We were recently invited to stay at Landal Darwin Forest. We stayed in Chatsworth Elite Vogue - lodge number 5. A contemporary and luxurious lodge that was well equipped, spacious and sat with a backdrop of peaceful woodland.
Disclosure - we had a stay at Landal Darwin to enable us to do this review.
Natural light poured into the lodge from the full length windows and patio doors. With wooden floors throughout, the lodge came equipped with all we needed to make our stay enjoyable.
Sofas were comfortable, along with the beds and the table provided seating for all the family which was great for our home cooked meals in the lodge.
The company motto - 'delight every visitor so they wish to return' is something I kept in mind throughout our stay. I was definitely made to feel this way by all staff I had the pleasure of talking to. Nothing was too much trouble and everyone genuinely looked happy to be at work which all helped with the positive vibes whilst we were away. Customer Service was definitely a strength here. From the moment we arrived on site - we were greeted by the patrol members of staff and the reception check in team couldn't do enough to help.
Arriving on the Friday evening - it was pitch black. Lighting around the site is kept to a minimum to reduce light emissions into the night sky. I really liked this. The sort of holiday stay this is, you do want that feeling of being out in the woodland and in the middle of nowhere.
The lodge came with 2 car parking bays. I was the first one to jump out of the car and go to check out the lodge. Lamps and heating were already on which immediately made me feel welcome and homely. I immediately felt comfortable here.
The family piled in ranging in ages from 3 years old to 59 years, all excited to explore their new home for a couple of days.
I really loved how the lodge came with 2 bathrooms. One had a shower and the other had a shower and a bath. With young children who love their baths, it was such a relief to know that we could bath them as we would at home.
Each bedroom had it's own wardrobe, towels were provided and items such as dishwasher tablets, dish clothes were ready and waiting to be used too in the kitchen area.
Each bedroom had it's own wardrobe, towels were provided and items such as dishwasher tablets, dish clothes were ready and waiting to be used too in the kitchen area.
Landal Darwin Forest is in beautiful woodland close to the areas of Matlock and Bakewell. We ventured into Bakewell for a meal one evening at The Bull. Highly recommended. The park sits on the edge of Derbyshires breathtaking Peak District. If you are somebody who loves nature and looking out to rolling countryside views - this is a place for you.
With all you need on site you could quite easily stay here and not leave for the duration of your stay. There is so much to see and do with wonderful woodland walks, swimming baths and fitness gym. A pub, a shop selling all of the necessities, soft play, trimmy trails, games rooms and a laundry area.
Swimming as you can imagine was of much delight to the children who would have happily stayed in there all day. I love how they cater for families and have large family rooms which enable you all to get ready for swimming together. Swimming is free for guests but there are additional activities you can do in the water with trained coaches at an additional and very reasonable fee. I highly recommend checking out the activity diary upon arrival as certain activities are done on set days which could mean you miss out on something if you don't book in time. Talking from experience (wink).
The facilities were spotless. I didn't see anything out of place at anytime.
We had a lot of rain during our stay. We happily adventure whatever the weather, as you know so it wasn't something that out a downer on our trip at all. We always make sure we are kitted out for the weather and it's a joy to embrace whatever the weather has in store for you. The woodland was particularly special in the rainfall. We had the most spectacular puddles forming, it was such fun to watch the children running in and out of them, without a care in the world. As it was so damp we found so many varieties of mushrooms and fungi.
The park has installed over 100 bird and bat boxes to encourage local wildlife. We are big supporters of local wildlife charities back home so it was wonderful to hear all they do for the wildlife that are attracted to the area. They also pride themselves on planting indigenous species of plants and trees!
The lodges are built locally in Bakewell. The timber used to make them is from renewable and sustainable forests and much of the fresh water is supplied directly from their own bore-hole!
It is always lovely to stay somewhere that understands the importance of looking after the environment. This isn't a recent mission for them either! They have been awarded Gold in the David Bellamy Conservative Award for 23 consecutive years!!
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We did a night time walk each evening, once dark had fallen. We familiarised ourselves with the woodland and a stroll through there was magical. We heard lots of animal noises and where the forest cleared it opened out to the most spectacular starry night sky.
I also really liked how much space you had between the cabins. They weren't on top pf each other as you can see in the image above. This was take from the bedroom window in our lodge looking at the lodge that was next to us.
I also really liked how much space you had between the cabins. They weren't on top pf each other as you can see in the image above. This was take from the bedroom window in our lodge looking at the lodge that was next to us.
I put together a video of our stay:
We also tried out the soft play. There is a fee for people who are staying on the park but at a reduced rate. It is an incredibly popular venue with the locals and many were in there enjoying party celebrations. It was really busy in here but the soft play is big enough to cater for the amount of children that were playing.
Staff keep a close eye on behaviour and will call out over the microphone if something is happening that shouldn't be. There is an area for the younger children. A couple of staff members asked older children to keep out of this area which was fantastic to see. It meant the younger children had a safe place to play and it was good to see the older children respecting this once spoken to too.
Food was incredibly tasty in here and very reasonable. I wasn't going to buy the children lunch here as soft play areas are usually very expensive for what you get. I had planned to take them back to the lodge to eat but the food was so reasonable we stayed longer and all had lunch there.
Again the soft play and toilet facilities were spotlessly clean! There is also a smaller soft play area next to the games room called Little Monkeys. This is free and suitable for children under the ages of 5. We ventured into here a couple of times before the boys went to bed.
I know I mentioned above about not needing to leave the park if you didn't want to but the local area really does hold some wonderful places that are a must visit while you are here.
A handful of places I recommend from our visit:
Bakewell - a small market town. It lies along the River Wye. There is a lovely church to visit and The Bull Pub won't disappoint. They were so accommodating to us as a large party and with a last minute ask for a table. Food was next level. A place we would make a bee line for if we are in the area again.
Chatsworth House - We visited during their Christmas Event. It was so magical. I wasn't expecting to be blown away so much but the tour around the house in particular took my breath a couple of times. There was a large Christmas Market on with stalls a plenty. Lots of space too and despite the huge turn out for the event, you didn't feel it so much as it was all spread over a wide area.
I have been to many events over the festive period and Chatsworth House will more than likely be one we visit as a family each year now.
Viva Italian Restaurant - A modern restaurant that offers traditional Italian food. With an open kitchen you can see your food being prepared and cooked. The flavours were immense! Staff were excellent and again would be somewhere we would visit if we were in the area again. We visited here for our evening meal. Sadly the shops surrounding the restaurant were closed but they looked wonderful. Lots of quirky, cosy shops selling a range of goods.
Dovedale Stepping Stones/Ilam Park - With walks below rugged mountain tops beside a river this is a special place that once you visit once you will leave planning your next. A national trust area complete with cafe, church and stunning scenery.
This was a wonderful, wonderful break away. We would all highly recommend a stay here. There is so much to do both on site and in the local area.
I would like to say a big thank you to Darwin for inviting us for a stay. It's been fantastic!
This was a wonderful, wonderful break away. We would all highly recommend a stay here. There is so much to do both on site and in the local area.
I would like to say a big thank you to Darwin for inviting us for a stay. It's been fantastic!
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