Darley Bridge sits on the edge of the Peak District, between Matlock and Bakewell. Church Cottage occupies a converted stone building behind St Mary's church in this small Derbyshire village, reached down a quiet lane that leaves you well away from any road. The grounds back onto Clough Wood, where the owners allow deer to graze freely—you'll see them from your patio, along with a good range of woodland birds. The cottage itself was renovated in 2023 and is yours alone for the duration of your stay, with private parking for two cars and a lockable bike store.
Everything is on one floor. The main space combines kitchen, dining and living areas under exposed stone and a vaulted ceiling, with bi-folding doors that open onto a patio where a six-person hot tub is built in. The bedroom has a zip-and-link bed (request two singles if you prefer), and the en-suite shower room comes with robes. The kitchen is properly equipped for self-catering—oven, hobs, microwave, fridge and a washer-dryer—and there's a coffee machine if you need it. A separate courtyard catches the morning sun for breakfast. Essentials like electricity, heating, wifi and towels are covered; a welcome pack is provided.
Two traditional pubs in the village serve food, and Darley Bridge itself is a scheduled ancient monument on the Derwent Valley Heritage Way with good walking nearby. Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall are 10–15 minutes by car; Hardwick Hall and Kedleston Hall, both National Trust properties, take about 40 minutes. The cottage does not accept children under 18, and smoking is not permitted.
Sleeps & rooms
What's on offer
Check-in & check-out
Arrive after 15:00 Depart before 10:00
🚭 No smoking, please
What guests say
The cottage has everything we need for a comfortable stay and is very clean. Beautiful garden with fabulous views to the distance and Jeremy (the owner) is so welcoming, informative and helpful. We'd definitely stay here again.
3 months ago · via Google
Had a fab week at church cottage - would recommend and will definitely be staying again. Thank you !
6 months ago · via Google
Just a great place to stay with a mini little nature reserve outside the window. There is everything you need in the cottage,very cosy and peaceful.What a wonderful place to stay with equally wonderful hosts,who made our stay perfect.
2 years ago · via Google
Just returned home from a wonderful last-minute weekend stay at Church Cottage for a late birthday getaway. As it was a special occasion, Jeremy had left Champagne, wine, scones and champagne truffles in the cottage for our arrival. The cottage was maintained to a very high standard, and simply everything you could imagine had been considered. Jeremy has written an extensive guide for guests staying in the cottage, which covers anything you can think of, including but not limited to hot tub instructions, recycling, windows, BBQ, mitigating fire risks, local takeaways, restaurants, walks, tourist attractions etc. I was amazed at the level of detail. We never had to bother Jeremy at all with any questions as everything was covered. We saw deer in the garden on numerous occasions during our short stay. The hot tub was fantastic and had been heated to 38 degrees for our arrival. It was very clean and sanitary. The inside of the cottage was absolutely spotless. The cleaner has a very impressive attention to detail. All cutlery was polished, no water stains on glasses, mirrors, shower etc. I felt as if we were the first people to ever stay there. The cottage is perfectly located a short drive from Bakewell and Matlock. There is only really 1 restaurant within walking distance in Darley Bridge itself, but Jeremy very kindly offered to drop us off and pick us up from anywhere else if we so wished; an offer that was very much appreciated but not taken up, as we feel bad asking people to do things like that for us. After our stay, we are considering spending Christmas in the Peak District. The only downside is that the cottage only sleeps 2 people, and we will be a group of 4. The only negative I have from my experience of staying at the cottage is that I bought a few packs of delicious sausages from the Chatsworth House farm shop, which weren't exactly cheap, and left them in the freezer. Jeremy if you're reading this, I hope you enjoy them! 😆
2 years ago · via Google