Our Grounds

 

There is access to our orchard where there are two brick built BBQs, patio, grass lawn, swings and trampoline. Hammocks and additional furniture, boules (petanque), rounders (jacques) bats and footballs are available on request.

Work is in progress for a dry stone wall terrace area which we hope to complete in the near future (weather permitting). This will add a further garden dimension for our guests to enjoy. At the moment we are toying with the difficulties in growing a camomile lawn here - we’ll see.

Visitors are welcome to ramble across our fields, although there are lots of great walks in the immediate vicinity either down by the river, along quiet lanes or a stroll around Snelston conservation village.

For those wishing to go further afield, there is an extensive selection of guide books for your perusal. If you have forgotten the wellies, we have a modest ‘welly bank’ which you are free to use. Cycles are also available (nominal £5 per day, fully serviced) and can be secured with a refundable damage deposit. Please note that we do not supply adult safety helmets and recommend you bring your own.

The less energetic of our guests may simply wish for a pleasant picnic at Monsal Head, or a romantic glass of bubbly by the bridge at Chatsworth House; in which case, Oldfields can provide an array of differing basketware and picnic sets for such ventures. Please let us know.

Wildlife

Within our grounds we are fortunate to have many different species of animal or bird and the binoculars we provide in all the properties are for sighting some of this wonderful wildlife. There are a pair of little owls who have usurped the barn owls box on the bridle path, although we still see the latter most evenings or mornings in the top fields. The nuthatch is very friendly, as are the woodpeckers in the orchard. Our bat boxes and various bird boxes have all been successful this year, too. Watch out for the family of hares in our front field (over the lane and towards the river), especially early in the morning. The buzzards have also raised their young this year and can be seen regularly over the farm.