, including Peak Shopping Village where I bought some lovely local jam and the Peak District Lead Mining Museum in Derbyshire’s answer to Blackpool, Matlock Bath.

Returning to the farm after a day of exploring, we freshened up taking advantage of the whirlpool bath and headed to The Ketch at Kniveton for dinner, which had been recommended by David and Felicity for it’s delicious locally sourced food and good access, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. We tucked into huge portions of fish pie and lasagne, and were so full afterwards that we were ready for bed! 

We awoke Sunday morning, at last, to sunshine, and time for the highlight of our break. Hoe Grange is the first and only holiday accommodation in UK to offer Boma 7 off-road wheelchair for hire, which can be used to access the High Peak Trail, around the farm, or at local beauty spots such as Carsington water for exciting outdoor adventures.

I must admit to feeling a little apprehensive as the adjustments were made and I was seated in the Boma. Being used to a standard power chair, and all it’s limitations, meant that it took me a while to get used to the new seating position, powerful speed and breaks. But before I knew it we were through the field of sheep and up on to the Trail. We enjoyed a 5 mile trek over all sorts of terrain, and met horses, mobility scooters and even a tractor! For anybody considering a stay at Hoe Grange the Boma experience is a must, it gives an amazing feeling of independence accessing parts of the countryside that would normally be off limits, and the views from the High Peak Trail are stunning.

Back at the cabin we removed our wellies and thawed out, ready for the journey home. I was feeling sad to leave and could happily have stayed for a week! It’s clear to see why Hoe Grange is award-winning, David and Felicity go above and beyond to make their guest’s holidays as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, the little touches make such a difference and nothing is too much trouble. I hope we can return to our Derbyshire ‘home from home’ again soon!

Disclaimer: Accommodation was provided on a complimentary basis for the purposes of this review. This is an honest review and my opinions, as always, are entirely my own.