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Beautiful Character Cottage Peak District - Alton Towers

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A conservatory with a glass ceiling, a beige sofa with patterned cushions, and a view of the outdoors.
A conservatory with stone walls, a television, and a sofa.
A bedroom with a wooden bed, a nightstand, a window with curtains, and a skylight.
A kitchen with wooden cabinets, a green stove, and a black countertop.
A dining room with a wooden table set for four, surrounded by wooden chairs. A fireplace is visible in the background, and there are windows with curtains.

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Highlights

  • Room to spread out
    Enjoy spacious layout that give everyone more room to relax.
  • Barbecue grill
    A rare find - perfect for a relaxed, outdoor grilling experience.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Near Peak Wildlife Park

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Barbecue grill
  • Pet-friendly
  • Dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Internet

Explore the area

View in a map
Winkhill, Leek, ENG
  • Place, Peak Wildlife Park
    ‪17 min walk‬
  • Place, Peak District National Park
    ‪15 min drive‬
  • Place, Alton Towers
    ‪16 min drive‬
  • Airport, Manchester (MAN)
    ‪67 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 Double Bed and 1 Crib

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed and 2 Child Beds

Bedroom 3

1 Double Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shower only

Upstairs Bathroom

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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About the neighborhood

Leek

Located in Leek, this cottage is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Peak District National Park and Consall Nature Park reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Alton Towers and Peak Wildlife Park. Traveling with kids? Consider Churnet Valley Railway and Foxlowe Arts Centre. Windsurfing and sailing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with horse riding and cycling nearby.
View more Cottages in LeekOpens in a new window
Map
Winkhill, Leek, ENG

What's nearby

  • Peak Wildlife Park - 17 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Peak District National Park - 15 min drive - 19.0 km
  • Alton Towers - 16 min drive - 12.9 km
  • Trentham Gardens - 43 min drive - 36.5 km
  • Chatsworth House - 53 min drive - 55.4 km

Getting around

  • Longton Station - 23 min drive
  • Manchester Airport (MAN) - 49 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Corner Coffee & Bar - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Woodcutter's Bar & Grill - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Ma Garrita's - ‬16 min drive
  • ‪The Welcom Inn - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Explorers Pizza Pasta Buffet - ‬13 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Beautiful Character Cottage Peak District - Alton Towers pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Beautiful Character Cottage Peak District - Alton Towers?

As of Nov 8, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Beautiful Character Cottage Peak District - Alton Towers on Nov 9, 2026 start from $346, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking?

Onsite parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Beautiful Character Cottage Peak District - Alton Towers?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Beautiful Character Cottage Peak District - Alton Towers?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Beautiful Character Cottage Peak District - Alton Towers located?

This family-friendly Leek cottage is located on the waterfront, 1 mi (1.6 km) from Peak Wildlife Park, and within 6 mi (10 km) of Alton Towers and Churnet Valley Railway. Ilam Park and Whiston Hall Golf Club are also within 6 mi (10 km).

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 20 out of 30 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 30 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 30 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 30 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 30 reviews

7.8/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.2/10

Location

9.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Had a lovely time at lovely cottage and kids and dog loved the river for paddling/swimming

All fab
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2021
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 5, 2021
Thanks Angela - so glad you had fun by the river!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Christmas break

Nicely decorated for Christmas
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cottage out of a story

We loved our stay at Winkhill Cottage. I felt as if I were in a cottage from the books I’d read as a child complete with a rocking chair, AGA cooker, wood burners and even a river flowing at the front. It was a cosy stay surrounded by rolling hills. Perfect location to explore the Peak District from. My puppy absolutely loved his first holiday and we couldn’t recommend staying here enough.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 27, 2024
Thanks so much for your wonderful review. Delighted you had a wonderful stay. Sorry I didn’t get to meet you but you were great to speak to over the phone and thanks so much for leaving the cottage tidy! Hope to welcome you back one day. Thanks
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

A little piece of heaven

Fantastic stay! Ample space for 6 adults, 2 Children and a dog! The two living rooms were brilliant for us. Spacious bedrooms and bathrooms..... the jacuzzi bath with music was a huge hit with everyone! Dining room was great for family meals! The absolute gem though was the outdoor space, we were very lucky with the weather and the river garden was amazing for us and the children!! Ideally located for days out and an all round brilliant stay! Thank you Eleanor.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 18, 2020
Thanks so much for your wonderful review. You were a delight to host so hope to welcome you back one day!
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Winkhill

The area was lovely and we enjoyed our weekend celebrating 50 years marriage. The cottage was nice but could have been better if it had been checked before we arrived. I did let the owner know about the several issues we had after we left but we didn’t want it to affect our celebrations. Hopefully they will have been addressed for future visitors.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Oct 30, 2024
Thanks for your feedback. The property is checked by me personally before every stay. I didnt, however, check the brush for hair on the bottom of the hoover which was highlighted as an issue. I will do this moving forward so thanks for the feedback.
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Alton Towers

We booked the property because it was near Alton Towers and it was ideal for getting to the park as it was only 10-15 minutes away. The house was very spacious with large rooms and lots of amenities inside. Unfortunately the cleanliness of the house let it down for us. Although all the bedding and towels were perfectly clean the actual house itself was covered in thick cobwebs which looked like they had been there for a very long time.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on Jun 23, 2025
Thanks for your review. I take all feedback very seriously. I am a little surprised at your feedback on cleanliness as I clean the property myself and pay attention to all details and when I asked how everything was, I received a positive response. For future guests, please be aware that I will be sure to double check it again in future.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stayed end October

Lovely cottage in an ideal location for accessing Dovedale, Ilam and Manifold trail. The inside of the cottage was spacious with large dinning table and sufficient sitting in the lounge. The arga kept the cottage warm particularly when returning from walks. There was an outdoor area next to the river which would have been lovely if we had visited in the summer. Good communication with Eleanor and the complimentary basket of goodies was appreciated. Would highly recommend Colourmill cottage as a base to explore the Peak District
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Warm welcoming stay

Everything we needed in this well equipped house. The owner was lovely contacting us when we had arrived to make sure all was ok. Ideal spot to explore local villages and great walks. Can't recommend highly enough.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet and Chill

We had a lovely peaceful stay at Colour Mill Cottage, we had all we needed plus more, ideal location for Peak Wildlife Park and Alton Towers, gorgeous bathtub, loved the Arga. Overall had a fab time, thank you!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Get Together

A chance for our family to meet up, relax and have a great time. Lots of space to spread out, the bedrooms were clean and very comfortable however, the dining table was probably where we spent most of our time together. Quiet location and we loved the riverside space a couple of steps across the road. An easy place to keep clean with our two dogs as the only carpeted area was on the stairs.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely cottage. Very comfy beds. Very helpful host.

It was a lovely cottage in a lovely location. Eleanor was very helpful. She brought kindling over to us when we realised we were out. There was also plenty of wood for us to burn on the Woodburner - fantastic in the cold weather. She also left a generous hamper of goodies.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fab friends and family reunion

We had a lovely time at Colourmill Cottage in Winkhill for a reunion catch up of 2 families with young children. A very relaxed, comfortable setting and easy to get around to all of the great places on offer in the Peak District.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cosy cottage

A beautiful cottage from which to explore the Peak District. Eleanor was very helpful at all times by phone and text. Be careful of your head if you are very tall, our 6'2" son hit is head several times on low beams and doorways! We had a lovely time, thank you
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2021
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy

Disappointing.

Colourmill Cottage is a lovely cottage. We read the reviews and apart from one they were all good. The location is superb and when we drove onto the drive all looked good. I went in and my son, his wife and grandchildren had already arrived. They commented that it looked nice but it wasn’t very clean. I looked in the dishwasher which was full of greasy water. I cleaned the filter which was so greasy and also had broken glass in which I cut my thumb on. The kitchen generally was not very clean. The fridge isn’t quite big enough if you plan to do self catering. If any food gets near the back of the fridge it freezes. The sofa in the tv room looked scruffy. It also had dirt under the cushions. I took the rug outside to shake as that was also dirty. We did not use this room as the first impression put us off. The conservatory was also dirty. When Eleanor arrived I pointed out the problems and she said that she would come the following day to perform a deep clean. Even the vacuum cleaner provided was dirty. It was a lot better after the deep clean but it should have been like that to start. I can only think we were unlucky as most of the reviews are full of praise. Do not be put off by my review as the positives outweigh the negtives.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 18, 2020
I am extremely disappointed with this review as I pride myself on responding promptly and quickly to any feedback and resolving any issues encountered. I am constantly improving the property and have just put in 2 brand new sofas in the lounge as well alterations in one bathroom. I should highlight that I came to check in the guests and was confronted with issues and the dishwasher which I would have explained to them that it wasn't blocked just stopped prematurely due to cleaning the BBQ grill. I do not expect guests to clean out filters themselves and would have addressed this for them. I also responded quickly to their cleaning issues which were resolved. In terms of the fridge, I can only say that it is a standard undercounter fridge (there is also an undercounter freezer) and guests have stayed very comfortably, self catering over Christmas! I have reviewed this guest as well as ironically they left the property really untidy and messy with toys scattered all over the house as well as putting loose ash in my waste bin causing a grey sludge.... I will continue to improve and respond to feedback in a positive way as I always want to make a guests stay the best I possibly can.
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Disliked: Cleanliness

Great Location for Alton Towers Visit, however property needs some work to improve

Location was great for our families visit to Alton Towers. Personally I felt the property was in desperate need of some maintenance. There is a strong smell of damp, ridiculous amount of cobwebs all over, the jacuzzi bath didn’t work, furnishing seem very old and not comfortable. Reading the guest book many people have had pleasant stays though, so maybe it’s just my expectations that were not met
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 28, 2020
As mentioned, the guest book has had many great reviews as well as being 5 star on other sites. There is no smell of damp and the furniture is all 5 years or less in terms of age (except for the antiques which you don’t sleep or sit on). The jacuzzi is fully functioning as I was in the process of getting it fixed which I did explain to the guests. These guests were extremely rude to me (after I reviewed them) and will not be welcome back. Their review is not a reflection of the experience of the over 150 guests that have come to the cottage. I take great pride in giving my guests the best experience I can and always respond and adapt when receiving constructive feedback which would make the experience even better.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family holiday

Had wonderful week in this quaint cottage everything you need was there including lovely welcome basket Eleanor was really welcoming and helpful would really recommend this lovely place
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2019
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 18, 2020
Thanks for your lovely review. I hope to welcome you back to the cottage one day!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Short Stay at Colourmill Cottage

We had a very comfortable stay in Colourmill Cottage, with 6 adults, 2 kids and a baby. The cottage is old but very clean and full of character, we also had all of the amenities that we needed during our stay. The Aga in particular was a nice surprise! Eleanor kept in touch to make sure we had everything we needed and all in all we had a great stay. The cottage is also in a perfect location for Alton Towers, being a 10-15 minute drive away.
Verified review

8/10 Good

A quaint, characterful cottage, with a real aga and log-burner

My family enjoyed our short stay in this very quaint cottage. It was ideally situated for us as it was close to Alton Towers theme park. The house had plenty of room and was cosy and warm. Eleanor was extremely helpful in settling us in, showing us how to work the aga. I would recommend this property.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Christmas at Colourmill Cottage

Comfortable, spacious cottage, (6 adults, 1 four year old and two dogs) over Christmas. Everything was really good and we had a great time, we all arrived in the dark, on different days but found the cottage following Eleanor’s directions.Good place to spend time and central for all kinds of activities. Lovely Christmas decorations and welcome pack were very much appreciated and James was amazed by the present from Santa.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Beautiful stay

We had a lovely, relaxed stay at Waterhouses. The cottage was beautiful, big enough for all 8 of us (all adults) and the garden backing onto the beck was great place to sit and watch the sun go down! The house as everything you could want, including a BBQ which sadly we didn't get to use because of the rain - but oh well! Eleanor was incredibly welcoming and helpful - and we are very grateful to her for our stay (and the hamper!)
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Lovely cottage, great location

We had a fabulous stay in this perfectly located cottage. Set close to a beautiful stream, the cottage is traditional and cosy but with all the modern accessories and appliances. We had snow the entire weekend we stayed so were in the cottage (apart from a few snowball fights!) most of the time. We had everything we needed and the wood burner and aga kept us nice and snug. Eleanor the host, was very friendly and accommodating and even despite the weather, came over to show us how everything worked. The cottage is really well located for so many local attractions and of course amazing views. We were a family of 4 adults and 2 children; 9 & 12 and a large dog. We all had a great time. We ate at the Lazy trout, leek which was superb (15 mins) . Visited the roaches (15mins), and although we didn’t go it is minutes away from Alton Towers and within 30 mins of Bakewell & Buxton.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Luxurious property, perfect location!

My partner and I stayed at the cottage for one night and had a fantastic stay. The hosts are amazing, very hands on and so helpful as we had never stayed in this location before. We felt incredibly welcome, it felt like we had never left home! The property was immaculately clean and wonderfully decorated throughout. Personally I loved the little touches from luxurious toiletries through to clean and comfortable bedding. The kitchen was very well equipped to accommodate our self catering needs. I couldn't recommend the property highly enough, its an absolute amazing find. I would definitely recommend this for a perfect get away!
Archival

10/10 Excellent

pleasant stay in my new favourite place

A very Clean, Cosy and Comfortable stay in what has to be one of the best cottages i have been to which oozes character. Not only is it very homely, it is situated in a stunning location. Whether it is a quiet weekend or one full of exploration it is a must. Extra touches such as high end toiletries, good quality towels and bed linens, well equipped kitchen didn't go unnoticed and made our stay that bit more special. We will 100% stay again, and look forward to next time.
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 18, 2020
Thanks Paul. You were a great guest and look forward to welcoming you back soon.
Archival

4/10 Poor

Full of character but needs some attention.

Pros: lots of interesting features and character; nice and warm; ample kitchen equipment; good parking; good wifi; nice conservatory,even usable in colder weather; great family size dining table; owner responded well to early requests. Cons: poor fridge, too small for 6/8 people on a self catering break; sitting room furniture shabby and uncomfortable; many curtains need a wash/refresh; lots of dust and cobwebs on light fittings, beams and ledges, this led to 3 members of the party having allergic reactions and one couple leaving early.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2017
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 18, 2020
I welcome all feedback and any issues you should have highlighted to me so they could have been addressed. In fact, all the issues you did flag to me, I went out of my way to address immediately as I do with all my guests. In terms of the fridge, we lived in the property for 7 years and never found the size to be a problem or had any other guest have an issue with it as it is the size of a standard under counter fridge or fridge freezer. I take great pride in giving all my guests a great experience so sorry to hear you have not had one. I have had over 40 reviews across many sites all which have rated the cottage very highly but I take all reviews very seriously and welcome feedback so I can act on this to continuously improve my guests experience.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

What an amazing find!

Such a lovely property and perfect for what we needed. Everything was clean and in good condition. We had some last minute changes of plans, but Eleanor was the perfect host and accommodated our indecisiveness with grace and charm.
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