It had been a stressful month in the Wandermust Household! Moving continents is a lot of work! When we found a spare few days I quickly jumped onto the computer to look for a luxurious and relaxing break away. Darwin Forest Country Park jumped out at me as soon as I saw it. It looked like the perfect mix of luxury, relaxation and English charm. So did it live up to my exceptionally high expectations?

Check in at Darwin Forest Country Park

Check in at Darwin Forest Country Park was helpful and efficient. We were given a map of the site and a complimentary pint of milk. The staff we met at every area of the park was fantastic. Special shout out goes the lady who checked our hot tub who arranged for us to get a stair gate so our deck was safe for the baby (for a ten pound refundable deposit).

I loved the fact that we could drive straight up to our lodge and there was car parking for two cars directly outside. I hate it when I have to park our car miles away from our lodge. I always forget and have to traipse miles to retrieve something so this was very much appreciated.

Our Luxury Lodge at Darwin Forest Country Park

I was really excited to get into our lodge. We booked last minute so we ended up booking a Haddon Classic Vogue Lodge with three bedrooms (we stayed in lodge 106). We were not disappointed. There was one double bedroom with en suite and a two two single bedrooms. The lodges are not equipped with cots or high chairs but could be hired for minimal charge).

There was also a family bathroom with a bath and a shower.

The lounge was super comfortable with two lovely tweed sofas and a lovely fireplace which made everything feel very cosy!

One of my favourite parts of the lodge was the open plan kitchen which was perfectly equipped for families. There was a large fridge freezer, oven, microwave, kettle and toaster aswell as a large washing machine a must for any family accommodation. I was also pleased to find a cafetiere  in the kitchen as a bit of a good coffee addict. The kitchen was also stocked with washing up liquid, tea towels, dishwasher tablets etc. One of the things I hate most about self catering cottages is that there is always one things you forget but at Darwin Forest Country Park, the essentials had already been taken care of.

But my absolute favourite part of the lodge and my new essential for holiday cottages was the hot tub on the deck! There was nothing like taking a relaxing dip in the hot tub after the little one had gone to bed. What is more relaxing than being in a hot tub surrounded by beautiful woodlands!

Amenities at Darwin Forest Country Park

Darwin Forest Country Park is filled with amenities for families. There is a nice sized heated swimming pool on site. Just be sure to double check the timings of swimming lessons that go on on some evenings. The pool was perfect for families being heated but also for parents with large family changing rooms!

On site there is also a soft play area called Little Monkeys. We didn’t visit this as our Little Lady was too young. However we did use the free and for residents only under 5 play area. It was fab and spotlessly clean like everything else on the site. Our little lady loved the area which came in very handy as we went on a very wet week!

If the weather had been nicer we would have explored the forest and the woodland walk.It’s definitely something for us to return for. There are also many activities such as archery for older children on site.

If you want to read more about the outdoor areas at Darwin Forest Country Park you should check out this post by Tin Box Traveller.

The site also has a very well local supermarket aswell as Foresters Restaurant. Unfortunately we never got to try it but would use it next time. There is also a laundrette on site for lodges without a washing machine or for those who need drying facilities if the weather is bad.

What’s Near Darwin Forest Country Park

One of the reasons we decided to go to Darwin Forest Country Park was because of its proximity to some amazing tourist attractions. We had visits to Chatsworth, Hardwick Hall and Bakewell during our stay (posts forthcoming). But other than that Haddon Hall, the Heights of Abraham, Gullivers park Theme Park, Crich Tramway Village, Bolsover Castle and Matlock Farm are all within easy reach!

Hardwick Hall

For more information why not check out our post on what to do during your stay at Darwin Forest Country Park

Our overall experience at Darwin Forest Country Park

Darwin Forest Country Park is somewhere we would definitely return to in a heartbeat! It was one of the cleanest places we have ever stayed and offered everything a family could want on a UK family break! It was the perfect blend of rural and luxury and is the perfect family friendly accommodation in the Peak district.

But don’t just take my Word for it here are some other great reviews by Mini Travellers