Grey Roofs Ashbourne, Staffordshire

What a beautiful place. Very tranquil. A lovely barn conversion. Gorgeous furnishings and well kept. Everything you should need was there. It is secluded and quiet. It was lovely for our two dogs too. A wonderful stay. X

We visited Grey Roofs in November 2021. We were on the lookout for a dog friendly holiday cottage, and are so happy we stumbled across Grey Roofs. A real home-from-home, we could not ask for more from this lovely barn conversion. Attached to Calwich abbey down a secluded track, it's perfect if you're looking for a peaceful location - there's also a very good pub a short walk or drive away which is handy! The accommodation is extremely dog-friendly, and our two dogs thoroughly enjoyed their holiday too! The accommodation is very secure, with its own courtyard where the dogs could run around - there was also a dog kennel if you wanted to go out and leave them at the accommodation. Inside, the accommodation didn't disappoint. It was very clean and luxurious. We especially enjoyed having the woodburner lit in the evenings. The kitchen was lovely and to say it's 'fully equiped' is an understatement - it has literally everything you could need! Dean (the owner) who lives in the barn next door was extremely welcoming and happy to answer any questions and offer help if needed. We have already recommended Grey Roofs to so many people, and we cannot wait to return.

Just returned from this lovely cottage. Dean the owner was very helpful. Very comfortable, Homely and cosy. The cottage is in a beautiful location and very dog friendly. Fully secure garden. Very clean and well maintained. Would highly recommend

We have stayed at Grey Roofs a number of times, and it never fails to impress. The owner is always extremely helpful if we ever have any queries, and he is extremely welcoming. The cottage itself is very well furnished, they have put a lot of effort into making it a very cosy, clean cottage. During these current times you are always thinking in the back of your mind 'Is this clean enough'? Never once did that question come to my mind, or any of the families mind during our stay. We felt very safe. Finally, the surrounding area is absolutely beautiful, so peaceful. Located a mile or 2 down a farm track, in the middle of no where (you still get very good WiFi). Loads of nice little walks to take your family/pet on. Overall, Grey Roofs is one of the best we've ever stayed at, we've stayed atleast 3 times and it certainly won't be the last. 10/10 on everything, would recommend to anyone.

My second stay at Grey Roofs and once again it was brilliant. Very well furnished and extremely comfortable beds with plenty of kitchen equipment to manage self-catering if eating out isn't an option at the moment. Perfect for dog walking in the adjoining fields and a good location for exploring Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Dean the owner is very helpful and pleasant.

This was our 3rd stay at Grey Roofs and as usual it's was just what we needed, a fully relaxing break away. Dean had even made a few updates to the property since our last stay, just when we didn't think it could be improved! Comfortable beds, great kitchen, wonderful shower and so peaceful, perfection. Thanks again Dean.

Im writing this on our last day here which we have all agreed we wish it wasn't, we could have easily moved in. The property is amazing, extremely clean, modern and light well done to the owners. We love the decor,the beds are comfy and the shower amazing. The owner Dean is a lovely man, very friendly. Our son managed to spill his drink all over the lovely clean white wall and Dean was very understanding while i was mortified. The garden area is great and it was so nice to sit out on a warm night and have peace. The property is in a remote location however just a walk down the lane and you are in a pretty little village with a very nice pub with big beer garden. We will be telling everyone about this property and we are hoping to return again next year.Thank you Fiona and Dean for having us stay we have loved it.

We have just stayed here for a week with another couple and absolutely loved it. Beautiful location within seconds of amazing countryside walks, well equipped kitchen, fantastic looking log burner which we obviously didn’t use in August, two good sized bedrooms and a big shower room. Very secure for the three dogs we took. We used the BBQ three times. Superb facilities. No problem with WiFi and I’m on EE and had a good signal to make calls. Dean on hand to help with all our needs. Would definitely recommend and go again.

Just got back from a week in this beautiful cottage in gorgeous countryside. The cottage is furnished to a really high standard and was spotlessly clean. The owner Dean is really helpful and friendly and the cottage has everything you might need to provide a home away from home. The enclosed courtyard garden is beautifully laid out and fully secure for children/ pets. Would have no hesitation in recommending this cottage to anyone and will definitely be returning again in the future. Only wished we had booked for two weeks instead of one.

We came here for a long weekend in December 19, and immediately booked another 3 weeks in 2020. This is the nicest holiday accommodation we have ever stayed in, and we have been having this type of holiday for over 20 years. The barn is very comfortable, warm and cosy. Very tastefully fitted out and well equipped with everything you need. Spotlessly clean and it immediately feels like a home from home . Dean, the owner is incredibly helpful and the welcome hamper is both well received and very generous. He is always on hand with helpful advice. There is even an emergency phone in consideration of poor/no mobile reception. You should never need to use it but it is useful for people to ring you if needed. Internet is very good. No noise at all and complete privacy thanks to a surrounding wall, which is also great when letting the dog out. The location is perfect, with walks from your front door or the lovely Ashbourne and the start of the Tissington Trail within 3 miles. The Duncombe Arms is superb and only a mile by road or quicker across the fields in better weather.

We have stayed at Grey Roofs for the whole of the last month and have had a wonderful stay. It truly is a home from home. The property completely lives up to expectations from the description and photographs listed. Everywhere in the property was spotless on our arrival, including all the kitchen cupboards, microwave and oven (things that are often not as good as they could be). The bedding and towels were obviously all freshly laundered and although we actually brought our own towels (we always do) I would have had no problems at all with using the ones provided. Dean, the host has been welcoming, helpful and friendly. We have had particularly bad weather whilst we have been here and he has offered to bring us shopping in from the local supermarket on more than one occasion. He should be very proud of what he provides in his holiday rental. On our arrival we were greeted with the fullest welcome hamper I have ever seen, everything for a full english plus treats for the dog, a packet of sweets and even suet rolls to put in the bird feeder outside. Watching the birds through the lounge windows, of which there are many and varied has been a real treat. The property is situated down a long lane which is bumpy to say the least so be aware that there are huge potholes at the beginning of the lane. There is a secure garden area so we have been happy to let our little dog have a roam around and explore with no concerns that she could get out. Despite the weather, we have been out walking every day but it has been nice to come back to a lovely cozy property and settle down for the evening in front of a TV which is connected to a wide variety of channels (Netflix / I-Player to name a few). There is also a fabulous contemporary log burner but we found the property so lovely and warm that we never had to use it. I was very surprised to read the review below about the charges for the landline. I felt the comments were really unfair. The landline has been provided for emergency purposes due to the lack of mobile coverage at the property (there is a signal as soon as you are half way up the lane so if you really really need to make a call it's easy to do so!) I have never stayed at a property where the owner has been thoughtful enough to provide this service and he has asked guests in the information folder to show respect and ask people to return calls where a call is necessary. I have found this service invaluable because it has meant my 81year old Mum has been able to call me each morning, giving me peace of mind and keeping her connected to us. We have also made a number of phone calls via WattsApp with no problems whatsoever so I'm confused as to why the reviewer couldn't make an internet call??? There is a lovely walk accross the fields to the local pub The Duncombe Arms in Ellastone. Due to the excessive rain this month it has been extremely muddy for us (nothing our wellingtons couldn't cope with), but it has still been a great bonus and I am sure when the weather improves, this will be even better. The market town of Ashbourne is only 4 miles away with all of the necessary shops and amenities. The Tissington Trail is also only a short drive so there is plenty of opportunity for some fabulous walks. All in all we have had an amazing stay and I can't really think of anything negative to say apart from the lack of sun!! :)

Just got back from a lovely stay at Grey Roofs. The place is a decent size, very clean and pretty much has everything you need in the kitchen department! We had an issue with one of our dogs (nothing to do with the place, an ongoing illness) and Dean helped us with vets numbers and giving us some special food to try and get the dog to eat. He was lovely and really went out of his way to help. We was welcomed with a lovely hamper with everything for a full English and all nice and fresh and locally sourced, it even had some treats in for the dogs! You have absolutely signal there but it’s good to take some time off of your phone! There is internet provided free of charge and it was very fast broadband, someone has left a review saying you can’t use it but we had no problem making video calls to family at all so don’t listen to that! The garden is very secure we have a husky who can escape anywhere and she couldn’t get out, there’s also keys to lock the gate too if you’re worried about people coming in (even though it’s in the middle of nowhere). We would definitely stay here again! Only thing it was missing was a hot tub :)

Grey roofs was a lovely place to visit for a week in August. It's set off the beaten track a little, so not easy to find. I called the owner for directions, however due to its remoteness, I had no reception (more on this later), so eventually lost him and found my own way there. After 15mins of driving back and forth I found the place and settled in nicely. Great base for visiting local attractions. Had trouble understanding the heating instructions (Not very helpful) so called the owner from the landline for advice. Several weeks later I received a WhatsApp from the owner saying the phone bill had arrived and I had to pay it!? Due to there being no mobile phone reception, I had to use their landline, as there was no other way to talk to the outside world! I even tried phoning over their broadband. Sadly it was ADSL and being remote, was pretty much impossible to use for internet calls. I explained this to the owner. The answer I got was the internet was capable of calls. Unbeknown to him I work in IT and from the tests I did using a few tools on my phone, it was pretty clear the bandwidth was not upto calls. I had to ask for a copy of the itemised bill, which finally turned up today. (over 2 months later) The owner was even trying to make me pay for calling him about the heating questions for his accommodation! I was up front with the owner and said it was unfair me being asked to pay the bill when there was no other means of calling anyone. I was a captive audience you could say. The owner wasn't interested, he just cited "it clearly states in greyroofs information booklet that you may use the phone as a emergency". What he clearly didn't make me aware of was the lack of any type of mobile phone reception in the area, poor internet capable calling and that you would have to use the landline, not it was an option to for emergencies. I did suggest he do this and inform future guests that phone charges will apply, but he didn't accept my feedback or answer, only asking for payment. Nice. Overall I feel that being asked to pay a phone bill on top of what I paid to stay at the accommodation and use its services, being misled, the underhanded way of blaming the internet as an option and not being transparent about the itemised calls until I requested it, has left a very bitter after taste in my mouth. I wouldn't recommend this to any friends or family. Avoid in my opinion.

We had a wonderful stay at Grey Roofs. My mum, myself and my dog. The property is not the most obvious to find, sat nav takes you down the wrong drive about 1 min away, so perhaps a sign pointing you in the right direction from the main road entrance would be helpful. We kind of stumbled upon it really, but the owner lives so close if you do miss it and phone him, he will come and guide you in so not a major issue. Grey Roofs was everything we wanted for our weeks stay in the Peak District. We arrived to a wonderful unexpected hamper with enough in it for a full English breakfast for our first morning, plus a pack of treats for our dog. We have stayed in many cottages in England and never had a welcome hamper this well stocked before, it was a lovely and much appreciated gift. We have a small dog so an enclosed secure garden with at least a small patch of grass is the first thing we look for and this property has that 100%. In fact there is a historic abbey who’s ruins form part of the secure garden enclosure, which adds so much character. The location is peaceful, you are not overlooked by other properties so very quiet and private. The bedrooms are spacious with plenty of wardrobe space in both bedrooms, the beds are comfortable with plenty of spare floor space. The shower is large and forceful. The living room is light with patio doors leading into the garden, the sofas are comfortable.. There is a smart TV, and for those that like to watch TV, it is set up with access to Netflix, Amazon Prime etc so you won’t be short of things to watch. There is also a TV in every room including the kitchen. The kitchen is well equipped and modern, it was not missing anything that we could see. This is without doubt one of my favourite properties we have stayed in and we will be returning to stay again when we next come to the area. There is plenty to see and do around Ashbourne. We are keen walkers with our dog, so this is a little of what we found and recommend:- Carsington Water Is about 15-20 min drive and is a massive reservoir built in 1992, you can do a variety of walks from 1 mile to 8.5 miles around the whole reservoir, great all weather easy access path around it, visitor centre there does wonderful food. The grounds around the Chatsworth are lovely with plenty of different walks available, food court area at Chatsworth dog friendly. Tissington village with its tea rooms is dog friendly and worth a visit. Eyam the Plague village is interesting and pretty and tea rooms dog friendly. Explore the Tissington Trail and Monsal trails at various starting points. Going to a visitor information centre is great as they have lots of walking books in and around each village and area so this helps you to plan what you want to see and do, they have various books and leaflets like circular pub walks, circular dog walks, tea room walks, river walks, dale and Moore walks, short walks and long walks, they have step by step guide instructions with parking locations and info on what you will see on walk. Another tip is to download the ifootpath app, you can search for walks in particular areas by length/terrain/ease of walk etc. What ever you choose to do on your stay , I hope you enjoy Grey Roofs as much as we did. 100% recommend and a big thank you to Dean the Property owner for our hamper and making us feel so welcome

We have just got back after a week at the Grey Roofs cottage which is only a few miles from Ashbourne.The accommodation certainly lived up to the pictures and more.It is down a long lane which makes it very private and beautifully quiet, which we love. The whole cottage has been kitted out very tastefully and is very clean. The under floor heating was amazing and kept us incredibly warm and cosy to the extent that we didn't even need to light the woodburner. It is also a great dog friendly place with a brilliant fully enclosed courtyard, so no need to worry about your dog getting out. It is also surrounded by fields, one of which you can walk your dog safely. There are lots of lovely places to go walking within the area, Dovedale,Carsington Water,Tissington trail, just a few we managed to visit. Although we didn't take the bikes this time it is certainly a great area if you are a cyclist, beautiful countryside. Dean was very friendly and he even came to the top of the drive in his van to help us find our way to the cottage when we arrived. We would have no hesitation in book this cottage again and would certainly recommend it to family and friends.