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Welcome to Candlelight Cottage (sleeps 4) a 5-star luxury self catering holiday cottage in the heart of the Peak District, close to Derbyshire's Bakewell, Buxton and Chatsworth House.
Candlelight Cottage is a romantic, oak beamed cottage overlooking the green in the picturesque village of Litton. Recently renovated and beautifully furnished to a very high standard, our 5 star self catering cottage accommodates up to 4 guests, providing all the home comforts and modern conveniences you would expect and more. A peaceful retreat, with soft leather sofas, AGA and luxury bathroom with separate shower, Candlelight Cottage is the perfect central base for sightseeing, walking, caving, fishing, climbing, cycling, sailing or simply getting away from it all.
On arrival, you can expect a personal welcome and complimentary welcome pack including locally sourced products and fresh flowers.
Peak District maps, leaflets and books are provided for guests' use and with miles of beautiful footpaths from the front door, the only difficulty is deciding where to go first!
The village of Litton lies near the heart of the Peak District, one mile east of Tideswell, five miles from Bakewell, eight miles from Buxton and less than 20 miles from Sheffield.
The perfect holiday location .... situated almost where the White Peak and Dark Peak meet, Litton is ideally placed for walks through limestone dales such as Dovedale, Millers Dale, Monsal Dale and Lathkill Dale or across gritstone edges and moorland such as Stanage Edge, Kinder Scout and Bleaklow. Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, Bakewell, Buxton, The Pennine Way, Limestone Way and many cycle trails are all close by.
Litton village is peaceful and unspoiled and life seems to move at a slower pace. The people are friendly and welcoming and the village shop serves delicious home made cakes and local ice cream. Sit outside The Red Lion pub in summer or in front of blazing open fires in winter and enjoy the superb quality of its food and beer. There is everything you need here for an unforgettable holiday. So easy to reach by public transport or by car, Candlelight Cottage, Litton is the perfect place to take a break and spend time with someone special.
Candlelight Cottage (sleeps 4) is the perfect self catering retreat. With every convenience you could require it's been rated 5 star by enjoyEngland.com.
The spacious oak beamed sitting room enjoys fine views over Litton village green. Chinese prints adorn the walls and there are soft leather sofas in which to relax.
The feature stone fireplace houses a natural coal effect gas stove lending the room an atmosphere of total comfort and warmth. A 32" flat screen colour TV, video and DVD recorders are provided along with a radio/CD player, iPod docking station and a selection of games, DVD’s, videos, maps and tourist information.
The sunny, south facing dining kitchen is fully equipped with ceramic hob, oven, microwave, fridge, dishwasher and washing machine.
The pine shutters, slate tiled floor and AGA stove give this room a feel of real character and warmth making it the ideal place to cook and dine.
Stairs lead up from the kitchen to the bathroom and two bedrooms (sleeps 4).
The double bedroom faces south and looks out over the patio garden and fields beyond. The pine shutters have been retained and the Victorian style double bed, gives the room further character. The room benefits from a double fitted wardrobe in distressed pine with further storage above. A radio alarm clock, hairdryer and a shaver plug are also provided. The candelabra lights in both bedrooms may be dimmed to add further atmosphere.
The twin bedded room enjoys views of the village green and Litton Edge, one of the many walks possible from the cottage. The whole village green is planted with spring bulbs and in May the view is filled with cherry blossom. Inside, the Victorian cast iron fireplace has been retained as a decorative feature and a radio alarm clock and shaver plug are provided. To ensure your comfort, a choice of winter or summer weight duvets is available.
The newly installed bathroom is fully tiled and features a bath, separate shower cubicle, Edwardian style suite and heated towel rail.
A stable door leads from the kitchen out into an enclosed and very private patio style garden. Garden furniture and a BBQ are provided in summer.
Stairs lead out of the kitchen down to the utility room, which houses the tumble dryer, deep freeze, and other utility items. Ample space is available here for the storage of luggage and the drying of boots and outdoor clothing.
At Candlelight Cottage we have tried to create a rural retreat with a real feel of luxury. Fabrics and furniture have been chosen to complement our Chinese and Thai silk pictures and each room has a charm of its own.
The house is fully centrally heated and hot water is available at all times. All windows have double glazing.
For the comfort of all our guests, we operate a strict NO SMOKING and NO PETS policy. Please be aware that, as in many other old properties, Candlelight Cottage has relatively steep stairs and some low beams. We regret that we cannot accommodate children under the age of 8 years.
Litton can certainly be described as one of the most attractive villages in the Peak District with many late 17th and early 18th century houses, full of charm and character set around a large village green where you can find an ancient cross, old wooden stocks and a quaint village pub.
Situated 4 miles northwest of Bakewell and 1 mile east of Tideswell, home of the Cathedral of the Peak, Litton has a particular charm of its own. The village Green is covered with daffodils in spring, followed in May by the cherry blossom and during the summer months visitors can picnic in the shade of leafy trees. At Christmas time the village sparkles with Christmas lights and the main Litton Christmas tree is positioned just opposite Candlelight Cottage.
Lying at 1,000 feet above sea level, almost at the very centre of The Peak District National Park, Litton offers all the advantages of a peaceful small village, whilst being only a 20 minute drive away from the towns of Buxton and Bakewell or the beautiful stately homes of Chatsworth and Haddon Hall. Superbly located in the midst of breathtaking scenery typical of the White Peak area of limestone dales, the village also provides an ideal base from which to visit the wild moors and grit stone outcrops of The Dark Peak.
There are many excellent walks from the village, especially down Litton and Tideswell Dales to reach the River Wye near Water cum Jolly, or through Tansley and Cressbrook Dales to Monsal Dale and the famous viaduct at Monsal Head.
itton grew up around the lead mining industry, indeed there are many scattered remains of lead mining and small limestone workings to be seen in the fields today. Later, in the 18th century Litton had a flourishing hosiery industry, with many families working on stocking frames in their homes.
The village is mostly comprised of small cottages, originally inhabited by lead miners. There are however also some fine larger houses such as Holborn House (1639), Hammerton House (1768) and Clergy House (1723). In 1865 a combined school, church and library was built in the centre of the village and is still used as the village school today.
Candlelight cottage is believed to date from the 18th century and began its life as two separate cottages. Later the two cottages were knocked together and used as a village shop. We have a photograph taken around 1900 showing the cottage as a shop, with the owners standing proudly outside. When the cottage was renovated recently, we discovered the old shop window bricked up! All that remains today of the shop are the old meat hooks set into the kitchen ceiling.
Visitors to Candlelight Cottage spend a great deal of time here, chatting to the locals and sampling the menu. Some recent guests went every night for a week! The 17th century free house features in The Good Pub Guide and is renowned locally for the quality of its food and beer. Situated in the heart of the village, The Red Lion is just a 5 minute walk away from Candlelight Cottage and has a cosy and relaxing feel. The pub began its life as three cottages and in winter, the beamed rooms are kept wonderfully warm by log fires.
Open Monday to Thursday lunchtimes and evenings; Friday to Sunday open all day. A good selection of meals served lunchtimes and evenings (not Sunday evenings). We would advise you to book or arrive early at peak times. (Telephone 01298 871458.)
In such a small village, it is unusual to have a shop let alone an award winning shop!
After the closure of Litton’s last shop, a number of villagers formed a friendly society, renovated the old village smithy and The Litton Community Shop was born. It was the first village owned and run shop in Derbyshire and later that year, the shop project won a Peak Achievement Award from the National Park Authority.
Ten years on, the shop/post office is thriving. Mainly run by volunteers, it provides a real focal point and meeting place for local residents and visitors alike.
The shop stocks a broad range of items including several locally made products. (Don’t miss Bradwell’s ice cream!) Prices are competitive with local supermarkets and there is also a newspaper delivery service. Visitors can sit outside with their tea and cake, watch the world go by and enjoy views of Litton Edge.
Every year in late June, Litton has its Well Dressing festival. Celebrations last all week with May Pole dancing displays by local school children and Morris Men, local brass bands and several other events
Running above the village to the north is Litton Edge from where there are beautiful aerial views over the village below. From the Edge it is easy to see the various ancient field systems which surround Litton. Most fields are long and narrow and are the result of the Enclosure Acts of 1760 and 1830 when strips of much larger fields were allocated to individual families to farm. Reverse s-shaped fields date from medieval times and the more rectangular fields away from the village, from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Across the fields from Litton, are the spectacular limestone dales of Tideswell Dale, Tansley Dale, Ravensdale and Cressbrook Dale. Cressbrook Dale is an SSSI or Site of Specific Scientific Interest, renowned for its exceptional wild flowers. Some of the flowers such as birdsfoot sedge are very rare and in spring the sides of the dales are completely covered with Early Purple Orchids, Leadwort, and Cowslips. Later in July, it is the turn of Common Spotted Orchids, and other rarer orchids such as the Frog Orchid and Burnt Orchid can sometimes be seen.
At the top of Cressbrook Dale you will also discover a strange rock formation known as Peter’s Stone. This huge outcrop was formed over thousands of years, as part of the surrounding land slowly slipped away.
Peter’s Stone however is also known by the more grisly name of Gibbet Rock. On top of the rock, the bodies of those who had committed serious crimes were hung from a gibbet in a cage, as an example to others. The last person to suffer this fate was a 21 year old man called Anthony Linguard in 1815.
Another gruesome story from times past is that of Litton Mill, located 2 miles away from Litton village along the river Wye. Founded as a cotton mill in 1782 the mill owners Ellis Needham & Co cruelly mistreated the young apprentices, many of whom died due to the appalling working conditions, poor food and beatings. In order to cover up the high levels of mortality amongst the paupers and orphaned children who mainly made up the workforce, the owners had their bodies buried in several different locations. For many years the mill lay empty, but a few years ago it was converted into apartments.
There are countless visitor attractions in the area; far too many to mention here. At Candlelight Cottage we provide organised folders full of leaflets covering museums, theme parks, gardens, arts and crafts, railways, music and the arts, food and drink and shopping to name but a few. If there is something special you want to do during your visit, do let us know beforehand. We will be only too willing to help with information or put you in touch with other organisations.
Tel 01433 631528
www.candlelightcottage.co.uk
Derbyshire self catering holiday cottages