Barks Cottage, Barks Bungalow, Moneystone, Froghall, Staffordshire, ST10 3DX

We booked this 4-night break at Barks Cottage to spend the last week of the summer holidays with our 2 young kids and our dog.

We booked Barks Cottage because they allowed dogs and also gave you the option to leave your dog in the property which a lot of holiday lets do not allow. This was our dog's first holiday and also the first time we had booked somewhere to stay in the UK as we usually travel abroad.

We traveled 6 hours and arrived at the property around 6pm as you could not check in until 5pm.

When we arrived at the property no one was there to greet us or give us a key to the accommodation. We tried to contact the owners via phone for 3 hours and could not get a hold of them.

We found out from a neighbour who tried to help us gain access to the property that the owners were on holiday.

Unfortunately, we were not able to use the property and any of its amenities as we could not get into it.

We did try to arrange accommodation elsewhere locally however, as it was a bank holiday, there was no availability and most places did not take dogs.

At 9pm, after trying to contact the owners but to no avail, we decided to give up and head home as the holiday was effectively ruined.

We were halfway home before we heard from the owners of the property with the information regarding the key access but by this point, we were not willing to turn back again to the property. The one week we took off with our children had been ruined.

During the time we were meant to be at the property we were going to visit Alton Towers and Waterworld but instead had to get refunds for them.

We would not recommend booking this accommodation due to our awful experience.

We (my wife, toddler, dog and myself) stayed for two weeks. It was a great stay and an ace property in a good location - excellent value for money especially if you book direct.

Location. Good for the Peak District (Chatsworth/Bakewell 45 minutes drive; Ilam/Dovedale 20 mins); good for some great country walks in Staffs including from the door and via a short drive (eg National Trust Hawksmoor); and good for Alton Towers too (not our bag but it is close by). Cheadle (larger supermarkets, takeaways etc) is 15 minutes? drive. Some really lovely walks and tea shops nearby (Froghall wharf / Hettie?s was our favourite). For young ones the Peak District Wildlife Park is a short drive away and the nearest pub is less than two miles? walk.

Property. Very very clean. Well looked after and if you need any equipment etc (eg for the kitchen) the owners are next door and can help. Very comfortable. Good outdoor area and access to large field at back to exercise the dog. Lovely sitting out of an evening enjoying a glass of wine on the terrace.

I?d strongly recommend this as a place to stay especially if you haven?t visited this very pretty part of the world before. I don?t give five stars lightly but it was really nice.

We stayed at the cottage at the beginning of September and it is situated in a fantastic location, which is very peaceful and serene. The cottage is fantastic to use as a base to travel around to all the surrounding villages, peak district and Alton Towers which is right on your doorstep. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

We had a really lovely week, cottage in such a beautiful setting. So tranquil and yet 10 mins drive from shops, Alton towers etc.

We are a family with a small dog and teenagers and we discovered that Barks offered us everything and more. With Alton Towers a short 10 minute journey away, we were able to drop the teens off at the very convenient Alton Towers drop off point (under 5 min walk to main entrance) and head off ourselves to explore the surrounding area - Dovedale Stepping Stones, the beautiful Trentham Gardens and the Ramblers Retreat in Dimmingsdale for a delicious lunch. We also took advantage of the dog walking service one day and joined our girls at Alton Towers which we thoroughly enjoyed. We booked directly with Catherine and James via their website and found them very easy to deal with and so accommodating. The bottle of Prosecco in the fridge when we arrived was a lovely touch and very well received. The cottage is surrounded by a lovely garden, perfect for sitting outside with a glass of wine after a busy day exploring. We found the cottage to be very clean and it had everything we needed. We will definitely return. It is perfectly situated for Alton Towers, exploring the beauty of the surrounding areas or if you're just looking for somewhere to chill, relax and recharge in the peaceful hamlet of Moneystone.

Lovely cottage very well equipped and clean, James and Catherine the owners are lovely and really helpful.

We stayed for 4 nights and being dog friendly was a real bonus, we also made use of the dog sitting service provided by the owners, which allowed us to visit Alton towers!.

The cottage has lovely walks right on the doorstep with gorgeous tea rooms serving coffee and cakes.

Thank you James and Catherine for a lovely stay and we will definitely be coming back in the future

Lovely cottage. Clean and well-equipped. Convenient for Alton Towers and the Peak District. Had a really good week here

Loved the cottage, appreciated the wildlife, especially the owl. Fantastic location. 8 year old son & 14y.o daughter loved the holiday too. There are no fences, which if the description is read properly mentions this along with "free roaming fowl and livestock" if you have well trained & well behaved dogs/kids this should not be a problem. I arrived to the property & left the property in a clean state. If the previous guest had a problem then I am sure the owners would have done something about it. I found the owners very welcoming & pleasant

Set in a lovely quiet village near to lots of tourist areas but cottage is not as it appears in the pictures , overgrown at the front of the cottage , no fences to keep dogs in or out , so if your dog is used to freely roaming your secure garden at home this is perhaps not the place for you .neighbouring dogs, chickens and ducks roaming free and even come onto your patio area.

Extra hidden charges , house was filthy when we arrived and laughably enough you were told to make sure you left the house clean on departure or pay a £20 fee for the owners who liv

Spent several days here with my brother and sister-in-law over the New Year period and we all thought the cottage was lovely! Gorgeous walks in all directions, all the usual amenities and that log fire to give it a relaxing atmosphere. Would love to come back in the summer. Owners were very helpful and welcoming. Our kids had a lovely time.