The Malthouse

Such a lovely stay, and the place was really clean.

There was even a spare room in this gorgeous house, with plenty of space for 12 adults and an infant. We might have made more use of the outdoor area in sunnier months. WiFi was limited, and the heating system took a little figuring out. The host shared loads of useful local information, and the house was handy for lots of nearby attractions. We'd love to come back.

You can see some of the mill machinery through a glazed panel on the lower floor, and many of the original wood beams are still in place. The mill race runs underneath the house, making quite a noise as it drops from a very full mill pond right beside it. Scarthin takes you on a short walk from the front door to the village centre, and Matlock, Cromford Mills and the High Peak Junction are easy to reach.

The main issue for us was the rubbish outside. There were lots of bin bags left by previous groups and a large bin overflowing on the driveway. Neighbours complained that it was blowing onto the street, and after we contacted sykes cottages to ask them to arrange collection with the owner, we never heard back. The neighbours thought we'd left it there, and we also didn't get any welcome or even a call from the owner to see how things were going. Inside, quite a lot of the cutlery and plates were dirty, and the furniture, especially the sofas and carpets, looked worn. Still, it's a beautiful cottage in a nice area. Fifteen of us, including kids, stayed three nights without space problems. There are three kitchens and plenty of bathrooms, and it was clean and nicely presented. The waterfall, pond and children's play area outside were lovely. It was easy to find by sat nav and a decent distance from attractions like heights of abraham, Dovedale and three shire's head. I would recommend it, though these issues could easily be sorted out.