We spent a snowy long weekend at Darwin Forest, which is luxury self-catering holiday park nestled in the gorgeous Derbyshire Peak District.
I seem to be one of “those” people and of course on the day we were due to travel, the Beast from the East hit Shropshire covering the area in inches of snow, making us unsure if we would make the trip at all. The kids school was closed for the day due to the weather making us even more apprehensive. However, the folks at Darwin Forest were brilliant and gave us updates on the states of the road. I needn’t have worried as the roads were all clear all the way there, so I am glad we decided to go. Upon arrival, we went into reception to find out lodge was already ready for us. The very friendly receptionist ran through all the park information and even gave us a complimentary pint of milk to help us get settled in our lodge.
The staff were working constantly to keep the tracks clear as we reached our lodge, number 107, with ease. They had even cleared the driveway and had the heating on for us – it’s the small touches like this that make all the difference. We were given a welcome pack which had all the information about the park and also recommendations of things to visit in the local area, but the weather meant we were restricted and we opted to stay on site for the long weekend.
The lodge had three bedrooms; one double with an ensuite and two twin rooms – and the most amazing bath I have seen for a long time! It also had an amazingly well equipped kitchen as the lodges are designed for self catering. It also has a dishwasher, cooker, fridge freezer and a washing machine. You can see a full lodge tour in more detail below as I have done a full lodge tour video on my YouTube channel.
After unpacking, we decided to brave the weather and to go for a walk in the snow and have a proper look round the site. We popped into the Evolution fitness centre and managed to bag a massage slot on the Sunday. There is an onsite shop which sells all the essentials and again is really well priced.
We headed over to the Cheeky Monkey soft play area, which we were thrilled to see was almost empty. You get a two hour play slot and get a discounted rate for staying on site of £3.50 per child. It is not exclusive to park guests but as we arrived there at 3.30pm on a Friday, it was empty. There is a cafe to the right, where you can pop in if you don’t want to go into the soft play.
They have a really good choice of food, drinks and snacks all at really good prices. The kids had a whale of a time enjoying the two tier soft play area to themselves. Charlie loved that there was a football area he could play and the girls just loved the slides. There is also a good selection of baby toys, so if you have youngers ones they too are catered for as well.
After a long session at the soft play, it was 5.30pm so we decided to make use of the takeaway service as it was our first night and we all wanted to get into our PJs and snuggle in our gorgeous lodge. My husband ordered as we had a wander back and he wasn’t far behind us bearing hot tasty foods.
We had a big pepperoni pizza to share and I had scampi and chips which could easily have fed two or three of us – definitely great value for money.
After the kids were in bed, I decided to try out the hot tub and despite being minus 4 degrees, it was pure bliss! Definitely a surreal experience to be surrounded by snow and freezing temperatures but to be so warm in the hot tub.
The next day, we made the most of the free admission to use the swimming pool. There are lots of family changing and you will need a £1 coin for the lockers. The pool depth is 1.25m throughout so was perfect for Charlie but we forgot the girls swim vests, so were quite limited as to what they could do in the pool but they loved it.
My only gripe was that you have to take your shoes off in the reception area and then walk through the changing rooms, which resulted in some soggy socks. I also took my youngest out of the pool early as she often tires quicker than her brother and sister, so we went to watch them in the viewing area. I then went to go back into the changing rooms to help my husband get the other two dry, but there were no shoe covers left nor any others at reception, so we again had to take our shoes off despite having got dressed. It is a very minor thing but I wish I had known so I could have packed some flip flops.
On Saturday morning, we found that our sink wasn’t draining. We popped into reception after our swim, only to find the maintenance team were already there a few minutes after reporting it. The cold weather had frozen the pipe and we were soon up and running. I was so impressed at how efficient they were and the frozen pipe couldn’t be helped – that’s what you get for freezing temperatures!
We spent the afternoon in the hot tub and then had a quick session back in Little Monkeys and then the arcade games room, which is located behind the pub to the right, before our dinner reservation at the Foresters. We booked our table for 6pm and we ordered some drinks and were shown to our table. There is a good kids menu and they were given colouring crayongs and activity sheets which is always a great way to keep them occupied before their food comes.
I ordered the gammon, my husband had a green Thai curry and the kids had a burger and pizza. We all really enjoyed our meals and loved the surroundings. In fact, we were so full, we couldn’t manage pudding which is unheard of for me especially!
We didn’t feel rushed during our meal and despite being sat near many adult only couples, we didn’t feel out of place as were warmly welcomed and the waitress was so lovely and friendly, chatting to the kids.
Darwin Forest is an absolutely stunning site and looks utterly magical in the snow. We loved exploring and would absolutely love to visit again when the weather was better, as we didn’t get to experience the whole site as the outdoor playground was covered in snow and many of the activities were outside and the snow hindered the chance to get out and about. I think we would definitely take our bikes and spend lots more time out in the Forest trails and woodlands but the bitterly cold temperatures meant everything was limited, due to chilly children.
We had an absolutely wonderful stay. The lodge itself was spacious, quiet, spectacularly clean and well equipped. Having our own hot tub, was the icing on the cake and we all left with big smiles on our faces after a super relaxing long weekend at Darwin Forest. We really hope to return again soon.
B xx
Ah it looks like you all had a wonderful time. I’m pleased you braved the snow and made it as it looks like it was worth it! Love the pic of everyone in the hot tub in the snow – one to treasure x
It sounds like you had a wonderful break despite the weather, the personal touches do make all the difference, we stay at cottages when we have holidays with our children, they often leave scones cream, jam and tea out ready for our arrival, the last one was a bottle of Hardy’s wine which was lovely, we went in February before and like yourselves were in the hot tub, you don’t feel the cold until you get out, the maintenance being sorted straight away is great too, they really are on the ball apart from the shoe covers xXx
I think snow and hot tubs are the perfect combination, and you certainly had plenty of snow. Darwin Forest has been on my list for years, and we really must try and get there. Looks a brilliant place to just chill out, but with plenty of things to do too. And the bath in the lodge is beautiful x
It sounds like you had a great time, even with the snow. It looks like a totally lush place to stay and the staff seem so helpful. I love that they cleared the paths around your lodge and put the heating on for you arriving, great customer service. xx
What a lovely place!
Looks lovely, not a great menu for us vegetarians though .
Looks amazing!
Looks amazing – certainly wouldnt mind a break here myself