Wall Building in the Garden | Fri 05 Mar 2010 |
|---|
This last week Colin Boynton our handy man, also poet, has been rebuilding the garden wall for us. He is making a superb job. We hope you enjoy it when you come to stay.
| |
Drive Repairs | Fri 05 Mar 2010 |
|---|
The weather has played havoc with our farm drive which we share with our Treking neighbors. We have spent 2 days repairing the ruts. Lets hope the weather is kind to us and the repairs last a long time. Keep the speed down when entering the farm. Thank you.
| |
The Show Calf | Wed 24 Feb 2010 |
|---|
7 year old William had his first trial at 'showing' a Pedigree Holstein Calf, Ear Tag No UK 162970 400821 D.O.B. 01/03/2009 Named 'Bassettwood Devil Jeanette' at The Manifold Show, where he came 1st. Later on in the year he tried again at The Ashbourne Show and came 3rd.
The calf's dam Bassettwood Ramses Jeanette has just had another heiffer calf. I wonder if she will be as good as the first one?
| |
New Year | Tue 02 Feb 2010 |
|---|
A Happy New Year. What a start with the cold snowy and icy days and nights! The tractors wouldn't start and the water tanks and troughs all frozen up. The days started with some thawing out and keeping the water running. At least the cows and sheep were well fed and bedded down. Two calves were born during the month and they were soon up and skipping around. Susan, one of the longhorns, who is 15 years old has just produced another cracking bull calf but with her having big teats, he calf had to have a helping hand with the suckling. Oh well! all in a days work
| |
looking forward to spring | Wed 27 Jan 2010 |
|---|
The snow has gone at last and we can get about and do our jobs. Snow creates such a wonderful splendid scene of beauty but for farms it can create serious problems for the animals such as the sheep who are still out and need daily feeding by the farmer regardless of the difficulties of getting to them. Water troughs get frozen, water pipes get frozen and burst leaking valuable water which has to be paid for. Now is the time to clean up once the snow has gone. Snow drops are on their way and we have a wonderful display every year to cheer us up. Then the daffodils to look forward to. Great news we have been given Gold Awards for our Church Farm & Dale Bottom Cottages for exceptional standards which makes all our hardwork worth it.
www.dovedalecottages.co.uk | 
|
After the snow | Mon 18 Jan 2010 |
|---|
A belated happy new year but haven't had time beforehand. Our son went off skiing after Christmas and missed all the fun and work of snow shifting and thawing the cows frozen water bowls. At this time of year we only have 2 horses outside who coped very well but we had to keep making sure the lane was clear as our milk tanker comes every day. They only missed 1 day so 3 cheers to them. We had to go to the vets one snowy Saturday (luckily we have a landrover) and it was lovely to drive along peaceful quiet roads. The rain came at the weekend and it's amazing how quickly the snow went; just a bit left under the walls. The evenings are starting to draw out so Spring will be here before we can blink!!
www.shawfarmholidays.co.uk | 
|
Snow Snow Snow | Thu 07 Jan 2010 |
|---|
We have lots of snow great for sledging, very pretty for photography
On the farm it makes a lot of work, everyday we have to dig our way into all the cow shed to feed and bed them.
On the bright side we have had a lot of female calves born with good pedigrees this ensure the future of the herd.
Deliveries of cattle feed are due tomorrow we hope the lorries can get throught the snow!!
| 
|
Winter in the peak District | Wed 06 Jan 2010 |
|---|
We have had just had the first real snow of the winter, it as made the farm and surrounding area beatiful and perfect for walking. You could not ask for brighter days for exploring the footpaths and to catch sight of breathtaking views from losehil ridge.
In a few weeks we will be welcoming our first lambs of the year hope fully the snows will have gone and the new born lambs will be able to go into the fields.
www.riding-house-cottages.co.uk | 
 |
Freddie the 8 foot snowman | Sat 02 Jan 2010 |
|---|
Our New Year Cabin guests were surprised to wake up to a heavy snow fall this morning, they set about building a new friend 'Freddie' the 8 foot snowman. He peers over the fence from the paddock watching for a new guest to arrive. Their friend had unfortunately got stuck in the snow, so I had to go out on the tractor to find them. Fortunately they managed to get here in the end.
Snow falls in the Peak District of this amount are very unusual these days, but with the use of shovels, road salt and the tractor we have managed to make sure all our festive guests have got here and enjoyed the seasonal
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Belted Galloways arrive at Hoe Grange | Sat 07 Nov 2009 |
|---|
Those who follow the diary will have heard of Ruby, the red calf sold at our farm sale.
We hear that she is doing really well, and is being halter trained.
As she was a dairy cow rather than a beef breed, I promised Felicity when she was sold that I would get a more suitable replacement- in fact two of them.
We have taken delivery two rare breed Belted Galloway heifers
They are about 18 months old and not ready for breading until next year. They are quite friendly and look a bit like like cuddly stripey Teddy bears.
They havenât yet got names, so any suggestions are more than welcome.
Book now to come and meet them!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
The sun always shines at at Dannah Farm!! | Sun 11 Oct 2009 |
|---|
Proof that it's always sunny and warm at Shottle! Our passion flower has gone crazy this year and has actually produced a fruit. Not sure if it's true, but an old friend who lived in Florida for many years tells us that this is a pretty rare event even for that part of the world. Hopefully the Indian summer we are experiencing will give us enough sun for the fruit to ripen so we can say that we grow and eat our own passion fruit at Dannah!
www.dannah.co.uk | 
|
Hoe Grange Holidays - Bronze Award | Thu 08 Oct 2009 |
|---|
We are delighted to have received the Enjoy England Excellence Bronze Award for Best Self-catering Holiday in the East Midlands. It was amazing to be in the top three in the region for the third successive year, a great achievement. Thanks must go to all our guests for their constructive feedback that has helped us improve our service and maintain such high standards. We promise that our next log cabin will be just as first rate!
Quality from the heart! Come and stay in our award winning, cosy log cabins and discover the delights of Derbyshire for yourself.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
While the sun shines | Fri 25 Sep 2009 |
|---|
Well we're now at the end of September and what a lovely dry month it's been.July and August were wet, wet, wet! with one or two dry days. We managaged to do silaging at the end of August. Some went in the main pit for the milking cows to chomp their way through this winter and we made some into round bales which get fed to the youngstock as well as the cows. We have just finished repairing some field drains with it being dry. I think because we use contractors to do our silaging and their machinery is much bigger than ours, the drains in the field (which are not very deep) get crushed, so the water comes to the surface. The little chick is growing well (still not sure of the sex) and a hen has decided to sit on some more eggs so watch this space.
www.shawfarmholidays.co.uk | 
|
Flash - a new arrival at Hoe Grange | Tue 15 Sep 2009 |
|---|
Life with farm animals is full of ups and downs, loss of life and new arivals. Last week we sadly lost our Black Rock hen â she simply disappeared without a trace. We donât know where she went, whether she got stuck somewhere, or whether the fox visited, but unlikely as none of the other hens went missing and there were no feathers? We thought she might reappear, but sadly not.
However on a more positive note we fetched our new Aberdeen Angus pedigree bull today called Ivymoor Flash from a local breeder, Mr Mellor at Longnor. As you can see from the photo he is a handsome youngster and we intend to use him to raise the standard of our stock and produce quality cross bred beef calves for rearing and finishing.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Dannah Farm Summer Competiton Winner | Sun 06 Sep 2009 |
|---|
Our Summer competition was to guess the combined birth-weight of the 2 newest members to the Slack family.
Congratulations to Susan Peart who correctly guessed the combined birth-weight of Hannah and Edward at 15lbs 5ozs. Hannah Was 8lbs 11ozs and Edward 6lbs 10ozs. We had a huge response to the competition with guesses ranging from a minute 5lbs 4ozs to a whopping 19lbs 8ozs!!!
Several people did guess correctly though, and as you can see from the photograph, on saturday 5th September Hannah picked out the winning entry. (We managed to wrestle it from her just before she ate it!)
Susan has won a two night, midweek stay, in the room of her choice, with exclusive use of the "Leisure cabin" for one of the days during her stay. A prize with a value in excess of £450
We are in the process of deciding what our winter competition will be so WATCH THIS SPACE!!!
www.dannah.co.uk | 
|
A new door opens at Hoe Grange | Sat 01 Aug 2009 |
|---|
As one door closes another opens at Hoe Grange. As the Friesian dairy herd has been dispersed a new project has begun - fantastic news, planning permission has been granted for 2 more self-catering log cabins. We intend to build the first one ready for spring 2010. The new Rainster cabin will offer the same excellent accessible facilities as our current Hipley cabin, with level thresholds throughout, full wet room shower and mobile hoist hire, not to mention the fantastic scenic views.
Why not be the first to book!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
End of an era at Hoe Grange | Mon 20 July 2009 |
|---|
Over 60 years of dairy farming has final come to an end at Hoe Grange. With the introduction of new slurry storage regulations, which would mean an investment of approximately £75, 000, falling milk prices and increased cost of production, David and Felicity sadly decided to pull out of Dairy farming. A dispersal sale was held on the farm on 17th July which was attended by hundreds of potential buyers. First of all the surplus and old machinery was auctioned, with a top price being for a '05 reg' tractor and loader selling for £19, 750, after the machinery the milking equipment was sold and then the dairy cows and calves. Bidding was brisk for all the stock with the top priced cow selling for £2100 and calves between £350 and £700. All in all, a very successful sale.
Don't worry there is still plenty to see at Hoe Grange with over 100 beef cattle, chickens, horses and soon to be sheep, as well as all the wild life and fantastic scenery.
It does seem very strange though, not to get up at the crack of dawn to milk the cows!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Enjoy England Excellence Award Selection | Tue 30 June 2009 |
|---|
Fantastic news! Hoe Grange Holidays has been shortlisted for the Enjoy England Excellence Awards 2009 for the Best Self-catering Holiday category. Can't wait to find out how we fare at the awards ceremony in October.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | |
It's a wrap! | Fri 26 June 2009 |
|---|
We were slightly later harvesting this year due to several factors, but mainly as we are sadly giving up milking dairy cows in favour of rearing beef cattle the silage we shall need for the winter needs to be dryer and have more roughage. As a result of leaving the grass to grow there was too much to pile into the silage pit and we had to round bale the rest. We were lucky with the sunshine and managed to get it all done before it got wet. I just count myself lucky that I am a modern farmer and that our harvesting has only taken a couple of days and not a couple of weeks as in days gone by â imagine having to wait for enough good weather to make hay and turning it all by hand!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Old House Farm 2009 | Thu 11 June 2009 |
|---|
We now have a graduate in Environmental Science in the family which will be useful.
The cottages have been quieter through the winter than usual I think due to the uncertainty around the credit crunch. We are enjoying wonderful sunshine and the cows love it they are baskin in the fields. The swallows are busy diving around the farm. We were sheeting the silage late one evening last week and watched some bats swishing to and fro.
We have a lot of cows and heifer due to calve in the next couple of weeks.
www.oldhousefarm.com | 
|
Catch up at Shaw Farm June 2009 | Wed 10 June 2009 |
|---|
Well we are now in June and what a funny old Spring it's been. April and May turned themselves around so April was so good the cows were out in the day (we were getting short of silage so this helped make it last) and then May was cold and showery which stopped the grass growing well (except on the caravan lawns!!) so the cows weren't out all the time until the middle of the month.The shed where they are housed in the winter was then cleaned and washed out. Silage is made by contractors and they managed to get it in last week before the weather broke.
One of the hens was sitting on an egg and yesterday a chick emerged I hope it's a female as 3 cockerals is more than enough especially at this time of the year when they compete to see who has the loudest crow. Luckily they are not early risers!!
We bought an Aberdeen Angus bull last week which is in quarantine at present as we don't normally buy animals in so we have to make sure he has no disease he could pass on to the cows. He will be used to serve the young cows.
www.shawfarmholidays.co.uk | 
|
Hot Air Balloon lands at Hoe Grange | Tue 02 June 2009 |
|---|
What a surprise this morning when a hot air balloon landed in our front field. It was the most gorgeous sunny morning, the hottest day of the year so far and this enormous red balloon just floated slowly over the hill and landed gently in front of us. They were extremely lucky as we had only just finished sileaging the day before!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
New accessible facilities at Hoe Grange | Wed 20 May 2009 |
|---|
Our accessible facilities at Hoe Grange now include a high back, high seated comfortable armchair in our Hipley cabin. An ideal addition for those who find it difficult to get up out of a low seated soft sofa. The chair was kept in our own lounge for several days before going up to the cabin and I have to say I found it extremely comfortable when sitting watching TV or reading - in fact it was so comfortable that David and I were fighting over it! Why not come and stay at Hoe Grange and try it out for your self!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Roman and Railway Ramble | Sun 26 Apr 2009 |
|---|
Stunning Sunday sunshine enabled 28 walkers to take a step back in time for a âRoman and Railway Rambleâ organised in partnership by Hoe Grange Holidays and Derbyshire County Council Rangers, as part of the Peak District Walking Festival. The 6 mile ramble passed through Royston Grange, once a monastic farm used mainly for food production, but which dates further back to Roman times with evidence of the Roman field system. The walk continued up the valley onto the High Peak Trail, one of the first railways to be built as early as1831 and based on canal engineering principles; it serviced the limestone quarries essential for the new manufacturing era in Industrial Britain. The final stop was the Neolithic burial mound at Minninglow, an amazing tumulus encircled by trees with stunning views over as far as Cannock chase. Ramblers then enjoyed a farmhouse cream tea back at Hoe Grange Holidays, with homemade and local produce, including biscuits from award winning Taste of the Moorlands Bakery. The Festival continues until 4th May - see www.visitpeakdistrict.com/pdwf for details of other events.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Dannah chosen for cover of AA's Best B&B Guide | Mon 13 Apr 2009 |
|---|
An image of Dannah Farm's Granary Suite has been chosen by the AA to be used on the front of their Britain's Best B&B Guide 2009
www.dannah.co.uk | 
|
"Egg"citing News for Easter | Fri 10 Apr 2009 |
|---|
"Egg"citing news at Hoe Grange Holidays as our new free range chickens lay their first eggs in time for Easter. We have six different breeds including, a brown Warren, noted for their volume production, a native Derbyshire Redcap who is rather flighty, a White Sussex who has become chicken in charge, a Black Rock, a Speckled Lady and a fluffy Bluebell who is a gorgeous colour. They have settled in extremely well, are very easy to care for and produce the most wonderful bright yellow yolked eggs. Why not come and stay at Hoe Grange and meet the "girls" for yourself!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
2009 Spring update from Shaw Farm | Wed 01 Apr 2009 |
|---|
The cows were out for a short time in February with the sun on their backs and eating grass but the rains came and the cows came back in which is where they still are. Easter came with sun, gales and snow and the top picture was taken by a holiday maker in van 4 but hopefully if you visit you will see grass. The lighter evenings make a big difference to us especially when things go wrong and repairs need to be fixed before morning. One of our hens is sitting on some eggs and with having 2 cockerels we are hoping for some chicks. The 2 hens born on the farm last year are starting to lay. This is Wolfwitz enjoying some bread in the sunshine.
www.shawfarmholidays.co.uk | 
|
THE TINIEST LAMB EVER ?? | Tue 24 Mar 2009 |
|---|
Is the tiniest lamb ever to survive? One of our sheep had delivered good-sized twins and Vic could feel no more, so penned her up. On checking her 10 minutes later, he found in the pen another lamb, only this time a tiny scrap of a thing. Vic put it inside his jacket and brought it up to me - the lamb mother - to see what I could do with it. Vic could hold it in one hand, like a puppy. I wrapped it in a towel and placed it in the bottom oven of the Aga to warm up a tad. When I went to feed it with colostrum, it eagerly drank, although only a couple of teaspoons full. And so began the 2-hourly feeding vigil. Against all odds, this little one survived and thrived. I would clean its bottom by washing with soap and water and blowing with a hairdryer as its skin was just too tender to pull off the muck and it would have torn. The picture attached is when the lamb was around 3 weeks old. This story had a very happy ending as we eventually found someone who wanted to continue to rear her as a pet with their other pet lambs. It just goes to show that where there is life, there is hope.
www.cottageguide.co.uk/theorchards | 
|
Spring Sunshine at Hoe Grange | Mon 16 Mar 2009 |
|---|
It's difficult to believe how quickly Spring has come around again. I think this is he earliest we have ever let our milk cows out, but as you can see they have been enjoying the beautiful sunshine this week. It's fantastic to watch them kicking up their heels and rampaging around the field chasing one another after the long winter months inside, and there's nothing quite like a good scratch! Why not come and see our Friesian herd being milked when you stay in our cosy log cabins!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Lambing Time at Limestone View Farm | Wed 11 Mar 2009 |
|---|
Things are busy at Limestone View with lambing, with over 200 hundred sheep giving birth from now until mid May! Come and see the lambs being born or help out bottle feeding
We are also awaiting the arrival of baby goats, chicks and rabbits....so watch this space
Special offers available for short breaks
www.limestoneviewfarm.co.uk | 
|
Late Availability Special Offers | Tue 10 Mar 2009 |
|---|
We are now offering discounted late availability on many of our rooms. Each week a selection of late availability special offers will be added to our website. These offers are only available via the website. For further details please visit www.dannah.co.uk and follow the links to special offers.
www.dannahbooking.co.uk/ | 
|
Abominable Snow Man spotted at Dannah Farm! | Sun 08 Feb 2009 |
|---|
We awoke on Thursday morning to find an extra guest. Despite Martins best effort he refused to settle his bill!!
www.dannah.co.uk | 
|
Hunt at Hoe Grange | Sun 01 Feb 2009 |
|---|
Hoe Grange today played host to the Four Shires Hunt with their blood hounds, who followed a trail of about 20 miles in the Ballidon and Parwich area. But don't worry no foxes were harmed as this is a drag hunt and the hounds track the scent of a human runner, whose biggest risk to safty is being licked to death on being tracked down! They were lucky with the weather as the snow held off, but it was bitter and one of the coldest hunting days of the season. Our 3 horses were quite excited and Oliver wanted to join in and was racing round his field at top speed.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Gourmet meals for cows at Hoe Grange | Tue 27 Jan 2009 |
|---|
They say that "we are what we eat" - I hope this is true of cows as well as humans, as we have recently invested a rather large sum of money in a new feeder wagon at Hoe Grange. Basically this wonderful new machine is just like a giant food mixer so that we can chop and blend our sileage with other ingredients such as straw to give roughage and molases to improve palatability. The resulting blend is easy to digest and provides a high fibre diet that increases the quality and quantity of milk produced per cow. It is early days yet, but feeding is simple and it seems to be working - we will let you know if the proof is indeed in the pudding!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Happy New Year to all | Wed 07 Jan 2009 |
|---|
Well here we are at the start of another year and it's being a winter that we oldies remember as chidren. Snow on the ground, frost on the windows and for our cows means water bowls to unfreeze, at least the tractors are all starting as the diesel doesn't now freeze.The picture is of wild ducks on our frozen pond. I wonder if this means the summer will also turn out to be a proper one as last summer here; like a lot of the country was cold and wet, wet, wet.Christmas went well with all our vans full with families visiting relatives and one family thinking about living in a van so decided to try it out for a short break.
www.shawfarmholidays.co.uk | 
|
Drilling at Hoe Grange Holidays | Fri 21 Nov 2008 |
|---|
With the uncertain current economic climate we are all looking to increase efficieny and save costs. At Hoe Grange we are busy drilling deep into the limestone rock to create our own borehole, which will provide our very own water source. With a herd of 120 milking cows drinking up to 100 litres each a day we are hoping to make significant savings - currently the water meter seems to spin extremely fast! If the quality of the water proves soft enough we will also use the supply for our own farmhouse and holiday log cabins - next we will be bottling it and charging vast amounts of money - now there's an idea! No only joking.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Triple Awards for Hoe Grange Holidays | Fri 10 Oct 2008 |
|---|
David and Feicity are proud to have received the Enjoy England Excellence Silver Award for the Best Self-catering Holiday in the East Midlands for the second year running.
We are delighted to announce that we also achieved Bronze Awards in the "Access for All" and the "Best Tourism Website" categories - A huge thank you to all our guests for their feedback and encouragement that enabled us to attain not just one, but three prestigious awards against such stiff competition.
Why not come and try out our superb accommodation and hospitality for yourselves!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Going Green ! | Sat 09 Aug 2008 |
|---|
Fantastic news ! Hoe Grange Holidays has just received a Gold Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme. GTBS has been going for over 10 years and is the only green grading programme in the UK to be endorsed by VisitBritain and the International Centre for Responsible Tourism. Members have to meet rigorous minimal standards across a wide range of environmental factors, from efficient lighting and heating, to nature conservation, renewable energy, use of local produce and community involvement. We hope you agree that this award shows we are a trustworthy green holiday choice making significant efforts to reduce our environmental impact, so you can relax and enjoy your stay with us to the full. For more information see our website
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
summer harvest | Sat 05 July 2008 |
|---|
Life has been busy at Lockwood Hall Farm. We have now managed to get all our first crop of silage and this week just got the hay into the shed before it poured with rain - we were all very relieved that this year Peter decided to make the big bales of hay that have to be moved by tractors rather than the small ones we have to lift by hand!!!
We have a steady flow of cows having baby calves which our guests love to see and are just waiting for the wheat to ripen before we cut that.
The scenery round here is superb at the momment looking very green and lush and so the local wildlife continues to thrive, including the largest selction of birds coming to the garden in a long time and buzzards soaring above the valley.
| 
|
Families Welcome at Hoe Grange | Tue 01 July 2008 |
|---|
To give you extra confidence that you are booking quality accommodation which will meet your specific needs Hoe Grange Holidays has achieved the Quality in Toursim certification for "Families Welcome".
As part of the Families Welcome scheme we provide facilities including free cot and highchair hire and information on local attractions and events suitable for all ages. Children and adults alike are welcome to watch our Friesian cows being milked and find out all about modern farming. For more information on our larger family sized Pinder cabin see our website
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
June 2008 | Sat 07 June 2008 |
|---|
We have had a very busy spring re seeding 2 fields, and rebuilding gaps in the walls around the field boundaries.
Last week we had a barn fire and lost all our straw, what a frightening experience as the barn is situated at the centre of the farm buildings but the fire brigade worked hard to prevent the fire from spreading into conecting sheds.
Yesterday I watched 2 buzzards over our farm, it was very errie as all the skylarks and other small field birds disappeared, so it was very quiet. This must be a sign of global warming as buzzards are not historically up here we have seen them creeping nearer over the last few years.
Most of the cattle are out at grass now, we just have baby calves and cows close to calving housed.
We have just finished the first cut of silage grass for next winters feed, a good crop and reasonably dry so the men are happy.
Next week we will be busy spreading manure on the silage fields to promote the second cut of silage.
www.oldhousefarm.com | 
|
New woodland track for horse guests | Wed 04 June 2008 |
|---|
Now the farm spring field work has been completed at Hoe Grange there has been time to create a new track through the woods for our horse guests to use. A very pleasant short cut through the trees and bluebells that leads up to the High Peak Trail. As you can see, Robbie our little Welsh pony, has already tried it out.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Lama birth | Wed 04 June 2008 |
|---|
Emily has a son
Th young lama was born today with great fanfare, onlookers watched as the small body with long legs and neck struggled to stand
All is well
| |
Skye meets Puddle | Fri 23 May 2008 |
|---|
From the litter of Puppies that our Jack Russell Bitch, Tess, has recently had we gave one of them to our daughter Abbie as a birthday present.
On this occasion Puddle, the name given to the puppy, meets Skye our black labrador retriever whilst Tess, the mum, oversees the event. They all get on together exceptionally well and are always playing and wrestling with each other which is fortunate as they have to share the same family!
www.rushophall.com | 
|
New shoes for Jessie at Hoe Grange | Thu 22 May 2008 |
|---|
Jessie our 15.2h Cleveland Bay has just had new shoes ready for the arrival of several sets of guests bringing their own horses on holiday. It's fantastic to be able to combine my own hobby with business and show our guests the fantastic off-road riding routes around Hoe Grange. We are extremely lucky to have direct access to The High Peak Trail and some great bridleways, which provide circular routes. However I am a fair weather rider and if it's wet the guests are on their own!!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Good things come to those who wait! | Fri 16 May 2008 |
|---|
Tess, our 4 year old Jack Russell has finally had her puppies! We seem to have been waiting for a long time but I think that Tess was just waiting for that opportune moment - for the sun to shine down upon us at the top of our hill.
She has had 5 beautiful pups - 3 boys and 2 girls and they have all already got lovely homes to go to.
The black and white one is staying with us and is a present for our eldest daughter, Abbie, who takes her 'A' Level exams this summer. Good Luck Abbie! She has named her little dog "Puddle" which we hope is not a sign of things to come.
www.rushophall.com | 
|
Spring field work at Hoe Grange | Thu 15 May 2008 |
|---|
Depsite the changeable weather we have at last managed to finish the Spring fieldwork, by dodging the showers and working late. This year we have invested in a new type of chain harrows with spring tines which rip out all the dead grass, at 6 meters wide the job was soon done!!
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
The Deadline approaches | Mon 14 Apr 2008 |
|---|
19th April is the day when Fin, the horse purchased by The Riding for Ross charity, is entered into his first competition. Riden by Jan, he will be competing in a British Eventing Event at Kelsall Hill in Cheshire, comprising dressage, show jumping and cross country.
Whilst it will be Fin's first event Jan has assured us that it will be her last! She has never done anything like this before either which goes to show that you can teach an old dog new tricks!
www.rushophall.com | 
|
Spring Sunshine | Thu 10 Apr 2008 |
|---|
It is always a delight when the milk cows are let out to enjoy the spring grass for the first time. They love to gamble and kick up their heels and are incredibly agile as they race around and explore the fields in the sunshine. Why not come and watch our herd of Friesians being milked as part of your holiday at Hoe Grange?
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
New disabled facilities at Hoe Grange | Fri 21 Mar 2008 |
|---|
In addition to our excellent disabled facilites we are now able to offer the hire of an Oxford Advance mobile lifting hoist. There is plenty of space for manoeuvre in both bedrooms and the wet-room shower in our Hipley cabin.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
The BESST Time was had by ALL! | Thu 20 Mar 2008 |
|---|
Last week saw the christening of the Haybarn at Beechenhill Farm. We hosted the final conference of BESST- Business and Environment linked through Small Scale Tourism, a trans-national project involving Sweden, Norway and the Peak District.
So, we had local fish and chip supper, clog dancing, Norwegain National costumes and parades, Swedish Viking story telling, a Slow Food Lunch, a make-a-dog-out-of-newspaper-competition, a beacon lighting and a historic fashion show! The Haybarn fitted the bill perfectly! No wonder we are tired but happy this week.
www.beechenhill.co.uk | 
|
Has anyone seen my Mummy? | Thu 20 Mar 2008 |
|---|
Just in case you are wondering what I am, the answer is a baby Alpaca. The official word for baby from where I originate in South America (Peru in my mummy's case) is Cria.
I was born last summer to Cricket (so called because she was born whilst we were giving the Aussies a good thrashing during the last home Ashes series) and my name is Fergus.
You can see me at Rushop Hall with all my friends and relatives - there is a herd of 60 of us altogether including my dad, Nevada. I don't see much of him as he is always working!
www.rushophall.com | 
|
Pigs in muck! | Mon 17 Mar 2008 |
|---|
Our rare breed pigs (Saddlebacks in the picture) continue to do well despite the terrible weather that we have had just lately. In the picture they are shown enjoying a brief moment of respite in the sunshine. We have several different breeds on the farm including Saddlebacks, Mid Whites and Gloucester Old Spots. When on the farm we encourage our guests to get involved with the animals by helping with the feeding each evening.
www.rushophall.com | 
|
Life at Cote Bank Farm | Mon 17 Mar 2008 |
|---|
We have entered the 21st Century at last and now keep an online diary (blog!) to help our visitors see what we get up to in the heart of the Peak District and how beautiful it is here all year round. So click on the link below or on our own web site www.cotebank.co.uk
www.cotebank.blogspot.com | |
Lambing | Wed 12 Mar 2008 |
|---|
Riding House Farm is a working Farm of 140 acres. If you bring your wellies you will be able to see the newborn lambs in the Spring and even feed them. There is an abundance of wildlife around especially in our own seluded bluebell wood.
www.riding-house-cottages.co.uk | 
|
Film stars stabled at Hoe Grange | Thu 06 Mar 2008 |
|---|
An exciting week as Hoe Grange was home for 16 film horses, their riders and grooms whilst they were filming Wolfman at Chatsworth. It all seemed extremely glamorous until they had to get up at 3.30 in the morning to groom and muck out before leaving to be on set for dawn! Pictured is the stunning Sevilla, who has such a wonderful temperament that he is chosen to be riden by all the famous actresses. We liked Jimmy and Hendricks, two driving horses who amicably shared a stable all week.
www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk | 
|
Luxury Private Spa! at Dannah Farm Country House | Tue 01 Jan 2008 |
|---|
Our new luxury private spa, the "Leisure Cabin" is bookable for exclusive use, with any of our bedrooms. Private and secluded, The Cabin has a huge Canadian Spa Hot Tub set on a private terrace, a Finnish Sauna, double steam shower and luxurious living space. Available year round, it is the perfect way to spoil yourselves, winter or summer.
www.dannah.co.uk/pages/spa-facilities.php | 
|
|
