Cliff HouseSleeps 32

Large Victorian House with Views of Monsal Head

Highlights.....

  • A fabulous boutique Victorian residence for large groups of up to 32 ideal for hosting a large social gathering in luxury surroundings.
  • A glamorous feel with high ceilings, chandeliers in the dining room and endless space, yet in a beautiful countryside setting.
  • Situated prominently at the top of the headland overlooking Monsal Dale, Cliff House has one of the best unrivalled positions in The Peak District.
  • Ten large bedrooms within the main house with a further three in the cottage on site which doubles up as a games room with pool table.
  • Enjoy some of the finest walking and cycling the Peak District has to offer with the Monsal Dale and Trail on your doorstep.
  • Breath taking 360 degree panoramic views over the rolling countryside.
  • Nearby to Bakewell, Chatsworth, Ashford in the Water and Buxton.

Plenty of dining for up to 30 guests - extra tables can be added for flexible layout
Kitchen
View from the lounge to the dining room
Interior Decor

Bedrooms & Bathrooms

Bedroom 10 Fabulous Master with amazing views over Monsal Dale
En suite to Bedroom 10
First floor Bedroom 6
First floor bedroom 3

This magnificent Victorian residence has been refurbished to a high standard with a mix of traditional features and contemporary style. With the accommodation spread over three storeys to provide a deceptively spacious and stylish home. The copious corridors and landings may confuse adults but children find them exciting to explore! Most bedrooms are on the large side with luxurious en-suites to complement and can offer total flexibility with the ability to be set up as doubles or twins depending on your needs.

There are ten bedrooms in the main house and directly next door on site is a further three bedrooms.

Please click here for the bedroom layout.


Cooking & Dining

The extremely spacious dining room is both beautiful yet functional with large bay windows to one end providing a light and airy feel. The decor of Victorian style panelled walls with traditional oak floors and the chandeliers give the room a grand charm. You can dine and seat up to 30 guests for dinner with additional tables provided upon request.

Cliff house has a huge, fabulously designed bespoke farmhouse kitchen. Finished to the highest spec with under floor heating to take the chill away in the morning, Quartz worktops and breakfast bar, double induction Stoves Range Cooker, large American style fridge with freezer drawer, pantry and everything else you may need to cater for a large group of people. At the far end of the kitchen is a further dining area, perfect for lazy breakfasts and late suppers.

Click here for the finer details of what to expect in the property.

Plenty of dining for up to 30 guests - extra tables can be added for flexible layout
Extra dining space in the very spacious kitchen
Lounge
Fully equipped kitchen with extra dining space

Living Spaces

Extra comfortable sofas in the dining room
Extra comfortable sofas in the dining room
Lounge
View from the hall to the dining room

You enter the property in style via a large entrance hall with original Minton floor tiles and a sweeping stair case. To your left double doors open into the vast dining room and on the right is a gorgeous, sumptuous lounge decorated with luxury wallpaper and with the warmth of under floor heating. It houses deep comfy velvet sofas making this a wonderful place to spend a relaxing evening.

Also on the ground floor is a coat and boot room to hang and store all your outdoor gear and muddy boots. This also doubles as a drinks and glassware store with extra wine fridge in case you are planning a tipple or two whilst on your stay.

Next to the cloakroom and just off the kitchen is a downstairs WC with under floor heating.

Please click here for the floorplans.

Garden and Outdoor Space

Steps lead down to a sunken landscaped private garden with lawn and patio area which enjoys far reaching views of Longstone Edge.

Clever landscaping protects the garden from breezes and a pergola welcomes al fresco barbecues, drinks on the lawn or just enjoying some fresh country air. There are two alternative seating areas and a plenty of parking for around 10-12 cars (roadside parking nearby if more required).

You are literally a stones throw away from The Monsal Trail which can take you all the way off road by foot or bicycle to Bakewell or Buxton. Alternatively, off the beaten path down into Monsal Dale and head off on foot in whatever direction takes your fancy with access to the most incredible walks and dramatic landscape the Peak District has to offer right from your door step.


Landscaped sunken garden with BBQ area
Uninterupted views over Monsal Dale
Landscaped sunken garden with BBQ area

The Peak District and Surrounding Area

View over Monsal Dale
The Monsal Trail
The market town of Bakewell
Scenic walking routes nearby

Cliff House has an enviable location when it comes to being within walking distance from not just one but a selection of really good, heart-warming traditional pubs. This includes the local's favourite The Pack Horse in Little Longstone (5 minutes walk!), The White Lion in Great Longstone, and the Bulls Head in Ashford In The Water. Less than a minutes walk away, you will find The Monsal Head Hotel with the traditional Stable Bar and fantastic outside seating area looking north westerly down into Monsal Dale.

A short drive away are the most amazing of Peak District treats for you to enjoy - Bakewell (5 minutes), Chatsworth House (10 minutes), Haddon Hall (10 minutes), historic spa town of Buxton (15 minutes) to name just a few.

Click here for our recommendations to help you plan your stay.



How To Find Us

Directions

The address of Cliff House is:

Monsal Head, Nr Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1NL

Approx GPS coordinates of the property are:53.241763, -1.724295

Directions to Cliff House by car from Bakewell (approx. 7 minutes):

  • Follow signs to the A6 (Buxton Road)- continue along this for 1.3 miles
  • After 1.3 miles, turn right onto A6020 (signposted Ashford-in-the-Water, Great Longstone, Monsal Head)
  • After 0.1 miles turn left onto B6465 (Greaves Lane)- just before the corner shop, opposite Ashford Arms
  • Continue for 1.5 miles (you will go past Monsal Head Hotel and a carpark on your left)
  • Approx 100m the destination will be on your right (small sign with ‘Cliff House’ on- after Castle Cliff)
  • You have arrived at Cliff House!

Directions to Cliff House by car from Buxton (approx. 25 minutes):

  • Follow signs to the A6- continue along this for 12 miles
  • (IGNORE the first signpost to Ashford-in-the-Water after 10 miles next to River Cottage B&B- continue further for 2 miles)
  • Turn left onto A6020 (signposted Ashford-in-the-Water, Great Longstone, Monsal Head)
  • After 0.1 miles turn left onto B6465 (Greaves Lane)- just before the corner shop, opposite Ashford Arms
  • Continue for 1.5 miles (you will go past Monsal Head Hotel and a carpark on your left)
  • Approx 100m the destination will be on your right (small sign with ‘Cliff House’ on- after Castle Cliff)
  • You have arrived at Cliff House!

Floor Plans

To view or download the floorplan for this property click here.

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Guestbook

The following comments are taken straight from the guestbook we keep for Cliff House. Verbatim.

Navin stayed in May '18

Morris stayed in May '18

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Your Stay At Cliff House

Our Favourite Places to Eat Nearby

Pubs

  • The Manners, Bakewell - Gastro pub with great food and a family friendly beer garden in the heart of Bakewell
  • The Royal Oak, Hurdlow Tel: 01298 83288 - Our award winning pub offers open fires, hidden corners, local ales and of course ‘great homemade pub food’ as it should be. We can happily cater for groups. Please call to make a reservation or just pop in.
  • The Bull, Ashford in the Water - Traditional Robinsons small character pub serving great food in a lovely Derbyshire village with the River Wye flowing through the heart of it. Just down the road in the next village towards Bakewell. Lovely cosy fire in the winter months.
  • The Packhorse, Little Longstone - Lovely historic character features in this compact pub – promotes itself with ‘Walkers and Muddy boots welcome.’ It is worth booking a table for a group as it is popular with the locals.
  • The White Lion, Great Longstone - Recently refurbished gastro pub situated in the pretty village of Great Longstone.
  • Monsal Head Hotel and Stable Bar, Monsal Head - This place has a great viewing area and is a fabulous place to rest and enjoy a pint in the old Stable Barn when walking along the Monsal Trail.
  • The Red Lion at Litton - Nestled on the green in the picturesque village of Litton, The Red Lion is one of a very few unspoilt traditional Peak District pubs. This historic inn combines character & quality in a way that is rare in modern pubs.
  • Devonshire Arms at Beeley - Set on the Chatsworth Estate, The Devonshire Arms is one of those picturesque country inns at the heart of village life. It offers the charm and character of an historic inn with a contemporary twist! The Brasserie is modern, bright and relaxing while the Inn is cosy and inviting.
  • The Bull’s Head, Monyash - A traditional pub located in the heart of Monyash, serving good pub food. Popular with families and walkers.
  • The Barrel Inn, Bretton - Charming traditional pub with amazing views across the Peak District.

Restaurants

  • Pointing Dog & Duck, Bakewell - Great location by the river in Bakewell for an upmarket family friendly Italian Restaurant – Homemade pizzas and pasta are both excellent. Serves both lunch and dinner.
  • PieDaniels, Bakewell - A fine French restaurant and cafe bar in the heart of Bakewell offering a selection of fine French & English cuisine.
  • Rajas Indian Restaurant - A great Indian restaurant located in the Bridge House just on the edge of the famous Bakewell Bridge. They also do take-aways.
  • Hassop Hall, Hassop - Set in beautiful gardens and rolling parkland, the hotel and restaurant offers you a retreat where you can relax and enjoy the comforts offered in this family run establishment.

Cafes

  • The Bean and Bag, Bakewell - Family run café in the heart of Bakewell offering locally sourced freshly prepared meals, cakes and scones.
  • The Upstairs Café, Bakewell - A nice child –friendly café located in the centre of Bakewell.
  • Lavender Tea Rooms, Bakewell - A lovely quaint tea room, hidden in the corner of Hebden court, the charming décor includes vintage memorabilia and there’s outside seating in the sheltered courtyard. A great place for afternoon tea.
  • Hassop Station Café & Bookshop - A new family friendly cafe with outdoor covered seating and play, with a focus on food, family & fresh air. Enjoy brunch, lunch or afternoon tea on the terrace on the renown Monsal Trail or in the newly refurbished station building.
  • Hobbs Café, Monsal Head Hotel, Monsal Head - Situated at Monsal Head this cosy café offers great views and serves locally made ice cream.
  • The Old Smithy Café, Monyash - Rustic! Famous for its breakfast featured in the Top 50 Breakfast Book in the country. Character décor, open year round – walkers and bikers welcome. Also serves lunch daily with dinner on certain days.

Fresh Delivered Meals and Take-Aways

  • Sauced Here - fantastic selection of home made prepared meals from local chef/cooks - great for large groups. They also provide a full basket of groceries from local producers that can replace a supermarket delivery
  • Scoff - Delicious, Home-Cooked Food, Delivered to You in the Peak District
  • Rajas Indian Restaurant - Great Indian take-away in the centre of Bakewell
  • Bakewell Fish and Chip shop
  • Bamboo Cottage, Bakewell (Chinese)
  • Juniper, Bakewell (Take away pizza)
  • Pointing Dog & Duck, Bakewell (Take away pizza)
  • The Pizza Merchant- Take away pizza with free delivery within 10 minutes of Tideswell.
  • Maazi - Sumptuous Indian meal or buffet delivered to your door. Numerous catering options and can also provide waiting on staff and even take away the washing up.
  • Curry Cottage at Lovers Leap, Stoney Middleton - Indian take-way in the nearby village of Stoney Middleton

Our Top 5 Places to Visit Nearby

1. Spend a day exploring the historic market town of Bakewell

Bakewell is the largest town within the Peak District National Park and is a hub of activity. Market day is on a Monday and as well as a large range of stalls there is also an agricultural market which is definitely worth a look around as it offers a great insight todays farming community. The town also hosts a craft and gift fair every weekend in Brigade town hall. The Bakewell Old House Museum occupies one of the oldest buildings in Bakewell and dates back to 1543, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the towns past and is very interesting and informative with lots to appeal to all ages.Obviously no trip to Bakewell would be complete without sampling an original Bakewell pudding. The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop claims to have the old the original recipe and still makes the puddings by hand from the secret recipe. 


Click here for a link to further information on Bakewell.

2.Cycle or Walk the Monsal Trail

With the Monsal Trial literally on your door step it would be rude not to take the opportunity to cycle/walk along this old Midland Railway line which runs from Bakewell right up to Blackwell Mill, in Chee Dale. The trail offers 8.5 miles of traffic free and mud free cycling/walking and with the recently reopened tunnels offers one of the most spectacular leisure routes in Britain for cycling, walking and horse riding. The nearest cycle hire is at Hassop station which is great place to stop for a bite to eat or for a coffee and nice piece of homemade cake! There is also a lovely little gift shop and book shop and a children’s play area. If walking it also worth leaving the trail and dropping down in to Monsal Dale itself to enjoy walking along down by the river.


Click here for a link to cycle hire at Hassop Station or here for more information on the Monsal Trail.

3.Take a tour around the Thornbridge Brewery

This award winning brewery is just down the road from the property and for any real ale lover taking a tour of this state-of-the art brewery is not to be missed. Tours take place very Wednesday and Friday at 3pm, booking is advisable. Also if you are lucky enough to be staying with us in the last week of the month, the brewery holds two socials on the last Wednesday (5-9pm) and the last Saturday (12-8pm) of each month. They generally have a range of 10 cask and keg Thornbridge beers, including Thornbridge favourites and also some of their rarer beers. They also run brewery tours on these socials at 6 and 7pm on the Wednesday and 3 and 5pm on the Saturday, again booking is advisable.

Click here for further information on Thornbridge Brewery

4.Chatsworth House and Park

No visit to the Peak District would be complete without visiting the fabulous Chatsworth House. At Chatsworth there is something to do for every member of the family. The Farmyard and Adventure playground is a brilliant day out for children of all ages - with animal handling, milking demonstrations and daily activities, plus a woodland adventure playground with slides, trampolines and more!Then there is obviously the house itself, steeped with history it’s one of Britain’s greatest stately homes and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. The gardens are equally as impressive as the house, over 100 acres and as well and the beautiful flowers and plants, there are giant water features and sculptures dotted around. Again suitable for all the family, with the maze, the garden trails, and the famous water cascade to keep the little ones occupied.

Click here for a link to Chatsworth House and Park

5.Walk along the Edges

Baslow, Curbar and Froggatt Edges are only a short drive away and offer a spectacular walking route where you can view both the Dark and White Peaks. These three gritstone edges are part an almost continuous line of cliffs running from Stanage Edge down to Birchen Edge at the southern end. These Edges once famous for millstones, are now known as great places to rock climb. There over 200 rock-climbing routes on Curbar Edge alone, making the edges a mecca for walkers and climbers alike. For walkers Baslow Edge also offers interesting features including a memorial to the Duke of Wellington, a giant rock called the Eagle Stone which in years gone by the young men of Baslow used it to show off their prowess and fitness for marriage by climbing to the top and even some resident Highland cows.There are many different routes, some circular, some linear around the edges and also different staring/finishing points. A nice circular route which also includes walking along the river Derwent can be viewed by clicking here.

Finer Details

What to Expect at Cliff House

A basic weekend supply of the following essentials are supplied (as there are no staff on site if you run out you will have to replace):

  • Hand soap
  • Shower Gel
  • Loo rolls (1 x on the holder and 1 spare per bathroom)
  • Bin bags
  • Washing up liquid
  • Cling film & kitchen foil
  • 5 x dishwasher tablets
  • 2 x tea towels
  • 1 x dish cloth
  • Basic cleaning materials
  • Store cupboard essentials – a basic supply of tea, coffee, sugar and salt and pepper.
  • Utilities - Electric, gas, heating and hot water
  • Wifi

Useful Information

  • 3 x travel cot (if requested - please supply your own cot linen)
  • 3 x high chairs (if requested)
  • Hair dryer (if requested)
  • Fresh linen with beds made up upon arrival
  • Fresh towels - Bath towel for each guest & hand towels in the bathrooms
  • Iron & ironing board
  • Washing machine and separate tumble dryer located in the cottage
  • TV with free view and dvd player in the main lounge and first floor sitting room/landing (open plan bedroom 11)
  • 1 x Ipod docking station
  • The cottage is located in a separate building a few metres from the main house. There is a basic kitchen with a fridge, small oven and hob, and tea/coffee making facilities. No formal dining space. Living area with a couple of sofas and TV with free sat and DVD player
  • All TV’S have HDMI facility, but guests do need to bring their own HDMI
  • Games room is located in the cottage on site a few metres from the main house with Pool table and sofa area.
  • Note that bedroom 7 & 9 are on second floor with use of the first floor shared bathroom alternatively they can share the en suites of room 8 or 10.

Cooking and Dining

Any kitchen items that are absolutely vital for your stay, please check with us before your visit to ensure that it is at the property (as things do sometimes get broken).

  • Pots, pans, roasting tins, crockery, glassware and cutlery
  • 1 x microwave
  • Double oven with 5 hobs, 1 grill and 1  warming zone.
  • Large American fridge/freezer
  • Separate wine fridge
  • 2 x Double toaster
  • 2/3 cafetieres
  • 2 x Kettle
  • Food Processor
  • 2 x Dishwasher
  • Breakfast bar with stools
  • Extra dining table and chairs in the kitchen with 8 chairs
  • Main dining room can seat up to 30 ( 2 trestle tables are provided with extra chairs located around the house)

Outside

  •  Large oil drum BBQ – please bring your own coal
  • Garden furniture
  • Private sunken lawned garden with amazing views and patio with children’s play house.
  • Great access to Monsal Dale opposite the house
  • If using the garden during the evening please be inside by 10pm so as not to disturb the neighbours

You Should Know

  • Please note that we are dog friendly at this property however there are livestock in the surrounding fields so dogs must be kept under control at all times.  For your information, dogs are allowed on site if pre-arranged - you will be expected to keep them out of the bedrooms and off the soft furnishings. We do charge £20 per dog for the duration of your stay. Please see our dog policy for further details. 
  • No fireworks due to nearby live stock
  • Large double gates provide a secure grounds if closed
  • Note that the log burner on the photos is for decoration only and not in use
  • Wifi
     – we provide free wifi however as the Peak District is in a beautiful rural location sometimes there can be intermittent wifi signal that is beyond our control, we also hope you appreciate that we cannot guarantee wifi if there are technical issues out of our control.

Location

  • The postcode is DE45 1NL - please check the directions page for more details
  • The nearest town is Bakewell is 3 miles away
  • The nearest village is Great Longstone approx 1 mile away with a village shop and 3 pubs
  • Close the village of Ashford in the Water approx. 1.4 miles away
  • The nearest pub is The Monsal Head Stable Bar (100m) and The Pack Horse (5 mins walk)
  • Parking for 10 cars (behind each other) on the drive. More on road parking nearby

Booking and Payment Process

  • ​We ask for a 25% deposit to confirm a booking
  • The balance is due 12 weeks prior to arrival
  •  Full payment is due upon booking if it is booked with 12 weeks prior to arrival
  •  A cautionary damage deposit of £500 is held and returned after your stay
  • Click here for a full description of how to make a booking

Arrival and Departure

  •  Check in 3pm or after
  • Check out is by 10am prompt

Standard Supermarket Deliveries

For ease, lots of our guests organise a pre-ordered shopping delivery. You are very welcome to organise this however, please do make sure you have arrange the delivery time slot to arrive after you have checked in, as we are unable to accept it on your behalf (as the property is let as exclusive use there is are no Peak Venus staff on site).

Alternative Supermarket Style Delivery that Supports Local Producers - SAUCED HERE.

Keep it local! This is a brilliant alternative to the supermarkets. Our guests often ask for recommendations for local farm shops and butchers for the all-important celebration meals. Sauced Here has similar functionality to an on line supermarket but is only stocked by 30 or more local suppliers in the Peak District - order your wine, meat, vegetables, dairy and so much more with a choice of over a thousand products and at reasonable prices. It's a great service which delivers straight to your holiday cottage or you can click and collect at a local pick up point.

Click here to book a delivery slot.