Douglas’s Barn is one of our two very special luxury Five Star romantic cottages for two. It is ideal for couples wanting a romantic escape with time to themselves or indeed individual guests wanting to relax on their own for a spell of guilt-free and well-deserved ‘me-time’. Our guests range from the young and lovely to the gracefully matured; all are looking for – and finding – luxury and tranquillity in a beautiful setting. Neither barn is suitable or able to accept children of any age, other than totally immobile babies. Douglas’s Barn is tucked between Tom’s Barn and our own house, Orchard Farm. All three buildings are most attractively grouped at slight angles to each other, facing south down the valley, tranquilly situated on the edge of the traditional limestone village of Parwich with walks right from the door, yet only a few minutes’ stroll into the heart of the village with its shop, pub, church, tennis courts and bus stop. We are very proud of our two ‘cottages’ and want nothing but the best for all our guests. We will never, ever intrude, but on the other hand are there if needed. Tariff During 2009 the price for Douglas's Barn ranges from £415 to £535 per week depending on exact dates. We keep Douglas’s Barn completely pet-free, for the benefit of allergy sufferers so there is nothing extra to pay (unless you order a newspaper!). We do short breaks (Mon to Fri (4-nights) or Fri to Mon 3-nights at 70% of the relevant weekly rate throughout the winter months of October to the end of March. Occasionally we may have last minute availability at a special rate. Do check on our website. See Related Links for very latest TARIFF information (same as our other accommodation - Tom's Barn) More Information Douglas’s Barn is intriguing, with a very definite initial ‘wow factor. It shares Tom’s Barn wonderfully warm and welcoming ambience but here there are no trusses and no beams; instead, we have lots of quirky shapes and weirdly angled walls. That aside, everything else is straight-up-and-down top quality; there is a more contemporary feel with lots of leather, stainless steel and glass and top of the range kitchen equipment. Everything is planned to be relaxing and minimum effort – even the flame strength of the inset modern ‘burning pebbles’ electric fire can be remotely controlled. There is a peaceful blue/green/grey colour scheme downstairs, reflecting the beautiful colours of the Derbyshire Dales and Staffordshire Moorlands. On the walls there are original landscape paintings by local Derbyshire artists - not surprisingly - echoing the same colours. An African wall hanging behind the spiral staircase stairs hints at a mood change as one goes upstairs. The bedroom is spacious and the bed bigger and longer than usual which taller men find particularly pleasing. There is a somewhat more vibrant colour scheme too – a splash of magenta and some lovely African paintings bought while we were on a recent family holiday to Cape Town. The atmosphere is strikingly warm and welcoming. Whatever the time of year, whatever the weather, you will find that once installed in Douglas’s Barn everything conspires to help you forget the stresses and concerns of everyday life. What you will find Full central heating, whirlpool bath with power shower over, electric inset ‘fire’ in the wall, flat screen TV, extra-king size bed, electric fan oven with ceramic hob and rotisserie, microwave, fridge-freezer, dishwasher, automatic washing machine and tumble dryer, wireless broadband internet access, 1 flat screen colour TV with FreeSat downstairs, a digital radio, a portable colour TV with video recorder in the bedroom, DVD player, mini hi-fi- with i-pd player, cd/radio, telephone (with honesty jar), boot dryers, and hair dryer. Immediately outside Douglas’s Barn there is a sitting out area; and a few metres away a stone patio with picnic table, parasol and Weber barbecue. There is a designated off road parking area. ‘Extras’ that we provide We provide all linen, towels, tea towels, washing up liquid, soaps etc, and basic kitchen ingredients such as flour, sugar etc, olive oil, herbs and spices. We also always leave you a fresh loaf of bread, milk, butter, free range eggs from a local farm and a tea tray laid with freshly homemade cake or biscuits for your arrival. You will also find maps, walk books, novels and games, Derbyshire Life, Radio Times and the Ashbourne News Telegraph. We can arrange for the newspaper of your choice to be delivered each morning. Things to do You could stay a month and still not do and see half of what is available. However… Outdoor activities: The thing all our guests want to do is walk, whether for short or more gruelling distances, and there is ample scope over the hills and along the numerous dales and trails. There is also cycling (we can lend bikes), water sports on Carsington Reservoir, fishing, golfing and riding. We can also lend you tennis rackets and if you wish to bring your horse we can arrange stabling and grazing on a friend’s farm nearby. Dovedale is only a few miles away, with the Staffordshire Moorlands and all its attractive scenery starting once over the Dove. Sightseeing, shopping, antiques and the theatre: Chatsworth House, Keddleston Hall, Haddon Hall and Tissington are all within half an hour’s drive; there are caves, museums, gardens, antiques and boutiques; theatres (Buxton Opera House is the nearest); well-dressings, festivals and open air concerts. Good food and drink: There are plenty of good restaurants and pubs with good beer in the area, farmers’ markets and specialist food shops. Our next door neighbour, Val Kirkham, runs a catering service and will personally deliver a pre-ordered meal. Tom's Barn We also own Tom's Barn (pet friendly), a second Visit Britain 5 star graded barn conversion in the same village. See Related Links to find out more about Tom's Barn - sleeps 2