Knockerdown Cottages
Knockerdown Cottages is a cluster of sixteen stone self-catering cottages on one compact site in the Derbyshire Dales, on the southern edge of the Peak District and opposite Carsington Water reservoir. It's a self-catering base rather than a hotel or a holiday park: you cook in the cottage and plan your own days, with a heated indoor pool, a children's playground, a games room and a meadow shared across the site and included in the price. It suits families who want an indoor pool and cottage space near the Peak District, with day trips like Carsington Water and Alton Towers close by.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who Knockerdown suits, what's on site and what to skim first.
Knockerdown is one of the more affordable ways to get a heated indoor pool and a proper cottage in the Peak District without the theme-park feel of a big holiday park. The pool, open all year, is the biggest draw, and there's a playground, a games room and a meadow shared across the site. It's fully self-catering, so there's no restaurant or food service and every meal is cooked in the cottage, and there's no childcare, crèche or kids' club of any kind. Nine of the sixteen cottages take dogs. The whole site is laid with gravel and loose chippings, firm enough to push a sturdy pushchair over but not smooth. It's well reviewed by families who've stayed, and you'll get the most from it if you want self-catering flexibility with an indoor pool on hand and don't need organised childcare or dedicated toddler facilities.
Best for
You want a heated indoor pool and cottage space in the Peak District, self-catering flexibility and day trips like Carsington Water and Alton Towers close by.
Maybe not for
You want dedicated toddler facilities, organised childcare or a kids' club, smooth step-free paths throughout or a hotel with meals provided.
Best ages
Any age. Toddlers and older children get the most from the pool and playground; there's no childcare, so you supervise throughout.
What stands out
A heated indoor pool open all year, a playground the play-area cottages back onto and sixteen cottages sleeping from four to twelve.
What to check
Which cottage suits you for stairs and dogs, whether you need a travel cot and the Knockerdown Inn's early closing on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Where is it?
On one site in the Derbyshire Dales opposite Carsington Water, near Ashbourne, on the southern edge of the Peak District.
Quick facts for families
What Knockerdown is like
Where it sits, how the cottages are laid out and what the ground underfoot means with a pushchair.
Knockerdown is a single compact site of sixteen individually styled stone cottages in the Derbyshire Dales, near Ashbourne, on the southern edge of the Peak District rather than inside the national park. The setting is rural and working-farmyard in feel: converted stone buildings, gravel paths and views over the valley countryside to the south and east. Carsington Water reservoir is a five to ten minute walk from the gate, and the Knockerdown Inn pub sits directly across the road, with a gate linking the two. For more on the surrounding area, see our Peak District guide.
The cottages are arranged in two rough horseshoe clusters. One faces a courtyard, cobbled outside some doors, and the other faces the children's playground and meadow. For a family with young children, the playground cluster is the one to ask for, because those cottages open straight onto the play area from their back doors, something two family reviewers picked out. Parking is free on site, and you can drive to the cottage doors to drop off luggage before parking up, with two electric-car charging points on site as well.
The one thing to weigh before booking is the ground. The whole site is laid with loose chippings and gravel, with some cobbles outside the courtyard cottages, and it doesn't describe itself as pram-friendly, with no lifts or ramps. It's firm enough for an adult to push a sturdy pushchair across, but it takes some effort, and a baby carrier is often easier than a lightweight stroller. The site runs on its own private sewage treatment plant rather than mains drainage, which makes no difference day to day but explains the odd request not to put certain things down the drains.
The cottages, every one
All sixteen cottages, how many each sleeps and which suit a family with a baby or a dog.
There are sixteen cottages, sleeping from four up to twelve, so there's a good spread from a small family to two families or a larger group travelling together. The official site publishes no floor areas for any of them, so the table describes each by its bedrooms and layout rather than a size. Beds are configured as a super king or twins on request, with bunks a fixed second set where a cottage has them, and everything is made up before you arrive. One bath towel per person is provided for the stay.
| Cottage | Sleeps | Bedrooms and layout | Dog friendly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonsall | 4 | A ground-floor cottage with a king or twin bedroom plus bunk beds for two, and an en suite bathroom. | Yes |
| Middleton | 4 | Two bedrooms upstairs with a separate bathroom. | No |
| Ible | 4 | Two bedrooms upstairs with a separate bathroom. | No |
| Longshawe | 4 | Two bedrooms, both on the ground floor: one en suite, the other with a separate bathroom. | No |
| Alstonfield | 4 | Two bedrooms, the first with an en suite shower, the second with a separate bathroom. | Yes |
| Butterton | 4 | Two bedrooms, the first with an en suite shower, the second with a separate bathroom. | Yes |
| Callow | 4 | Two bedrooms, the first with an en suite shower, the second with a separate bathroom. | Yes |
| Dove | 4 | Two bedrooms, the first with an en suite shower, the second with a separate bathroom. | Yes |
| Edale | 4 | Two bedrooms, the first with an en suite shower, the second with a separate bathroom. | Yes |
| Wisels | 4 | Two bedrooms upstairs with a separate bathroom. | No |
| Bruns | 6 | Three bedrooms and one family bathroom, with bunks in the third and exposed beams and brickwork; it can interconnect internally with Sabinhay. | No |
| Sabinhay | 6 | Three bedrooms and three bathrooms, set over two upper floors and reached by a wooden staircase, with an electric-effect log burner; it can interconnect with Bruns. | No |
| Farwell | 8 | Four bedrooms and four bathrooms, one bedroom on the ground floor, open-plan living with French doors to a decked patio facing the meadow and play area; has a dishwasher. | Yes |
| Lendow | 10 | Four bedrooms and two bathrooms, with two bunk rooms and a ground-floor shower room; has a dishwasher and a dining table seating ten. | No |
| Two Dales | 11 | Four bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a ground-floor en suite bedroom and singles and a pull-out bed for the extra sleepers. | Yes |
| The Farmhouse | 12 | The original five-bedroom farmhouse with two bathrooms, a ground-floor bunk room and shower room, a working open fireplace, an American-style fridge freezer, a dishwasher and a dining table seating twelve. | Yes |
Ten cottages sleep four. Most of these have their two bedrooms upstairs with a bathroom, which is fine with an older child but means stairs with a baby. Two are the exceptions for a family who want a bedroom on the ground floor: Longshawe has both its bedrooms on the ground floor, and Bonsall is a ground-floor cottage that takes four with a king or twin and bunks. Among the dog-friendly fours, Alstonfield, Butterton, Callow, Dove and Edale sit by the playground.
For more space, Bruns and Sabinhay each sleep six and sit next to each other, and they can be interconnected internally to give two families sharing access across both, up to twelve. Sabinhay is worth a closer look before booking with a pushchair or anyone with mobility needs, as it's a first-floor apartment set over two upper floors and reached by a wooden staircase. Farwell sleeps eight with a ground-floor bedroom and a decked patio facing the meadow and play area, one of the play-area cottages. The largest are Lendow at ten, Two Dales at eleven and The Farmhouse at twelve, the original farmhouse with a ground-floor bunk room and a working open fireplace. Bunk beds in the bigger cottages suit older children more than toddlers. Check-in is from 4pm and check-out is 10am, and payment and cancellation terms are set out on the official site's single-cottage terms page, worth reading before you pay a deposit.
Kitchens, laundry and what's providedKitchens, laundry and what's provided
Every cottage has a fully equipped electric kitchen, with an oven, hob, fridge freezer, microwave, kettle, toaster and the crockery and cutlery you'd expect. There's no gas anywhere on site. The one kitchen detail worth planning around is the dishwasher: only three cottages have one, Farwell, Lendow and The Farmhouse, so in any of the others you'll be washing up by hand for the week. Baby plastic plates and cups aren't provided, so bring your own for a toddler.
Most cottages don't have their own washing machine. Instead there's a shared coin-operated laundry room on site, with two washing machines and a tumble dryer, so pack a supply of £1 coins if you'll need to do a wash. Every cottage has a TV with Freeview, Wi-Fi and electric heating, and reviewers rate the heating well on a cold Peak District evening.
The pool
The indoor pool that anchors a family stay, its rules and what to expect in a busy week.
The heated indoor pool is the facility most families come for. It's held at 29°C and open 8:30am to 6:30pm every day, closing only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, so it works in any season and gives a wet Peak District afternoon somewhere to go. Entry is by walk-in steps rather than a vertical ladder, which suits a toddler learning to stand in water, and there are unisex changing rooms opposite the entrance with shower cubicles and separate toilets. The exact depth isn't published in advance; it's signposted in the pool area, so read the signs before anyone gets in.
The pool is entirely unsupervised, with no lifeguard. Guests sign the pool rules and an emergency action plan on entry, and parents are fully responsible for watching their own children in and around the water. Children under sixteen must be with an adult at all times, both in the pool and in the games room. Swim nappies must be worn where needed, so pack them. External footwear, inflatables, balls, music, food, drink, glassware and pushchairs are all kept out of the pool area.
There's a cap of twenty-five people in the pool at once, and with up to around ninety guests on site at full occupancy, it can get competitive in the school-holiday peaks. It's first come, first served through the day, with no timed slots to book. If you want the calmest water with a baby or a nervous swimmer, aim for 8:30am opening or around five to six in the evening. In the quieter shoulder weeks it's much less of an issue.
Games room and outdoor play
Next to the pool is a games room with a pool table, table tennis and a football table, open until midnight. Table tennis is free; the pool and football tables take £1 coins, and under-sixteens need an adult with them. Outside, the children's play area has a wooden climbing frame with slides, swings, ladders, a climbing wall and a small "hobbit house", and it sits at the centre of the play-area cottage cluster. Beyond it is a large private meadow with valley views, open for a kickabout or a game of rounders but with no fixed equipment.
Around the site there are three barbecue areas, where you bring your own fuel and equipment. There's also an undercover cycle rack with a bike maintenance station of tools and a pump, plus a newly added enclosed dog run. There's no splash pad, water jets or separate paddling pool here; the indoor pool is the only water facility, so don't come expecting outdoor water play.
Eating in and eating out
There's no food service on site, so here's how self-catering works and where to eat out nearby.
Knockerdown is entirely self-catering. There's no restaurant, café or food service on site, so every meal is cooked in your cottage kitchen, and you'll want a stock-up shop on the way in. The nearest supermarkets are in Ashbourne, about 5 to 6 miles and ten minutes away; Wirksworth, a similar distance, is smaller.
The easy evening option without driving is the Knockerdown Inn, directly across the road and reached through a linking gate. It's a large pub restaurant with views over Carsington Water, a beer garden with a children's play area, a children's menu and dogs welcome throughout. It closes early on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check its hours for those nights. A short drive opens up more: The Miners Arms and the Mainsail Restaurant at Carsington, both with water views and family space, and The Red Lion at Hognaston are all five to ten minutes away. Ashbourne, ten minutes off, has takeaways covering Indian, Chinese, Thai, pizza and fish and chips, plus cafés and restaurants like the Lamplight, Café Impromptu and the Tunnel Café. A little further towards Matlock, fifteen to twenty minutes off, Maazi is a well-regarded Indian restaurant and Stones does modern British food with a riverside terrace.
For a bigger night out there are a few options twenty minutes or so away. The Royal Oak at Hurdlow is Knockerdown's sister pub, serving food from noon to 9pm daily with a children's menu, and Ye Olde Gate Inn at Brassington is a 17th-century pub named Britain's cosiest pub by The Times in 2011, with gastro food and booking advised. For upmarket dining there's Fischer's at Baslow, which holds AA 4 Red Stars and 3 AA Rosettes and is listed in the MICHELIN Guide with a Plate distinction rather than a star, and The Peacock at Rowsley, with a tasting menu on Friday and Saturday nights; both need booking and suit a child old enough to sit through a longer meal.
For babies and toddlersBabies and toddlers
This is a self-managed self-catering stay, so there's no childcare, crèche, kids' club or babysitting of any kind. A highchair without straps is available on request, and the missing straps matter: it's fine for a child who can already sit securely, but for a baby of roughly under six to nine months you'll want to bring your own strapped highchair or a portable seat. A travel cot isn't listed on the current official site, so don't assume one; if you need a cot, ask Knockerdown directly before booking or plan to bring your own.
A few other practicalities are worth packing for. Baby plastic plates and cups aren't provided, so bring your own. Swim nappies are required in the pool, whose walk-in steps make it easier for a toddler who can stand. For a family with a baby who want everything on one level, Longshawe and Bonsall are the ground-floor cottages to ask for. On the gravel and cobbles across the site, a sturdy pushchair or a baby carrier is more practical than a lightweight stroller.
Off siteThe area and days out
Carsington Water is the doorstep attraction, a five to ten minute walk from the gate with one road to cross. It's a 750-acre Severn Trent reservoir with a visitor centre café and shops, a large outdoor playground, bird hides, a wildlife centre and boat hire for fishing from March to November. Carsington Sport & Leisure at the reservoir runs bike hire, dinghy sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, raft building and paddleboarding, with introductory taster sessions if nobody's done it before.
Alton Towers is about thirty minutes away, and its CBeebies Land is aimed squarely at younger children, so it's the strongest single day trip for a young family here. Plenty more is within an easy drive. Gulliver's Kingdom at Matlock Bath, about fifteen minutes off, is aimed at under-twelves with a strong toddler rides section, and the Heights of Abraham cable car and caverns, a similar distance, suit a child from about three up for the cable car. Matlock Farm Park, twenty minutes away, has farm animals, an indoor play barn, go-karts and a café for any age, and Chatsworth House's farm and gardens, half an hour off, work well with young children thanks to a waterfall garden alongside the working farm. Crich Tramway Village, a short drive, has tram rides through a rebuilt period village suited to a child of about three and up, and Denby Pottery Village, also a short drive, is more of a family outing than a children's attraction, with pottery experiences and a factory shop. Poole's Cavern at Buxton, half an hour away, runs guided cave tours better suited to a child of about five and up, and the Dovedale stepping stones, twenty minutes off, are a flat toddler walk to a paddle rather than a hike. Go Ape at Buxton, about forty minutes away, has a minimum height that rules out children under about seven. On a wet day beyond the indoor pool, Peak Wildlife Park has indoor soft play and Matlock Farm Park has an indoor play barn, both handy given there's no soft play or kids' club on site.
For getting out on foot or two wheels, the site publishes local walks: the Carsington & Hopton route (5 miles, with some steady climbs, not one for a pram) and the Carsington Water circular (8.5 miles, easy and level, the most pram-friendly of the two). For cycling, the reservoir's 8.5km track is undulating enough that children need geared bikes, while the traffic-free Tissington Trail and High Peak Trail nearby are the smoothest family riding.
Dogs
Nine of the sixteen cottages take dogs: Alstonfield, Bonsall, Butterton, Callow, Dove, Edale, Farwell, Two Dales and The Farmhouse. The charge is £30 per dog, with up to two dogs per cottage. Dogs stay on a lead everywhere on site except the newly added enclosed dog run, which is communal and used at your own risk, and they can't be left alone in the cottage at any time. Five of the dog-friendly fours, Alstonfield, Butterton, Callow, Dove and Edale, are the ones by the playground.
How it compares
How it stacks up against the nearby Peak District parks, what guests rate, getting around, the journey in and the weather.
Knockerdown sits among a cluster of Peak District family parks, and the choice between them usually comes down to how much dedicated toddler kit you want against price and flexibility. Sandybrook, a nearby lodge park, has a dedicated toddler pool area and a toddler playroom, so it's the pick if toddler facilities are your priority. Darwin Forest and the Landal parks add soft play, hot tubs and a bigger park feel. Hoe Grange lends baby equipment free, including strapped highchairs and cots, and is the most comprehensively kitted for the very youngest. Where Knockerdown wins is on price for what you get, the walk to Carsington Water, the range of dog-friendly cottages, the spread of sizes from four to twelve and a pool that's open all year. It suits families with toddlers and older children who want an indoor pool in a self-catering cottage without the park feel, dog owners and two or more families combining cottages. It's a notch below Sandybrook for dedicated toddler facilities, though several of the stone cottages have exposed beams and older features a lodge park doesn't, and there's less of a holiday-park feel.
What guests sayLoves and gripes
This is our read across the family write-ups and guest sentiment, the good and the less good. It's well reviewed by families who've stayed.
What families love
- The warm, clean, walk-in indoor pool, open all year.
- The playground next to and visible from the play-area cottages.
- A strong base for day trips, Carsington Water and Alton Towers especially.
- The flexibility of self-catering, with no restaurant timetable to work around.
- The choice of dog-friendly cottages.
- The easy Carsington Water walk straight from the door.
Common gripes
- Some courtyard-cluster cottages feel contemporary rather than characterful.
- The pool can get busy in peak school-holiday weeks.
- Very light on-site staffing, so it's a self-managed stay.
- The gravel surface across the site, not smooth for a pram.
- The spa has closed, so older reviews mentioning it are out of date.
- Highchairs come without straps, and travel-cot availability is uncertain.
- The laundry is coin-operated, so you need £1 coins.
Getting around and accessibility
Knockerdown doesn't have a fully accessible cottage. The site surfaces are gravel and chippings with some cobbles and no smooth tarmac paths, and every cottage entrance has a step, with heights varying from door to door. You can drive to the cottage doors to unload before parking. Most of the sleeps-four cottages have their bedrooms upstairs, and Sabinhay is a first-floor apartment up a wooden staircase, so it isn't one for a pushchair or anyone with significant mobility needs. There's an Accessibility Champion, Jennifer McDonald, and staff can help with moving furniture if you contact them in advance.
For anyone who needs full-spec accessible changing, the nearest Changing Places facilities are at the Carsington Water visitor centre (0.7 miles), Ashbourne Library and Cromford Wharf (about 6 miles), the Arc Leisure Centre in Matlock (9.2 miles) and Matlock Farm Park (12 miles).
Getting there and backGetting there and when to go
You'll want a car here; the site is almost entirely car-dependent, and most families drive or arrange a private transfer from East Midlands Airport or Derby. By air, East Midlands Airport is 33 miles (53 km) away and Manchester Airport 53 miles (85 km). By road, a common route from the north leaves the M1 at junction 28 onto the A38, A610, A6 and B5036 through Wirksworth (about 6 miles/10 minutes from the cottages) and on to the B5035, roughly 45 to 60 minutes in total; from the south, junction 24 leads via the A50, A515 through Ashbourne and the B5035, roughly 90 to 120 minutes from central London. Free parking and two EV charging points are on site.
Public transport is thin. Derby station is 20 miles (32 km) and about a 45-minute taxi; Cromford station is closer at 5 miles (8 km) but has limited services and no taxi rank, so you'd pre-book one. The 111 and 110 buses run between Carsington Water and Ashbourne only about four times a day, which isn't practical with luggage and young children. The site and its indoor pool are open all year, with Easter and spring half-term the busiest weeks outside summer, and July and August giving the best chance of warm outdoor days to pair with the pool. Check-in is from 4pm and check-out is 10am, and Knockerdown books directly rather than through Hoseasons or Sykes.
When to goWeather
Knockerdown sits inland in the Derbyshire Dales, with no coastal influence, so the climate is the mild-summers, cold-and-wet-winters pattern of upland central England, and it can rain in any month. The figures below are typical daytime highs for the area. The year-round indoor pool is the reason the site works whatever the weather, which matters more here than at a park with an outdoor or seasonal pool.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.5° | 1.5° | 81 mm | 13 |
| February | 7.5° | 1.5° | 71 mm | 12 |
| March | 10° | 2.5° | 61 mm | 11 |
| April | 13° | 4° | 66 mm | 10 |
| May | 16° | 7° | 61 mm | 10 |
| June | 19° | 9.5° | 80 mm | 10 |
| July | 21° | 12° | 66 mm | 10 |
| August | 20.5° | 11.5° | 72 mm | 10 |
| September | 17.5° | 9.5° | 70 mm | 10 |
| October | 13.5° | 7° | 90 mm | 13 |
| November | 9.5° | 4° | 94 mm | 14 |
| December | 7° | 2° | 96 mm | 14 |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records.
Questions
The things families ask most, useful links and when this guide was last updated.
Is there a travel cot for the baby, or do we bring our own?
Plan to bring your own unless the site confirms otherwise. The official cottage pages list a highchair, without straps, on request, but no travel cot, so if you need one, email [email protected] or call 01629 540525 before you book rather than assuming it's there. A highchair without a harness suits a child who can already sit securely; for a younger baby, bring a strapped seat too.
Which cottages suit us if we can’t manage stairs?
For a family with a baby who want everything on one level, Longshawe has both bedrooms on the ground floor and Bonsall is a ground-floor cottage. Among the larger ones, Farwell and Two Dales each have a ground-floor bedroom. Sabinhay is the one to avoid on this count, as it's a first-floor apartment reached by a wooden staircase.
How deep is the pool, and can a toddler use it?
The exact depth isn't published in advance; it's signposted in the pool area, so check the signs on arrival. The pool has walk-in steps rather than a vertical ladder, which helps a toddler who can stand in water, and swim nappies are required. There's no lifeguard, so you supervise your own children the whole time.
Do the cottages have a dishwasher?
Only three of the sixteen do: Farwell, Lendow and The Farmhouse. Every cottage has a fully equipped electric kitchen, but for a week of self-catering in any of the others, factor in washing up by hand.
Can we bring the dog?
Nine of the sixteen cottages take dogs, at £30 per dog and up to two per cottage. Dogs stay on a lead everywhere on site except the enclosed dog run, and can't be left alone in the cottage, so it suits a stay where someone's around or the dog comes out with you.
Do we have to hire a car?
Effectively yes. There's no food shop or usable bus service within walking distance, so you need a car for the weekly shop and for days out. If you fly in, hire a car at East Midlands Airport, and if you come by train, Derby is the mainline station, with a taxi for the last stretch.
Where can we eat out without a long drive?
The Knockerdown Inn is directly across the road, reached through a linking gate, with a children's menu and a beer garden play area. It closes early on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check its hours for those nights and have a cook-in or a drive into Ashbourne as the back-up.
Is there a spa on site?
No. The Brakendale Day Spa that used to operate here has closed, so there are no treatment rooms at Knockerdown now. Older reviews that mention a spa are out of date.
See more Knockerdown photos
Open the Knockerdown photo gallery →Useful links
- Knockerdown Cottages: the site's own pages for the cottages, facilities and booking direct.
- Booking terms for single cottages: payment and cancellation terms, on the official site.
- The Peak District with little ones: our guide to the wider area, its walks and when to go.
Last updated July 2026.
