Milldale, 24A Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1ES

This apartment is absolutely breathtaking, spotlessly clean, well equipped, very comfortable and relaxing. Added bonus of an allocated private parking space.

The bottle of wine and box of chocolates left for us was a lovely, thoughtful extra.

Ideally situated overlooking the Market Place, there are plenty of pubs and eateries to cater for all ages & tastes.

If you're a bit of a history head like me, there are plenty of Elizabethan & Georgian buildings to admire, lots of tiny cobbled alley ways & nooks and crannies.

The surrounding countryside is outstanding, literally right on the doorstep.

We stayed at Milldale for one week but could happily have stayed longer. This first floor apartment is just off the main square, with private parking right outside the entrance door. It is one of four within Derbyshire House - two first floor and two second floor - accessed by a secure private entrance and a short flight of fairly steep stairs giving access to a spacious landing area. We had hesitated slightly because of the cost but we are so glad we went ahead. The pictures on Sykes Cottages website do not do it justice.

The apartment is immaculate and furniture and equipment were brand new. The lounge and kitchen have tall sash windows overlooking the square, perfect for people watching. Ashbourne is a busy town with lots of through traffic, including quarry traffic and large delivery vehicles, but this was not an issue for us. The square, with its pubs and chip shops, gets very busy and parking is very limited, hence the bonus of having our own dedicated space. The lounge is beautifully furnished and very comfortable, with high ceilings, tall windows, dining table, TV, wifi, even air con! The kitchen was equipped with everything you could need - a full range of cutlery, crockery and utensils, a microwave, electric hob and oven, fridge, toaster, dishwasher, even a wine fridge. The shower room has a large walk in shower. The bedroom, at the back of the building, had adequate storage, a wall mounted TV and yes, aircon. The bed was extremely comfortable and we slept very well. Before our arrival, the owner not only supplied an extremely useful online instruction manual, she also supplied a video showing exactly how to find the property. All in all, it was a wrench to leave when the time came. We have already booked again for September.

For reviews of the places we visited, see my individual reviews. A special mention though must be given to Bramhalls deli, a 2 minute walk around the corner, where we had excellent breakfast sandwiches on several occasions.