Peak District Staycation spot named as one of top five best in the UK

The people of Ashford-in-the-Water have another reason to feel proud this year – not only was it named as one of the prettiest villages in the UK earlier in 2021, it’s also home to one of the country’s most desired staycation spots.

The idyllic Grange Barn was listed as the fifth most viewed self catering holiday accommodation on the Independent Cottages website during 2021. The top spot was occupied by Monnington House in Herefordshire, with Norfolk’s Bimblebox Barn in second place. Third place was taken by Well Furlong Cottage in The Cotswolds, while Dutch Barn came in fourth (also located in The Cotswolds).

It’s not difficult to see why Grange Barn is so widely desired as a holiday destination. Well away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life (although not too far) with plenty of expansive landscapes to gaze upon from its windows, it’s certainly an ideal place to visit if you need to relieve some stress.

Staycations were a very popular thing in 2021, due to the many travel restrictions in place for much of the year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While travelling internationally wasn’t a viable option for many, going on holiday within the confines of the UK provided a strong alternative.

They’re set to remain as a trendy excursion, too. Independent Cottages stated that roughly 25% of all their enquires during the summer of 2021 were related to staycation bookings in 2022. The Peak District should benefit from this financially – last year, it saw a bigger growth in popularity (in terms of people wanting to spend their holidays there) than anywhere else in Britain.

The affordable staycation locations are the ones that are usually in the highest demand. Due to this, UK staycations appear more expensive than they actually are to people browsing – often, all that is left are the luxury staycation spots, which are naturally very pricey. Basically, if you’d like an affordable staycation, your best bet is to act quickly.