Things to do

Our luxury self-catering holiday cottages are ideally located for exploration of the Peak District National Park, as well as use of numerous nearby amenities and attractions. See below for a list of our recommendations.

All our guests will find activities to suit their interests during their stay. In particular, we could not be any more perfectly situated for golfers, hikers, cyclists and bikers alike, plus a multitude of fantastic walking routes literally on our doorstep. The 8th fairway of Glossop and District Golf Club can even be accessed from Woodcock Farm’s driveway!

Our self-catering holiday cottages are remote enough to feel like a peaceful escape, whilst still being within close reach of pubs, shops and the vibrant main high street of Glossop, with its many cafes, restaurants and bars. Our cottages are also well positioned for travelling further afield, with Woodcock Farm being set directly on the famous Snake Pass (A57).

Eat and Drink:

There are many places to explore for food and drink locally, but the following are places we would personally recommend. Click the name of the place to be redirected to their website.

Pubs

The Queens Arms, Old Glossop – Cosy country pub with a roaring fire. Family and dog friendly with a few outside tables. The Queens don’t always serve food, so check ahead if you’re heading there for a meal. Also has a connected curry restaurant upstairs.
The Bulls Head, Old Glossop – Cosy old pub with friendly staff and a fantastic Spanish tapas menu – you will not be disappointed! A well-stocked bar even serves ale from our local Glossop brewery, Distant Hills. Dog friendly, and quiz night is on a Tuesday.
Distant Hills Brewery, Old Glossop – For the beer lovers out there, our local brewery has an industrial style café and a large outdoor seating area where you can sample their products, as well as a good selection of gins, wines and soft drinks. Their small, but delicious café menu is well worth a go as well, especially their mouthwateringly delicious burger and Sunday roasts! You can also order a keg for delivery if you’d like to have beer on tap during your stay. Dog friendly.
A TIP: The above 3 pubs are all within seconds of each other in Old Glossop, and dog friendly. From Woodcock Farm, we love walking the Mossy Lea track, or over Shire Hill (both walks are written up at the back of your cottage’s info folder) and finishing up in Old Glossop, where you can enjoy a drink and some great food in some/all of these pubs! The walk back to Woodcock Farm is quicker via the main road (Sheffield Road) and benefits from streetlights too – so no need to traipse back through the countryside in the dark! Our Tintwistle guests can also enjoy this walk/pub combo by driving and parking up in Old Glossop, or grabbing a taxi over for around £5.
The Hare and Hounds
, Simmondley – Good pub grub, very family friendly with the only outdoor play area in town, and raised terrace overlooking country views. Dog friendly too. Gets very busy on sunny days.
Victoria Lounge, Glossop – Town centre pub with wood fired pizzas, cocktails, various offers and a buzz on the weekends. A little outdoor seating on their new terrace area.
The Oakwood, Glossop – Lively town centre pub with great, creative food and an additional vegan menu. Lovely hidden outdoor terrace. Great spot for a buzzing weekend atmosphere, but also has a good vibe during the week.
The Norfolk Arms, Glossop – Thriving pub in the centre of Glossop. Serves reliably good food, big portions with deals to be had. We love their pizzas! Shows the sport during the day and gets fairly lively on weekend nights, with a DJ on from late.
The Bulls Head, Tintwistle – Traditional country pub with cute courtyard. Very dog friendly and serves hearty home-made food – Jane’s pies are a must! Very near to local reservoir walks.
Ladybower Inn, Hope Valley – Walker’s pub on the Ladybower Reservoir serving food and drinks. Outdoor seating, dog and family friendly. Great spot to retire to after a walk around the reservoir.
Peels Arms, Hadfield – Old country pub in nearby Padfield serving decent home cooked food. Great outdoor seating area – one of the only places you can book a table outside.

Bars

Harvey Leonards, Glossop – Specialist wine bar and shop with a huge craft beer and wine selection. Serves pizza, deli platters and nibbles only. Buzzing vibe on the weekends and regular wine tasting events. A TIP: Be sure to get a card from the bar for their wine tasting machine for a fun evening sampling their latest selection of hand-picked wines. Finish the evening by buying your favourite to take home!
The Crystal Ballroom, above Harvey Leonards, hosts regular events including comedy, live music and club nights – check facebook for details. They’re popular so it’s worth booking ahead if you find an event you like the look of.
Cask and Kitchen, Glossop – Quirky craft brew and cocktail bar serving a small but very interesting menu of delicious small plates and meaty mains. Highly recommend the chef’s choice platter.
The Mixologist, Glossop – Small, dark cocktail bar with a tasty menu & great value bottomless brunches!
Partington Theatre Bar hosts a monthly jazz club with live music on a Thursday. £8 entry with music from 8pm. Check their website for more details. This tiny little theatre has regular plays too – with tickets usually around just £10 it’s always worth checking out what they’ve got on.

Cafés and Restaurants

Panaderia Blue, Glossop – Tiny licenced café serving great coffee, fresh pastries, hand crafted sandwiches and a fantastic array of baked goodies. Dog friendly. Keep an eye out for themed dinner evenings.
Pixie Bakes, Tintwistle – Possibly my favourite café in the area! This tiny, family run café sells a small, but delicious menu of vegetarian food and super fun and creative baked goods! Dog friendly A TIP: Walk down here from Bottoms Cottage in around 5 minutes. From Woodcock Farm it’s a 10 min drive, but why not pair the trip with a walk around the stunning Bottoms or Arnfield Reservoir next door.
The Two Hares, which houses a secret cafe/bar, is hidden away from the high street. Family friendly, with games and activities.
Pico Lounge, Glossop – Spacious and very child friendly featuring an extensive menu and large vegetarian selection. Cute outdoor seating area by the river with parasols and heat lamps. Dog friendly.
Duke’s, Glossop – Small café serving good coffee, simple brunch and lunch items and a large selection of home baked cakes. No dogs inside.
Thrive, Glossop – Plant based café next to the to town square serving a delicious array of colourful vegetarian and vegan food. No outdoor seating.
Glossop Garden Centre Café, Glossop – Cute café at the back of the garden centre. It has a large, sheltered outdoor seating area with heaters. Serves a simple breakfast and lunch menu.
Shepley’s, Old Glossop – Vegetarian café by the river in Old Glossop with a very pretty outdoor seating area. Vegetarian menu with vegan adaptations. Check it’s open before turning up!
Napoli – Family run Italian restaurant serving great, authentic food in a cosy basement setting. Children can make their own pizzas during the week! No outdoor seating.
The Italian, Glossop – Another great Italian. This time with a less authentic but slightly more polished vibe. Reliably good food and attentive service.
Ayubowan, Glossop – Authentic and delicious Sri Lankan Cuisine. Lots of veggie/vegan options. Outside dining available on the rear terrace.
Burgerfy, Glossop – The juiciest, yummiest smashed beef (and chicken) burgers in town! Collection only takeaway that gets very busy so be prepared to wait a little longer than they may suggest.

Activities:

There is a huge array of activities to keep you busy during your stay in the Peak District – here are just a few…

Aerial view of Woodcock Farm and the surrounding golf course
Aerial view of Woodcock Farm and the surrounding golf course
Golf

We have close, friendly and even historical ties with Glossop and District Golf Club here at Peak Escapes. A small, warm and welcoming club, you will struggle to find a more picturesque golfing experience. At the clubhouse there is a pretty outdoor seating area that gets the sun late into the evening and the well-stocked bar serves daytime food and hosts regular event nights. It’s easily walkable from Woodcock Farm, but there is plenty of parking if you’re heading over from Bottoms Cottage, or just can’t be bothered carrying your clubs! You can check out their website and book a round here.

Walks

There are many lovely walks to be had right from your doorstep. During your stay you will find a selection of our favourites (usually via a pub or two) written up in your information file that you are welcome to take a copy of.

Venturing ever so slightly further afield, you will find a selection of walks near Woodcock Farm on this website by inputting our postcode – SK13 7PU.

Below are some of the most popular local routes:
Higher Shelf Stones and WWII crash site – This is a fab option if you want a proper hike with some rewarding views without walking for hours and hours. The eerie plane crash site is located very close to Higher Shelf Stones – we suggest checking the coordinates and route carefully before attempting to find it. You can also do a shorter version of this walk by driving up the Snake Pass to the peak – you will see a straight stretch of road with (usually) lots of cars parked along either side and a pathway leading in on the left.
Doctor’s Gate – Bleaklow – Visit two of the Peak District’s three highest points on the 10 miles Bleaklow walk from Old Glossop.
Longdendale Trail – 6.5 mile walking/cycling trail on the former Woodhead Railway Line. Check out the reservoirs near Tintwistle in this area too, and maybe swing by The Bulls Head for a well deserved rest.
Kinder Scout – 8 miles walk to the peak beginning from the nearby village of Hayfield.
Mam Tor – A very popular 3 mile circular walk with gorgeous views of the Peak District. Parking can get very busy for this walk and the village of Castleton – we recommend setting off early for this one.
Trans Pennine Trail – This is a long one, but you can walk sections of it, especially if you’ve brought 2 cars. A multi-user trail, braided in parts, following former railway lines, canal towpaths and other waterside routes, linking the urban areas of Hull, Doncaster, Barnsley, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Other outdoor activities

Mountain bike trails can be found here.
Clay pigeon shooting at either Old Glossop Clay Shooting Ground or Boarclay’s Shooting Ground.
Hire bikes from the nearby Derwent Cycle Hire
Rock Climbing can be found via 27 Crags or arranged with Pure Outdoor.
Go Ape is nearby in Buxton.
Sail Glossop run sailing and other water sports nearby.

Places of culture

Places of culture to visit nearby include:
Buxton – Spa town in the heart of the Peak District and home to the stunning Pavillion Gardens.
Matlock – Attractive historic spa town with many cafes and antiques/interiors shops
Matlock Bath – Next to Matlock. Like a seaside town but on a river. Head here for a day of amusement arcades, ice cream, fish and chips, river walks and boating – we love it!
Castleton – Beautiful village lying in lee of Mam Tor. A lovely day to be had here walking the impressive landscape, exploring caves and the castle ruins, and enjoying a few drinks.
Poole Cavern – Spectacular natural cavern with crystal formations and vast illuminated chambers.
Blue John Cavern – home to the beautiful and ornamental Blue John stone. Traditional mining and jewellery making still take place here.
Edale – Small village at the start/end of the Pennine Way
Chatsworth House – Sprawling stately home and grounds where the film Pride and Prejudice was filmed. Also has a farm and extensive play area.
Lyme Park – A National Trust property featuring a mansion house and formal gardens, set within a large park with free roaming deer.

Other activities nearby

For an alternative evening out, why not check out whether our tiny local theatre, The Partington, has a play on during your stay. It’s an active community theatre, showing a wide variety of genres. With tickets usually around £10 each and a well-stocked bar, it’s well worth a visit. Nearby New Mills Art Theatre is also worth checking out.
Manchester City Centre – 30 minutes on the train from Glossop. Shopping, museums, theatres, galleries and an extensive selection of great restaurants and bars.
The Trafford Centre – 40 minutes drive. Including -shopping, restaurants, cinema, Sea Life Centre aquarium, Legoland Discovery Centre, Chill Factore indoor ski slope, Dino Falls mini golf.
Stockport town centre – 20 minutes drive. Good variety of high street shops, large new cinema complex, loads of homeware stores at the Peel Centre.

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