We had a terrific time at Deerpark Lodge. We were attracted to this property for what it had to offer for our young German Shepherd dog. The garden was large and secure. The walk within the grounds had fencing keeping our dog out of dangers way. We booked beauty treatments at the nearby Ritual Retreats and purchased locally sourced wine from the nearby cafe. We completed the jigsaw provided and loved the open-plan layout. The log burner was nice and toasty. We would happily recommend to others and hope to return again at some point.

All communication with rural retreats and the key holder prior to arrival were friendly and helpful . Some of our group had stayed at the lodge a few years ago and it had not got too tired and some aspects had been upgraded. The welcome hamper was lovely and the lodge was very well equipped. The rooms were pleasant and generally very clean although there was a lot of dust under the bed in the downstairs bedroom. As the weather was really warm we did not use the log burner. There was however no hot water coming from any of the taps despite the back up system so we were boiling kettles to wash up . The electric showers where however nice and hot . We were though very disappointed with the old dirty bbq which was unusable and certainly unhygienic especially as we had had stopped at Chatsworth Farm shop on the way and bought lots of food to bbq which we had to cook in the kitchen instead. Also even if we had wanted to use it there was no charcoal. A gas bbq would have been nice if cleaned between guests. The setting is stunning and the field in front of the property was perfect for our two dogs to play . However, one is a very curious cocker spaniel and he could escape the area under the 3 gates on the property. This was a problem. We tried to block the bottom of the gates off but we did not have sufficient stuff to do it with so we constantly had to follow him around. We feel it the owner placed some netting across the bottom of the gates this would resolve this cheaply. As the property was listed as dog friendly this would be appropriate. Whoever had hired the property before us had left a large pile of vomit in one corner of the land which was also a problem with a cocker who constantly tried to eat it despite our efforts to cover it up. The walks into the Staunton Harold Estate where wonderful, and we all really enjoyed them especially Bracken Bank in the evenings. Ferres courtyard was all nice at the end of our strolls. Overall we loved the stay despite the issues above which I hope are used as constructive feedback ; all of which are easily resolvable. We would definitely recommend Deerpark Lodge if these issues are addressed

We absolutely loved this property and its location. It was very clean and extremely well equipped. It had everything we needed. We are not used to a woodburner but found it easy to use and very effective with plenty of supplies of wood. The house is safe for children and the utility room a useful space for wellies and a pushchair. We also had very good communication from the owner before our arrival. The welcome hamper was much appreciated and had essentials in it as well as treats. The location of the lodge is excellent being on a country estate as well as near a National Trust property and plenty of walking and beautiful countryside. We can't wait to stay again.

Loved the location and the tranquility it provided, the walks directly from the lodge were just fantastic as was the scenery, the lodge was very well equipped and there was a lovely welcome hamper provided for our arrival which was very much appreciated, comfortable beds after long days walking are always a must. I would have given 5 stars but the grass in the garden was like a meadow and couldn’t be used which meant that we couldn’t sit in the late afternoon sunshine once it moved off the decked area, this also meant it didn’t dry out so the dogs were often very wet and had to be constantly dried off, this did spoil it some what.