Beechenhill Farm

Beechenhill Farm ticks a lot of boxes. High on a hill above the picturesque Peak District village of Ilam, close to the Derbyshire-Staffordshire border, the cottages are situated on what was, until recently, a working organic farm. The cottages have won awards for sustainable tourism and deservedly so. Beechenhill is a glorious eco-retreat, home to three of the most bucolic self-catering holiday cottages you could imagine and also an onsite gallery where you can see the artwork of resident artist Sue Prince.

There are three properties on the site, all part of the farm and its outbuildings but each retaining their own privacy and character. The Old Wash House is found in a spacious wing of the old farmhouse, comfortably sleeping two and with the option of opening up an additional family room to sleep a total of four. Wonderful original features of the building and spectacular views down into the valley combine with all the mod cons you could need. The compact and secluded Beechenhill Cottage is perfect for couples, tucked away in a corner of the farm and also enjoying wonderful countryside views from the living space and its own walled garden. The Cottage by the Pond is the largest of the three, sleeping six in three bedrooms and with a spacious living room, separate kitchen and two bathrooms. Accessibility has been a key consideration and the property is M3A rated. There is wheelchair access downstairs, two ground floor bedrooms, a large wet room, profiling bed, riser recliner and a host of other equipment and features. All the cottages have their own outdoor space, wood burner or open fire and WiFi, although you can ask the owners to turn it off if you'd rather shut off the outside world for a few days, and who can blame you!

As part of what is a generally Scandinavian theme, there's a Swedish wood fired hot tub and sauna in the woods to really get close to nature (pre-booking needed and there is an extra cost). In fact, the whole place gets all the details right – with local (or often their own) organic produce for sale (they prefer food metres to miles!) and focusing on the sustainability of everything on the farm, from biomass boiler and induction hobs to the first electric car charger in the region. The location is perfect for walks and exploring the fabulous local countryside, although you may find that you don’t feel the need to stray far from your comfortable farm cottage.