Simply Staffordshire / Rowan House

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Address: Rowan House, Tythe Barn, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Postcode: ST10 4AZ Email: enquiries@simplystaffordshire.co.uk Telephone: 01889 591844 Website: http://www.simplystaffordshire.co.uk Google map Click here Multimap.co.uk satellite map Click here

Description   Simply Staffordshire. Mother and daughter team Maggie and Emily are Staffordshire Peak District enthusiasts; both are worldly and well-travelled but nothing warms their hearts more than when their customers say, "I had no idea it was so beautiful in Staffordshire. And we love that the Peak District National Park is on the doorstep." Simply Staffordshire provides award winning 4 star eco self catering accommodation, Rowan House, on the edge of the beautiful and historic village of Alton in the Staffordshire Moorlands in the Peak District. Mum and I have always been green enthusiasts and environmental responsibility is at the heart of the business as is our love of Staffordshire. Rowan House is a large 4 star, self catering holiday house in the lovely village of Alton just south west of Ashbourne. Rowan House sleeps 7 (+ 1 + cot). There are 4 bright bedrooms: master bedroom has large en-suite bathroom, another large bathroom and a downstairs loo and laundry/drying area. The generous proportions and layout of Rowan House, its large organic cottage garden plus the surrounding activities and attractions, make this holiday accommodation ideal and extended families or those with teenagers who demand their own space! It is also perfect for 2 families with young children to holiday together. Many groups of people coming together for  a shared activity e.g. walkers, climbers, abseilers, eco hen parties, find the area and accommodation the perfect combination for their needs. Guests at Rowan House can take advantage of the additional services of Simply Staffordshire to tailor their holiday in this unexploited area. There is an information pack (and maps) provided at the house if you would rather do your own thing, but to really get the most out of a limited break in the area, it can pay to consider some of the holidays ideas or that Simply Staffordshire can plan for you. A bit of extra detail about Rowan House... The sunny entrance porch, with plenty of room for muddy wellies, leads to a good sized, inviting hallway with lots of coat hooks. To the right is the dining room and sitting room. Simply Staffordshire is a business that helps people get straight to the enjoyment of their holiday. If you are staying at Rowan House then provide Maggie and Emily with a brief for your break and simply let them draw on their local knowledge to plan the holiday that you really want. The range of what can be suggested is immense! o Guided walks o Climbing o Archery o Abseiling o Pampering and treatments o Eco Hen Weekends o Meals in or out. o Open gardens o Stately homes o Babysitting Just think that if you want to add anything at all to your holiday – ideas, itineraries, entertainments – please email or call Simply Staffordshire and we will put you on the right track. Online Shop As you might imagine, all the things you will find in the Simply Staffordshire Shop are handpicked and chosen because they are made locally with love and attention. The gifts you buy can be gift wrapped and sent direct to the recipient and all gifts will have information about who made them and where. You won’t be surprised to know that there are some fabulous makers and producers in Staffordshire and the Staffordshire Peak District so it’s worth popping by to see us regularly to check out new arrivals! If you think you make something that would look lovely in the shop, please contact Emily to have a chat! How Green are We? Rowan House provides you with a really great holiday that is also environmentally responsible and organic. We support the local environment and economy. We know we are not perfect (yet!) but strive to improve all the time as it's not always easy being green! Outlined below is what we do right now and a bit about our future plans. The garden at Rowan House has been organically managed for more than 16 years. This includes an organic herb garden for your use. We only allow the use of the Ecover products that we provide in the house ensuring minimal impact on the local waterways. We only use eco bulbs. Most of our crockery is local Staffordshire, from one of the last potteries in the UK to still use the timeless skills of Stoke on Trent, such as the decorating method of underglaze transfer printing from engravings. Most of the furniture is reclaimed and revived. All new furniture has been bought locally. Our washing is done next door using solar energy. We don't tumble dry anything. We provide all facilities for you to recycle your waste — we make this very guest friendly and easy to use! We provide composting facilities. We use loo "hippos" to reduce the amount of water used in each flush. We only provide organic/Fair Trade produce, the teas and coffee we provide for example. We actively encourage our visitors to buy local and use our local veg box scheme rather than using the big supermarkets (you get a better taste of Staffordshire that way too!) There is a wide ranging folder in the house detailing local crafts, food, organic gardens, cycle hire, wildlife walks and local community events and initiatives. We provide free transfer to and from Rowan House for those of you who have travelled by public transport to get to us (call us for help if you need to!) We use a green ISP for this website. About 90% of our promotion and advertising is e based rather than paper based. We recycle all our print cartridges as well as our own waste. We include details in the house of how you can reduce your energy and water consumption during your stay — from using the electric showers to using the heating system. All the extra facilities we provide and out source, such as outside caterers, are local and have their own commitment to local produce and community. If you would like to try washable nappies while you stay we can provide a set of nappies and wraps as well as a bucket, tea tree oil etc — just let us know in advance! We have found some great eco garden furniture paint, so we have used that this spring! We have become members of Responsible Travel - we think this really adds authenticity to what we are doing! Emily also runs small workshops for rural businesses trying to "green up" their work and home. If you would like to know more feel free to email and ask.