Sandybrook Lodges in Derbyshire: Our visit to a Peak District holiday park gem

Search latest deals at
​Sandybrook Lodges

Sandybrook in the Peak District is the sister park to Darwin Forest - but is it as good?

I can't say that we had the best weather ever when we visited Sandybrook Lodges in the Peak District,  but we still thoroughly enjoyed our visit and came away with a very positive impression. 

---

First impressions of Sandybrook

Sandybrook sits on a fairly busy road just outside of the upmarket Derbyshire town of Ashbourne. However, it is set back far enough from the road that we didn't find it to be particularly noisy. 

Our first impression upon arriving was that this is a leafy and classy holiday park, which is much more in the lodge category than the caravan category. ​

Sandybrook sits on a busy road, but lodges are set back and protected by trees

Sandybrook has about 65 lodges

---

Accommodation at Sandybrook 

I would say that Sandybrook has a very similar vibe to Darwin Escapes or Landal, despite being a different company (I have a feeling that you could book it via Landal at one point).

Accommodation is wide wooden lodges, many of which appear to have been updated recently or perhaps replaced entirely. During our visit, there were quite a few workmen on site doing upgrades and replacements.

The site is on a significant gradient, which is excellent work for your buttocks and also means that you don't feel too crammed in. It is surrounded by tall trees, which means that you are unlikely to get unrestricted views of the rolling hills of Derbyshire until you set out and explore a little. 

If you find yourself towards the top of the site you will get a much better view, but you will also be walking up and down quite a lot and getting plenty of exercise on your holiday!

Accommodation at Sandybrook is a step up from a wobbly caravan

The resort is on a steep slope and has mature trees throughout

You don't generally get a view from these balconies but there are great views just outside the park

---

Facilities at Sandybrook Lodges

The main facility at Sandybrook is the indoor swimming pool.

The indoor pool at Sandybrook (this is an official photo)

Towards the bottom of Sandybrook is a traditional wooden playground, which is a good size and will keep children entertained for a good chunk of time. There is also somewhere to kick a ball around, which is all that I wanted to do when I was on holiday as a child!

All I needed for entertainment as a child!

We felt that the playground at Sandybrook fits in nicely with the vibe

We also spotted an archery range and minigolf, although we didn't try out either for ourselves. 

Minigolf can be found near to the entrance at Sandybrook

Archery is one of the activities offered at Sandybrook

Beyond that, Sandybrook is a relatively simple site. I wouldn't come here looking for hours and hours of onsite entertainment. Whilst you do get the woodland vibe, this certainly isn't on a Center Parcs scale. It's much more of a nice quiet spot to get out and explore some of the beautiful countryside in this part of Derbyshire. 

---

Further exploring at Sandybrook

As we continued to explore the site, we concluded that it's all looking very smart and well looked after. As anyone who has read Holiday Park Guru before will know, we also take a great deal of interest in how modern the signposts are and how smooth the tarmac is. We think these are good indicators of how recently a holiday park has been invested in. 

Sandybrook scores well on both of those fronts with lots of lovely smooth tarmac and a consistent branding across all the signs that we saw. ​

We admired the consistent signs at Sandybrook!

---

Exploring the local area

Of course, you don't come to Derbyshire for a beach holiday. As much discussed, trips to the seaside are one of my main priorities when I'm on holiday. For me then, I wouldn't want a whole week at Sandybrook, and would think that a weekend of doing some nice walks or cycle rides would be enough for me. We enjoyed exploring the Tissington Trail, which is not far away. 

We enjoyed cycling along the nearby Tissington Trail

I can't really hold a grudge against Sandybrook for being in Derbyshire or for complaining that there isn't a beach on the doorstep right in the middle of England. 

So, for me it's a definite thumbs up for Sandybrook, which is a classy and well looked after lodge resort.

Top marks to all involved with Sandybrook