WEEKEND AWAY
SEE, DO, STAY, LOVE THE UK. THIS MONTH: A FAIRYTALE COTTAGE IN DERBYSHIRE
A fairytale Russian cottage on Derbyshire’s Chatsworth estate
GO & STAY
It’s an odd thing to meander through the Peak District’s rolling green hills and quintessential English villages and then to arrive at the Russian Cottage. Clad in dark wood with white architraves, this chocolate-box building was inspired by an intricate model gifted to the 6th Duke of Devonshire by a Russian tsar. It is like a scene from a fairytale when it finally comes into view, hidden away up a country track that passes through bluebell woods.
Inside, the charm continues. Decked out with beautiful antiques, colourful rugs and quilts and a logburning stove, it instantly feels uplifting and comforting. The wonderful kitchen soon became the epicentre of our weekend stay. With the radio on in the background, we sat around reading or chatting under the impressive antler light fitting, our breakfasts lasting the hours we wish they would every day. I loved sitting in the nook by the kitchen window, too. With a cuppa in hand, watching the clouds cast shadows on the hillside opposite was relaxation indeed.
EAT & DRINK
The Chatsworth Estate has a well-stocked farm shop over the hill from the cottage. We filled a couple of baskets to the brim on our first day, and took back freshly baked bread, local chutney and cheese to picnic on wherever we chose – around the kitchen table, in the garden or by the River Derwent on the estate.
When our farm shop finds finally ran out, we made our way to The Devonshire Arms in Baslow. Positioning ourselves in front of a wall papered with an old map of the area, we planned our next day’s adventuring, while sampling some great local ale and a supper of seasonal local produce.
With Bakewell a stone’s throw away, we couldn’t resist temptation and set out in search of the original Bakewell pudding. Quite different to the Bakewell tart – it has a flaky pastry base rather than shortcrust, and is topped with a layer of sieved jam, egg and almond paste – it can only be found in this pretty market town and is well worth tracking down. Having sampled a few from the handful of bakeries, we decided Bloomers’ pud pipped the others to the post.
SEE & DO
As Russian Cottage is set on its own wooded hillside overlooking the beautiful Calton Lees valley, most of our adventures started there and were made on foot. We happily rambled our way through the countryside, propping ourselves up with nature’s own walking sticks found along the way. This was my first visit to the Peaks and, like so many, I fell for its gentle hills, babbling brooks and winding rivers straddled with bridges (which made for many games of Pooh sticks).
In the hours we did leave our hillside sanctuary, we explored the local towns of Baslow and Bakewell, enjoying browsing in the antique – and traditional pudding – shops. And of course, we couldn’t stay on Chatsworth Estate without visiting the house itself. Having seen the display of the work of painter Lucian Freud, who was a guest of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth and left a box of paints there, we lost ourselves in the wonderful garden, exploring its many glasshouses and maze.
Russian Cottage, Chatsworth (chatsworth.org/staywith-us/holiday-cottages); The Devonshire Arms, Baslow (devonshirearmsbaslow.co.uk); Bloomers of Bakewell, Bakewell ( bloomersofbakewell.co.uk); Chatsworth House, Derbyshire (chatsworth.org)