Rustic Retreats

05/09/2026

Sunday splash! It might be the last day of the school Summer holidays tomorrow but the fun doesn’t stop🌊

With a warm September day forecast, make the most of it at Carsington Water.

Kayaks, paddleboards and cycle hire available all day.

Get out on the water, ride the Carsington loop, or do a bit of both for £29 🚲🚣‍♂️🏄‍♂️
With our dual activity booking you can enjoy 2 activities on the same day or choose a different date for each activity 🤗

Open from 9am at Carsington Waterside until 5pm ☀️

One last summer adventure before school starts!

Book online at
Carsingtonwaterside.co.uk

05/09/2026

🎉 AND THE WINNER IS… Helen Yendall🎉

We have loved reading every single entry to our competition and we are so incredibly grateful to everyone who entered, shared and showed so much love for Rustic Retreats. You are the most wonderful community and it genuinely means everything to us.

But there can only be one winner and without further ado…

🎉 Congratulations 🎉



You’ve won a FREE 2 night stay at Owslow Cottage, 2nd and 3rd October. We cannot wait to welcome you to the farm!

Please DM us to arrange your stay, we’ll get everything sorted for you right away!

And if you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. Keep following along because we have some very exciting things coming up at Owslow Farm that you really don’t want to miss. 👀

Thank you again to absolutely everyone who entered.

🏡 your Peak District adventure awaits! ✨

04/09/2026

10 things you should do before booking your stay at Jacks Cottage..

1. Book it.

That’s it. We’ll take care of the rest

Jack’s Cottage is tucked into one of the prettiest corners of the Peak District, the kind of place where mornings start with birdsong and the local countryside is genuinely teeming with wildlife.

Keep an eye out on your walks and you’ll spot everything from buzzards overhead to the occasional curlew calling across the fields. 🐦

Spend your days wandering out to Carsington Water, exploring the ancient rock formations at Rainster Rocks, or simply pottering around the village.

Spend your evenings in the hot tub, wood burner going, absolutely nowhere to be.

This is what switching off actually feels like.
Link in bio to check availability or DM us 😁

03/09/2026

There’s something about spotting a 400 year old stone farmhouse cottage with a private hot tub, rolling Peak District views, alpacas next door and a fire pit just completely bypasses the rational part of your brain and goes straight to the unhinged excitement part.

Every time.
Without fail.

Owslow Cottage really is that cottage. The one you screenshot and send to your group chat at 11pm with seventeen exclamation marks.

The one that makes you open a new tab and check your annual leave balance before you’ve even finished scrolling.

The one that makes your inner voice sound suspiciously like a very excited small child.

your inner voice is right…so, just book it 🤷‍♀️

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

Guys, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at Jack’s Cottage.

Oh wait. 🌈☀️

It actually might be.

We tried really hard to think of a downside. We genuinely did and then the sun came out over the Brassington hills and we just... couldn’t. 😄

Here’s what a stay at Jack’s Cottage actually looks like:

Waking up in an 18th century stone cottage with views that genuinely make you stop and stare

Peak District skies that do things you didn’t think skies could do

A wood burner that makes every evening feel like the cosiest night of your life

A private hot tub on your own patio for when the views get even better after dark

Some of the best walking trails in the country starting right outside your front door

Two village pubs within easy wandering distance — because every good walk deserves a good ending

Dogs welcome — obviously

Mornings so peaceful you’ll forget what stress feels like

The only one we could come up with is that you’ll have to go home eventually.

Jack’s Cottage is our gorgeous 18th century stone hideaway in the heart of Brassington village, sleeping up to four.

📩 Link in bio to check availability before someone else snaps it up. ✨

30/08/2026

📣 WE’RE HIRING VOLUNTEERS!🐐🦙

We’re looking for confident, friendly and reliable people to join the team at Alpacas at Carsington 🦙 Derbyshire

📅 No minimum hours as mainly seasonal adhoc work. Trek times are 10:30 and 13:00 weekdays and weekends, so weekend availability is ESSENTIAL The role includes:
🦙 Assisting the Trek Leaders during our larger groups of alpaca walking experiences
👋 Welcoming and engaging with visitors
❤️ Ensuring the health, welfare & safety of our animals

We’re looking for someone who:
✔️ Has previous animal experience – ESSENTIAL
✔️ Has customer service experience – ESSENTIAL
✔️ Is confident speaking to people in the group - ESSENTIAL
✔️ Is extremely reliable, practical and happy working outdoors all weather

Experience with livestock, alpacas or equines would be a bonus, but training will be provided. For the right person volunteering may turn into a paid position and an opportunity to train to be a trek leader.

📩 Interested? Send us an email with a little about yourself and your experience & your CV to [email protected]

Please feel free to share or tag someone who might be perfect for the role! 🦙

29/08/2026

☀️ BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND – 25% OFF! 🚲🛶

Make the most of the Bank Holiday at Carsington Waterside!

We’re offering 25% OFF BIKE HIRE & PADDLESPORT HIRE all weekend AND Bank Holiday Monday! 🎉

🚲 Explore the beautiful Carsington Water reservoir loop by bike
🛶 Get out on the water with a kayak, canoe or SUP
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great for families, couples and groups
🌊 One of the best ways to enjoy the last Bank Holiday of summer!

📅 Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holiday Monday
🔥 25% OFF bike & paddle hire

Come and spend the day at Carsington Water — ride it, paddle it, or do both!

Booking recommended for paddlesports wetsuits included 🌊

📍 Carsington Waterside, Carsington Water