Archie's Barn

Liked I used this site as a stop off as a 1 night stay before heading to Tittesworth Lake for water sports. I had my backpacking tent, and although the weather marred it a little, the stay was great. The site itself offers a good sheltered spot on the hillside from the wind and being on a hillside ensures water drains away from the tents during rain (I can attest to that).

The site: Set expectations and know what you're booking. This site doesn't pretend to offer luxurious camping, massive washing up areas, play areas and a clubhouse. It offers a place to camp with all the basics you need, and does that well. Water is close by to the tent, as is the toilet, and the facilities are well kept. The ground for camping on is flat and the area is peaceful. The outhouse style toilet is actually really cool in the way it's decorated. Love the style, sort of steam punkish. Price wise, it is slightly more than other sites in the area so I had no choice to give a slightly lower rating but I want to make clear that the trade off of facilities is that this is a much quieter site and you'll likely sleep far better and have a more relaxing time. It's not bad value for money at all - it's priced about right I'd say.

The facilities/activities/location: I've covered the facilities above so I won't repeat, but where this really shines is activities. For anyone with outdoors hobbies, this is an ideal stopping place. Nearby are Lakes (Tittesworth and Rudyard) with Tittesworth offering SUP and Kayaking activities with safety boats on standby. And they are very helpful. Then for hikers there's Roaches, Ludds Church, Churnet Valley and many, MANY more very close by. For Climbers/Boulderers, it will go without saying that Roaches is nearby, as is Ramshaw rocks and a short drive away is the likes of Harpur Hill for some of that limestone sport action. Paragliders, not far away is the often overlooked (but very enjoyable to fly) Shining Tor and Cats Tor. In short - the area is packed with things to do.

Customer Service: Is better than any other site I've ever stopped at. I had frequent communication from Lauren who was really happy to help and really cared about people enjoying their time. Was ready to go the extra mile, and that's a rare thing. Truly appreciated that personal touch.

Wifi - There was none so I can't rate it highly but... C'Mon, if you want Wifi that badly, camping probably isn't that high up your priority list. What I will say though, is that if you really need the connectivity, on the mobile network I was on (Three I think it is) signal is fantastic. I had a solid 4G connection.

Disliked I really liked the site. If I HAD to pick something, having a sink for washing up would be nice, but that's purely a nicety. Only other things are things that the owner couldn't possibly address so isn't a negative - but I'll mention it incase anyone else wonders what I did.

If you are a hammock camper: The trees on the site and those that you can see from the road (google maps). Only 2 of them are in any kind of position to hang a hammock and those are pretty close to the rented barn accommodation so it would be pretty rude to hang the hammock there if the Barn is rented out. Many that are visible on google street view actually sit just the other side of the stone wall to the pitching area. The 2 trees in the area are also just a little close together which might make it a squeeze. I took my hammock just in case, but used the tent (I didn't ask ahead of time whether it was suitable - I was expecting to use the tent but thought it would be nice to hammock on the off chance it seemed feasible).

As I say, not a dislike - just for informational purposes, but it didn't fit in the "Liked" area.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Jon,

Thanks for that great review, we maybe need to show more about what surrounds us and how lucky we are to have all these activities on our doorstep!!!

Noted about the washing up station, definitely something to think about in the near future....

Thanks again for choosing us and we look forward to welcoming you back soon,

Safe Travels

Lauren @ Archies Barn :)

Liked We stayed here as a family of 8 including a child of 3 years.From the start of our holiday Lauren was attentive,friendly,welcoming and very helpful.We were met by a very friendly gentleman who couldnt have been more helpful.The scenery was beautiful and with the log fire lit (we cooked our tea on it),and was kept nice and warm throughout the night.

Disliked Although the description says electric can I just advise that there is not a full electrical system.Although this wasn’t a negative it made our wild camping experience a lot more fun.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Oh Loved Chatting to you all, such lovely guests who gave lots of good ideas for our lovely camping barn....

Will be amending the electricity description shortly!! will read ' Romantic Lighting only' haha


Safe Travels, hopefully you will come back soon :)

Lauren @ Archies Barn

Liked Really quiet place with great views. Close to leek and local pubs. Perfect for a minimal and peaceful rest. The owners couldn’t help enough, really friendly and helpful through the whole time we were there.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks Lewi, glad you had a good time with us.... we look forward to welcoming you back maybe when there is less rain forecast lol


Safe Travels

Lauren @ Archies Barn :)

Liked Excellent location... friendly people.. highly recommend 😁 I felt very safe as the first time camping in many years and first time solo camping.

Disliked None. I accidentally ticked the wi fi review stars. ... there is no wi fi but that didn't bother me.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks for staying with us Verity, glad your first solo trip went well.. hope to see you again soon. Kind regards

All at Archies Barn xxx

Liked The panoramic views were gorgeous! It was a last minute stop on our way down the country and Lauren was so helpful even though she was away herself and she checked on us the next day to see if we got off okay. The toilet was clean and the local village pub had really good food. We enjoyed looking at the bats flying around and how quiet it was. We will definitely be back as we love the peak district.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for Staying with us.... Looking forward to seeing you next time....

The local Pub is great :) we are very lucky

Kind regards

Archies Barn xxx

Liked If you’re looking for breathtaking scenery, complete peace and quiet, and a true escape from everyday life, book this campsite. Genuinely, this is one of the best places I have ever camped.

From the moment we arrived, it felt like stepping into a fairytale. The views are absolutely stunning, surrounded by nature and wildlife, and on a clear day we could even see as far as Wales and Nottingham. Waking up to those views was something really special.

Communication from Lauren and the rest of the family was fantastic from start to finish. Everyone was so welcoming and genuinely cared about making sure we had a great stay. We were the first people to ever book this particular field, and one of the ladies (whose name I unfortunately can’t remember) even brought us a mirror and some hand soap. It was such a thoughtful gesture that really summed up how kind and genuine everyone was.

Lauren is lovely, and her father-in-law, Adrian, was an absolute pleasure to meet. We invited him to sit with us for a while, and he shared the history of the land and the surrounding area. It made the experience feel even more personal and memorable.

Part of me almost doesn’t want to leave this review because I’d selfishly love to keep this place a secret! But it deserves to be recognised. If you’re searching for somewhere to completely switch off, clear your mind, and enjoy nature without crowds or noise, this is the perfect place.

The facilities were excellent too. The toilet was clean, there was access to fresh drinking water, and everything was exactly what we needed for a comfortable stay. If you don’t fancy cooking, there’s a great Indian takeaway just five minutes away, along with a few lovely cafés nearby.

We enjoyed our stay so much that we’ve already booked to come back later this month, and I honestly think this will become a place we return to year after year. Thank you to Lauren, Adrian, and the whole family for creating such a special place. We can’t wait to come back.

Disliked Nothing. Everything was fantastic!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: The Best First review we could have wished for.... So pleased you enjoyed your stay xxx

Take care and see you again soon

Archies Barn xxxx