Darwin Forest – Luxury Woodland Lodges On The Edge Of The Peak District

Darwin Forest is a luxury lodge holiday park set within 47 acres of woodland on the edge of the Peak District between the picturesque market towns of Matlock and Bakewell.

About the place

They have a number of different lodges to choose from sleeping 2-8 people, some dog friendly others with hot tubs. On this beautiful site they have a range of walking trails, sculpture trails, we even found hidden doors in the woods that made you feel like you’re walking into Narnia. They have many activities on site for kids including an orienteering course, a leisure complex with a swimming pool, mini golf course, tennis courts, games room, restaurant and many other bits on site. This is a very family friendly site but would also be great for an adult getaway.

The space

We stayed in the Elite Vogue 1 which is a 2 person lodge and it felt very spacious, we even had a sauna and spa bath in our bathroom. We had private parking right outside our lodge, good wifi and a large outdoor seating area. We were in lodge 69, this was the last row on site meaning our bedroom view was towards the woods which we loved, although none of the lodges look overlooked here unlike some other sites can be, they’re definitely not crammed in.

Location & walks nearby

Darwin Forest is located on the edge of the Peak District between the market towns of Bakewell and Matlock meaning there are so many amazing walks within a short drive from your lodge. Our Chatsworth to Edensor & Beeley riverside walk is popular for a reason and perfect for the whole family. If you like history and want something a little different you could try our Hob Hurst’s House walk, a Bronze Age burial site with free parking and only 5 minutes from your lodge.

Would we go back?

This lodge park was probably one of the best we’ve ever stayed on and we absolutely loved our lodge, the sauna was a treat after a big walk and its in the most beautiful area with so much to do and see locally. The staff on site were friendly, efficient and the facilities were great. This was one of those breaks where we truly switched off and enjoyed just being here.

POIs nearby

Cork Stone A natural gritstone rock formation with step holes 📍 3.9 miles away View on map → Rowtor Rocks Natural and man made caves and carvings 📍 4.5 miles away View on map → Jubilee Rock A historic rock carved with the national anthem to commemorate Queen Victoria's jubilee 📍 4.8 miles away View on map →