Mulino Pods

Mulino Pods

Myself and a friend stayed at Mulino Pods, a rural valley Glamping site which is located in Ashbourne, Derby on the edge of the Peak District. Mulino Pods is rated on Trip Advisor as 5* and we can see why!

The pod we stayed in was secluded and overlooked the beautiful valley. Check in was contactless and simple and we received everything that we needed via email; list of what to bring to your stay, all that is provided, full directions with a map, recommended places to eat and drink, and an arrival pack full of important information.

 Upon arrival we were greeted with a lovely welcome note and complimentary teas, coffees, hot chocolates and marshmallows. We loved the added touches of the Christmas decorations both inside and outside of the pod.

 We stayed in December and thoroughly enjoyed this winter stay. The pod was well insulated and had a radiator which heated up the room very quickly.  All pods are eco powered and heated by the farm wind turbine. There was a homely vibe in this pod and Reggie was very settled here.

Damson Pod

We stayed in a dog friendly pod ‘Damson Pod’. They have three Glamping pods onsite which all boast stunning countryside views. Waking up and seeing this view through the French doors each morning was incredible, especially at Golden hour.

The accommodation was extremely clean and very comfortable. If you’re looking for peace and quiet then this is definitely the perfect location to escape.  We felt very safe in the pod. If I was to consider going away solo then I would choose to come back here. 

Inside the pod everything you need is provided.  You don’t need to pack much just food and clothes. The double bed was comfortable with fresh bedding. The pod was fully equipped with the basics such as a fridge, toaster, kettle, cutlery and crockery.

The bathroom was a few seconds walk up the steps in the communal area. This was the cleanest and most modern communal bathroom I’ve seen for glamping pods. There are two shared bathrooms onsite. We were lucky to have the bathroom to ourselves as the third pod wasn’t booked out that weekend. The bathroom was again heated via the wind turbines and had a large power shower inside. It also had a hairdryer, shaving point and heated towel rail.

The WIFI onsite was superfast which enabled me to share story posts throughout the stay.

Outside in front of the pod is a decking area with a picnic bench. To the side is a BBQ area with a fire pit. The owners have made it easy to access drinking water by placing a tap next to the pod, we found this very handy. Foldable chairs for outside are also available.

We loved the nature surrounding the site. Each morning we were greeted by Robins on the doorstep. There was Livestock just outside of the Pods fence. Reggie did have to stay on his lead but this was no issue as I used a ground lead, this was totally understandable as sheep graze close by.

There is a good sized enclosed parking area situated above the pods which is easy accessible via the steps

Outdoor Kitchen

The  kitchen facilities were outdoors in a covered area. Everything you need is provided; kitchen utensils, crockery pots, pans, salt and pepper and cooking oil. We enjoyed a bacon and cheese toastie for brunch from their Toastie maker. In this area there are Gas hobs and a large sink. No microwave or oven is provided but this wasn’t a problem for us as I enjoyed the outdoor camp-like experience.

Info Room

There is a communal information room with a couch where you can sit comfortably and a breakfast bar where you can eat your dinner from if the weather is poor. There are games which are free to use, toys and event and activity leaflets available. I did make use of the binoculars to look out over the valley whilst on the decking area to the pod.

In the information room was an Honesty shop which sold all the little extras you may need such as charcoal, fire lighting, cereal etc. We did stock up on their lovely jars of jams and chutneys. We love how trustworthy the owners are in doing this.

Location

There is so much to do in the area with many local attractions. There are plenty of local Walking routes nearby and the Pods are situated near the Peak District so walking trails are endless.  You can also paddleboard at Carsington water. Unfortunately we were unable to do this on our stay due to the weather. We were lucky enough to catch one of their local Christmas markets which was a nice touch to the trip.

There are many local Pubs and Restaurants in the area. We made the mistake of not following the instructions of pre-booking a place to eat and most were full so we highly recommend booking in advance.  We did however eventually find a lovely pub close by.

Pods

There are three pods available. Damson Pod and Lavender Pod are dog friendly and blue Bell Pod is pet free. Lavender Pod is slightly larger than the Damson Pod which we stayed in and sleeps up to four guests. This pod is perfect for families and has bunk beds and a double bed,

Situated near the carpark is a mega sized fire pit overlooking the countryside which would be perfect for a gathering. Mulino Pods allow bookings of up to 8 people.

Driving to the pod is straightforward and can be easily found just a few minutes down the lanes. The road does go into a one lane track but we didn’t see any cars whilst we were there.