Ernest’s Retreat

View prices & book 9.7 163 reviews
Visitor image of the views from the cabins
Visitor image of the views from the cabins
Outside of pod with porch
Cabin with sheltered porch
Outside one of the cabins
Looking over the cabins
Pods looking over the derbyshire countryside
Outside one of the pods
Pods close to the treeline
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Outside of pod with porch
Cabin with sheltered porch
Outside one of the cabins

  • Glamping site five mins' drive from Peak District National Park
  • Quiet and secluded spot with views over Derbyshire countryside
  • Paradise for ramblers, bikers, climbers and petrolheads
Get ready to fulfil your Jane Austen dreams at Ernest’s Retreat, a family-run site on a working farm 10 minutes’ drive from the town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, Central England. Pride and Prejudice fans may know that being this close to the Peak District means you’re within easy reach of tons of stately homes: the spectacular Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall and Hardwick Hall are all within 25 minutes of Ernest’s. The site is also in a prime spot for getting back to nature. The site is five minutes from the edge of the Peak District National Park, where there are plenty of trails to follow and loads of walking tours to join. If you’re more of a petrolhead than a rambler, you can tour the Peak District in something a little more your style: a 1929 Model A Ford Phaeton, run by Vintage Adventure Tours. Relax back on site by filling your eyes with views over the Derbyshire countryside before filling your stomach by firing up the barbecue – pile it high with supplies from one of the shops 10 minutes away. Need a break from cooking? Head to Chesterfield to grab a table at one of the restaurants, or try one of the nearby bar-restaurants.

Site type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 20
Open now
Opens 6 February
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 06 Feb to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
0 dogs

Reviews

9.7

Overall rating from 163 Pitchup.com customers

  • 84%
    10
  • 5%
    9
  • 8%
    8
  • 0%
    7
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    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 9
Peaceful

98% would recommend this site to a friend

99% would stay here again

What customers say

Highly recommended, clean, peaceful site with great value. Owners are friendly & helpful, facilities well-kept, views stunning. Pods/cabins warm, cosy, comfy & spacious, with thoughtful touches. Dog-friendly is a big plus. Minor points: hot showers, occasionally slippery steps.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 17
Arrival date (latest first)

Great hut, spacious and comfortable. Dogs…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 9
Anonymous

Camping cabin

Liked Great hut, spacious and comfortable. Dogs and a great time too.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice views, great location. Very…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Rambler camping pod

Liked Very nice views, great location. Very easy access. Helpful and friendly

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site and well located for exploring the Peak District

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Rambler camping pod

Liked Lovely site and Laura was really helpful on arrival explaining everything. The accommodation and all facilities were spotless and there are fantastic views from the pods. The use of a communal freezer is also handy. Definitely recommended and would certainly return.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Ok for 1 night

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 3
 Dawn T. 6 reviews

Rambler camping pod

Liked Facilities where clean

Disliked Pods steps to high No extended space
Mattress had stains on not very good

Recommend to friends Visit again

We had a fantastic stay, 5…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Felicia S. 1 review

Camping cabin

Liked We had a fantastic stay, 5 stars! Nestled in a beautiful woodland at the foot of the Peak District, yet still within easy reach of Chesterfield, it’s the perfect location for families who want a mix of nature and convenience.

The retreat is run by the lovely Laura, who provided all the information we needed about both the campsite and the surrounding area. We truly felt at home here for the weekend. It’s a great balance between a “back to nature” experience and having the comforts of nearby amenities.

There are plenty of smaller, manageable walking trails nearby, perfect for little legs, as well as a children’s farm and local shops within easy reach. The site itself has excellent facilities, including good WiFi, clean bathrooms, and kitchen areas. It’s also the best night-lit campsite we’ve stayed at, which made evenings feel safe and comfortable.

Overall, our stay was perfect and we highly recommend it!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent facilities for a bargain price

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Joseph B. 1 review

Camping cabin

Liked The huts were really spacious with awesome views. The facilities were spot on and the staff were brilliant. The notice boards have all the local information and walk routes that you ask for. For the price this is hard to beat.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with great syaff..

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Ash F. 3 reviews

Camping cabin

Liked Very spacious, , very nice campite, great location, would definitely go again, very clean shower blocks, very freindly greeting, couldnt of asked for a better site for a 1 night stay,

Recommend to friends Visit again

Such a great site. Facilities were…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 John P. 1 review

Rambler camping pod

Liked Such a great site. Facilities were clean. Sunrise views in the morning were amazing. Great location to visit the Peak District. Really couldnt fault it.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Tereza L. 4 reviews

Camping cabin

Liked Great place. Beautiful views. Nice clean and spacious pod.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to unwind for a short break

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 2
 Danny K. 1 review

Camping cabin

Liked Spacious pitches
Power and heating
Fire pits
Very friendly owners

Disliked Wifi was intermittent on some devices but worked well on ipad.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Communal freezer Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Location

Ernest’s Retreat

Highashes Lane

Stonedge Ashover

Chesterfield

Derbyshire

England

S45 0LH

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

53,19417°N
1,48543°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5,8 km Coach Station
7,9 km Railway Station
9,8 km Fishpond Hotel
Rail
6,6 km Chesterfield Rail Station
7,9 km Matlock Rail Station
9,3 km Matlock Bath Rail Station
Airport
23,4 km Sheffield City Airport
42,2 km East Midlands Airport
44,9 km Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Exploration of the Peak District doesn’t have to mean pulling on those walking boots, slapping on a helmet or doing your best Toad of Toad Hall impressions in a classic car – you can also have an altogether more sedate experience, with fishing and golf five minutes from Ernest’s Retreat or a saunter around the banks of Ladybower Reservoir, 40 minutes away. If you’ve already put the splendour of Chatsworth, Haddon and Hardwick stately manors on your list, now add the 25-minute trip to Bolsover Castle, a fortified retreat with a reputation for revelry. Tread lightly, though – they say it’s haunted, and you don’t want to anger anything lying dormant… If the kids haven’t hit those Jane Austen literary peaks yet, they may need something more than Pride and Prejudice vibes to keep them entertained. Luckily, the kid-friendly Gulliver’s Kingdom theme park is only 15 minutes away and the entire family can head to Alton Towers, just under an hour from Ernest’s, for an adrenaline spike.

Must see

Chatsworth 9,2 km

Arkwright's Cromford Mills 10,4 km

Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills 10,4 km

Haddon Hall 11,7 km

Hardwick Old Hall 12,1 km

National Trust

Winster Market House 11,9 km

Hardwick Hall 12,1 km

Hardwick Estate: Stainsby Mill 12,1 km

Kedleston Hall 26,5 km

Mr Straw's House 28,1 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Eddlestow - Uppertown - Spitewinter - Kelstedge 3,8 km

Eddlestow Lot - Milltown - Ashover - Kelstedge loop 3,8 km

Wadshelf - Linacre - Barlow - Cutthorpe - Wadshelf 4,3 km

SYDNOPE HALL 5,4 km

QUEEN'S PARK, CHESTERFIELD 5,5 km

Local events

  • Download Festival (Wednesday, 10 June 2026 – Wednesday, 10 June 2026)

    Derby, England 41,4 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Offers

Lodge, cabin, pod or hut
Camping cabin

  • 10% off

    –
    Min. stay 2 nights
Lodge, cabin, pod or hut
Rambler camping pod

  • 10% off

    –
    Min. stay 2 nights

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Want to know more about camping in Derbyshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Ernest’s Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Ernest’s Retreat dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Ernest’s Retreat? Exploration of the Peak District doesn’t have to mean pulling on those walking boots, slapping on a helmet or doing your best Toad of Toad Hall impressions in a classic car – … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Ernest’s Retreat?
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  3 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Ernest’s Retreat? From R1 211,17 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.