About Us

As a family, we have enjoyed many camping trips in the UK. We love the feeling of being outside, getting back to basics (but still with a few home comforts!) and being able to ignore all the pressures of life and technology.

It was that feeling of freedom that gave us the idea for Secret Valley Escapes. We wanted to create a site that we would want to go so we put together a list of all the things that were important to us (which was quite different for each of us!!) and added those into our plans for the site. The only thing that unfortunately didn’t make the final cut was an Xbox in each Den!!

During your stay, you will find us wandering around the site or working in the Lodge Office. We want you to feel like the site is your own, so we won’t bother you unless we need to, but please feel free to come and chat with us at any time.

We hope you have a fab stay…..

Dave, Debs and Archie

About the Site

Our site was originally the location of an old woollen mill, dating back to the early 1800’s. The mill was located here due to the vast number of natural springs that were vital to the running of the business.

Since we purchased the site in 2015, we have worked hard to reinstate the original mill dam and the upper small reservoir, which hadn’t been touched for many years. Both areas of water now support an abundance of wildlife. In addition, the upper reservoir offers coarse fishing, whilst the lower mill dam is home to our pet trout!

The site is over 10 acres with lots of little trails and tracks for you to explore. Sitting on the upper reservoir is our floating bird hide where you can spend hours getting lost in the tranquility of the water in front of you and the vast array of visiting wildlife.

Just above the hide is the stream that feeds the reservoir and dam. Depending on what the level of rainfall has been you can either walk up the stream or use the series of bridges and swings* to cross the flowing water and explore the top end of the site.

*Having a go on the swings is definitely something all of the ‘grown ups’ have to try before they leave!

Each individual Den has a different view of the site (see accommodation section for more information about this) and space around it for you to relax and enjoy. Each den has an outdoor firepit for you to enjoy as well as the firepit in our communal area.

About the local area

We are situated In Holmfirth, on the edge of the Peak District. For those of you old enough to remember, Holmfirth (and the surrounding area) is famous for the BBC television programme ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ and welcomes many tourists each year who come for a glimpse of the infamous steps leading to Nora Batty’s house!

Holmfirth Town Centre is just over a mile away from Secret Valley Escapes and is bursting with little shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants as well as a great selection of takeaways. It is also home to the famous ‘Picturedrome’ which is an absolute must-visit for music lovers. You can check out who is playing by taking a look at their website.

For wine lovers, there is the local Vineyard that provides tours, meals and of course the opportunity to sample some great wines!

With our rolling hills, valleys and reservoirs we are the perfect location for those who enjoy exploring, walking and cycling.

There are a number of local country pubs within walking distance

Local Wildlife

What you will (hopefully!) see:

Common Buzzard, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Grey Heron, Mallard, Kestrel, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Kingfisher, Dipper, Sparrowhawk, Robin, Song Thrush, Goosander, Canada Geese, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Black Cap, Grey Wagtail, Common Crow, Chaffinch, Wren, Nuthatch, Raven, Jackdaw, Treecreeper, Moorhen, Pied Fly Catcher, Weasel, Stoat, Roe Deer, Badger, Foxes, Rabbits, Brown Hare