The Loft

The building is Grade II listed, a stone stable block converted into a cottage that keeps its original bones. Exposed stonework, thick oak beams, and a split-level living room that still feels like the working building it once was. Upstairs (most of the accommodation sits on the first floor), the sitting area has a woodburner-effect electric stove, and across the mezzanine, a bar billiard table fills the games area. It is one of those properties where the architecture does most of the work.

Three bedrooms sleep seven. The king-size double is the quietest, and both twin rooms have proper beds rather than bunks. One twin comes with a pull-out stacker for the seventh guest. The rooms are interconnecting, which means you walk through one to reach the next, so it suits families and close friends more than separate couples. A second route into the far twin via an external staircase gives a bit of flexibility. The single bathroom has a bath with a shower over it.

Downstairs, the kitchen and dining area are well equipped for proper cooking, and there is an ice maker that earns its place on warm afternoons. WiFi runs throughout, and a library of books, games, and DVDs fills the gaps when the weather turns.

Outside is where the property opens up. The courtyard garden has furniture and a BBQ, and the views across open countryside are the kind that make you stop mid-sentence. Walk beyond the courtyard and the Peak District National Park starts, with footpaths straight from the front door.

The hot tub and sauna sit in their own separate building with shower facilities. Having both is unusual for a cottage this size, and on a cold evening after a day on the hills, the sauna-then-hot-tub routine is hard to argue with.

Millthorpe is a hamlet between Bakewell and Sheffield, sitting above the Cordwell Valley with rolling hills in every direction. The nearest pub is a mile's walk and has won awards for its real ales and food. Hathersage is close by with a wider range of shops, an outdoor swimming pool in summer, and enough literary history to keep a curious visitor interested. Charlotte Brontë visited friends here and is thought to have drawn on Hathersage for Jane Eyre, while the churchyard claims Little John's grave. Sheffield is close in the other direction if you need a city fix.

Two dogs are welcome, and the resident farm dogs are friendly company for yours. Parking takes four cars comfortably with bike storage alongside. The nearest shop is two miles away, so bring your first-night supplies.

The working stables sit directly below the bedrooms. Horses are not always in residence during summer, but when they are, you will hear them. That either adds to the charm or it does not, but it is worth knowing.