A few drifting clouds added to the atmosphere and it was actually warm enough to be able to stay outdoors for more than a few minutes!

The first floor living room in the Barn is always swathed in light as the sun rises over Ecton but this moon rise was something else – it was a pity there were no guests this week to enjoy it.

We are blessed with very low light pollution here in our part of the Peak District, so any of you who are astronomy fans would be well advised to bring your telescope with you – the Milky Way is always bright here on a clear night.

We get so many days like this in winter (and sadly for much of the rest of year too!).

Blustery with stiff winds zooming in through the valleys from the West, drizzle in the air, the sun occasionally peeking past leaden, grey clouds.

It can look dramatic in pictures but you need to be a hardy soul to brave it in person.

Luckily, we have a large number of keen walkers and cyclists visiting our Peak District cottage and for them, this is what being in the countryside is all about.

We still have some availability in March, so if you’re after a week of bracing walks and communing with nature, March is a great time to come.

Unfortunately, our insurance only covers us for a maximum of 6 people but all is not lost!

Lower Damgate Farm Holiday Cottages near Ilam, offer 4 star self catering for up to 29 people in a range of beautiful courtyard barn conversions.

They offer accommodation for weddings, team building events and parties in a wonderful spot surrounded by over 20 acres of farmland.

Check out their website and give Carolyn a call on 01335 310367.

We’re often asked by guests, who did the amazing joinery work in The Barn.

We are extremely lucky to have a team of builders and joiners who are without doubt, the most trustworthy and talented bunch you could ever wish for!

All of the doors, windows, floors and even the kitchen were done by Ashbourne joinery company, I. A. Oakes.

Ian Oakes has since been back to do loads of work for us in our house and we can’t recommend him and the team highly enough – they really are top notch.

If you live in or around Ashbourne or indeed within Derbyshire or Staffordshire, he’s well worth a call on 01538 723258.

Picturesque and with a good pub, Alstonefield is definitely worth a visit.

Lucy has done a page of information about Hulme End but if you’ld like to add your views, pictures or memories/history of Hulme End, then do get in touch through the comments below or via our contact page.

We’ll be adding more villages to the list as time goes on, but if you’re reading this and you live in a village in the Peak District, or you think you can do a better job than us, please send your village review to us.

If we like it, we’ll publish it here and give you credit for it, including a link to a (relevant) website of your choice.

Guests in the barn are often asking us to recommend  places to take their young children out for a meal.

This can be quite a challenge as many pubs don’t open until 6 or 7pm which is when the little ones are getting tired and fractious.

Others only serve sophisticated adult food, with half portions for the children – as much as we would like to expand the children’s tastes, I am not sure their palates are quite ready for gammon and mustard sauce with a coddled egg on the side!

We can, however, thoroughly recommend Pizza Express in Buxton for the ideal children’s meal when you are staying at our Peak District holiday cottage.

They are open all day, which means that you can go straight there after sightseeing in the market town of Buxton.

The children’s menu is varied, serves appropriately sized dishes and is extremely good value.

Moreover, the staff bring pencils and activity sheets for the little ones to keep them entertained between courses.

Depending on who is cooking, the chefs will often put on a bit of a show for the children if they see them watching! – nothing too amazing, but the children do enjoy watching the pizza dough being swirled in the air!

And if you haven’t got children with you, Pizza Express is also the perfect stop off before or even after taking in a show at the Buxton Opera House, which is conveniently about 3 minutes walk from the restaurant.

If you’re a train buff and you fancy a lovely long weekend break in the Peak District, Friday 5th February is your last chance before summer.

Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th February 2010 see the Winter Steam Gala 2010 at Churnet Valley Railway, a mere 15 minute drive away from the Barn.

The Gala will feature Class 8 Pacific No. 71000 The Duke of Gloucester and Class 3F 30075 USA tank loco and The Duke will be joined by newly restored and yet to visit another railway ex BR Class 4 MT No 80072 visiting from Llangollen Railway.

If you can stay until Monday, you can even pay to drive The Duke!

Call us on 01298 687006 to book your stay now.

Literally no colour today just black, white and grey with more snow forecast for tomorrow.

When will it end?