Nestled five miles south of Chesterfield town centre, Clay Cross is a thriving community with a rich mining history. Continuing to grow year after year, the town offers everything you need for family life, from nurseries and primary schools to supermarkets and green spaces. 

Food & Drink 

Clay Cross is also home to a fantastic range of cafes and restaurants which have been awarded Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Award. Host Coffee is one of our favourite places to enjoy coffee, pastries and light brunch with friends, family or by yourself. Their menu features something for everyone, from classic sandwiches to indulgent parmesan mushrooms and fruit-topped granola.

After successfully establishing the nearby Three Horseshoes in 2013, Craig and Mark have expanded into The George to offer an incredible rural gastro-pub experience within one of Clay Cross’ oldest buildings. Perfect for special occasions and evening drinks, The George offers fine dining and tapas with fresh ingredients sourced from local suppliers. 

The Great Outdoors 

A brilliant location for lovers of the outdoors, in Clay Cross you will find beautiful walks right on your doorstep, including the Clay Cross Heritage Trail. Taking roughly an hour and a half, the trail is an excellent way to get to know the town and its history. 

When you are ready for a day out of the town there are plenty of nearby places to visit, including Hardwick Hall. Just a 20-minute drive from the town centre, this stunning Elizabethan House run by the National Trust is set in an impressive estate of Grade I listed parkland, where you can explore the woodland with your family and four-legged friends. 

Connectivity 

If you are thinking about a move to Clay Cross, then commuting to work might also be on your mind. Luckily, the town is in an excellent location under an hour’s drive from both Sheffield and Nottingham, with train links making London accessible in three and a half hours.

Ready to make the move to Clay Cross? There is now just one final plot remaining at our Orchards development and until the 17th of March, you can secure this beautiful four-bedroom family home for the special price of £299,950 – a saving of £10,000! 

To take advantage of this exclusive offer, call our team on 01246 575744.

Are you looking for affordable activities to enjoy with your family this half-term? We’ve got all the information you need for Stocksbridge, Mansfield and Derbyshire! 

Stocksbridge – South Yorkshire 

Ultimate Activity Camp – Tuesday 13th | Thursday 15th 

Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre

Price: £20 per day 

Perfect for children aged five and above, the camps include games, crafts and a swim session with lunch also provided. Secure a place for your child today by emailing UACbookings@onthemove.org.uk. 

Creative Writing Workshop With Author Nik Perring | Wednesday 14th 

Stocksbridge Library

Price: FREE

Award-winning author and screenwriter Nik Perring will be hosting a free writing workshop on the theme of Belonging, perfect for children aged 7 and over. Nik will help your children come up with brilliant ideas and turn them into stories and poems.

Places for this event are limited so remember to reserve a space by contacting the library on stocksbridge.library@sheffield.gov.uk or 0114 273 4205. 

Mansfield – Nottinghamshire

Mansfield Light Night | Saturday 10th – Tuesday 13th 

Car Bank Park 

Price: FREE 

Taking place from 4pm to 8pm daily, the park will be transformed into four beautiful main areas plus a mini food court with a huge variety of treats to keep you warm from burgers to waffles and hot drinks. 

The four main event areas will be The Radiant Bandstand with 360 screens showing artistic performances, Tranquil Tree Canopy with illuminated pathways and fairy lights perfect for a moment to unwind, Enchanted Forest glowing with over 250 candles and dazzling mirrorballs and Carnival Party where you will find a colourful multi-sensory area and energetic music.  

Find out more about this fantastic event here: https://www.mansfield.gov.uk/MansfieldLightNight 

Holiday Club | Monday 12th – Friday 16th 

National Ice Centre 

Price: £35 

From 8:30am to 5pm each day children aged between 7 and 13 can take part in fun activities and ice skating every day. The activities are designed to boost confidence, plus enhance coordination and agility skills ready to transfer to the ice for basic ice skating lessons. 

This activity is limited to 30 spaces each day and includes lunch and snacks. Book a space by visiting the National Ice Centre here.  

Chesterfield – North Derbyshire

Half Term History Makers | Saturday 17th – Sunday 25th 

Bolsover Castle 

Price: From £8.50 

Journey back in time this half term to the 17th Century and explore Britain during the Civil War. Characters from the past will be joining visitors to entertain you with stories from the stealing of the crown jewels to England’s smallest man. 

Entry to the event is included in the standard admission ticket price for Bolsover Castle. You can pre-book your tickets for the castle and view all of the information about this event here. 

Megaslam Wrestling Live Tour | Saturday 17th

SMH Group Stadium 

Price: From £5

Celebrating 15 years of Megaslam, this year’s tour will feature all of your favourite stars in what is a fantastic action-packed two-hour show. There is no doubt the entire family will be on the edge of their seats during every match! 

Find out more about the event and view the trailer at Destination Chesterfield’s website here. 

Matlock – Derbyshire 

Half Term Fun | Saturday 10th – Sunday 25th 

Matlock Farm Park 

Price: From £11.50 

This half term at Matlock Farm Park there are lots of interactive activities taking place, perfect for all the family to take part in! Head down to the farm to have fun meeting the chicks,  place a free bet on the sheep and ferret racing, or grab a lead and walk an alpaca. 

Visit the Matlock Farm Park website to see the full activity schedule and for more details on admission prices. 

Lunar New Year | Saturday 10th 

Heights of Abraham 

Price: From £17.50 

Celebrate Chinese New Year at the Heights of Abraham and see a spectacular Chinese Dancing Lion performance at the summit. Vibrant lanterns will also decorate Rutland Cavern and Garden Pergola. Cable car riders will also be offered a fortune cookie that holds a secret message of good luck and prosperity for the next year. 
You can book tickets for the cable car here.

January is the perfect time to reflect on our achievements over the last 12 months and look ahead to what 2024 has in store for us. We spoke to a few members of the team who gave us their thoughts on the last year as well as their goals for the future.

Helen Day, HR Manager 

My highlight of 2023 was having the opportunity to work outside my usual HR remit to support the creation of our show homes. For the upcoming year, I am looking forward to working on enabling better communications and more collaborative working across our teams. We will also be working to raise the profile of Woodall Homes with local education and training providers to help generate awareness of career opportunities within the construction sector. 

Mark Sweet, Senior Technical Manager  

In 2023 I really enjoyed working through our new bespoke development Willow Heights, located in Stocksbridge. It was great to create a very high-quality range of house types. This year I am looking forward to continuing to oversee the technical team to create effective solutions to the ever-complicated build of new houses. Over the next 12 months, we will also be ensuring we have proper synergies and solutions in place to make us more effective as a business. 

Josh Bull, Technical Manager 

Last year it was fantastic to become more settled within the effective team at Woodall Homes. In 2024, I am eager to successfully oversee the development phase of our brand-new site Normanhurst Park, as well as contributing to other sites in the pipeline. 

Finally, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us during 2023, and to all of the buyers who have made a Woodall Home their own in the last year. We can’t wait to introduce all of the exciting projects we will be working on this year, from beautiful new developments to community and charity events. 

If you are interested in buying a new home this year, visit our Developments page to find out more about the properties we have to offer and find your dream new build home. 

The festive season is all about giving and this Christmas, the Woodall Homes team has decided to give back to the children at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. 

Chesterfield Royal Hospital plays a vital role in providing essential care to the residents of Chesterfield and North Derbyshire. Through their dedicated charity, the hospital goes above and beyond, offering more than what would be possible through standard NHS funding.

Recently, Nicole Hooton, our dedicated Customer Care & Office Manager personally visited the hospital to deliver two boxes of gifts. These thoughtful presents, generously donated by our team, will be gifted to the children who will be spending Christmas there.

Nicole shared her thoughts on the experience, saying: “It feels fantastic to be able to donate to the Children’s Hospital Ward and know we are helping to put a smile on children’s faces this Christmas!”

This donation marks the culmination of a year-long effort by the Woodall Homes team to support various local causes and charities. As 2023 comes to a close, the team are delighted with the positive impact they have had within the community this year. 

In January, the team will be revealing our chosen charity for the next 12 months as part of the ongoing commitment we have made to the communities we work in. The charity is a cause close to the hearts of the staff here at Woodall Homes and we are honoured to have been able to support this important cause together.

At Woodall Homes, our commitment to giving back to the local community is an integral part of who we are. We are thrilled to share with you the impactful contributions we’ve recently made to two deserving Chesterfield-based charities.

Ashgate Hospice 

On Friday 10th November, our Directors attended the Ashgate Hospice Annual Ball where we were proud to make a £500 donation to sponsor a Nurse. 

During the night, the event raised an incredible £63,844 for Ashgate Hospice which will allow them to continue providing palliative and end-of-life care for individuals who are coping with life-limiting illnesses including cancer, neurological diseases, and end-stage heart, kidney and lung disease. 

Alison Ward-Foster, Partnerships Manager at Ashgate Hospice said: “We are extremely grateful to Woodall Homes and all of the contributors who made our Annual Ball a wonderful success. The donations we receive from our supporters help the Hospice nurses to be there for those who need them the most.” 

Pathways of Chesterfield

For 2023, we have been supporting Pathways of Chesterfield as our charity of the year.  Pathways of Chesterfield is a service which supports the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and Bolsover. 

Through the generosity of our staff members, partners and the local community, we are proud to have raised a total of £1,412.20 in support of the charity through in-office cake sales, a sponsored walk and general collections. 

Helen Day, HR Manager at Woodall Homes said: “The whole team is very proud to have done their part in contributing towards this incredibly worthwhile charity over the last year. 

“During January we will be announcing our charity of the year for 2024 and we can’t wait to reveal who we have chosen to support for the next 12 months! 

“In the meantime, we will be supporting both Chesterfield Hospital and Sheffield Children’s Hospital over the Christmas period and we are looking forward to sharing this next project over the coming weeks.” 

To read more about the good causes we have been involved with recently, click here to see the latest updates, and follow us on social media to be the first to hear about our upcoming projects. 

Although new build homes are highly efficient compared to more traditional properties, there are still additional ways you can save money on your energy this winter. Keep reading for our five top tips on how to create a more energy-efficient home. 

1. Choose Energy Efficient Appliances 

When buying new home appliances, make sure to check the energy efficiency rating. Heating systems in new build homes are typically at the peak of efficiency when they are installed, however other appliances including washing machines and dryers can vary drastically depending on the manufacturer. To ensure you choose the most efficient appliance possible, check the energy rating label either in-store or online. The ratings go from A to G with an A-rated appliance being the most efficient. 

2. Schedule Your Heating 

Smart heating is a very effective way to reduce your energy consumption, this is why all of our properties at The Shrubberies are fitted with Wondrwall, a smart home energy system designed to learn your living patterns. 

However, if you don’t have Wondrwall or a similar system fitted in your property, you can still take advantage of energy savings with your regular thermostat. Setting your heating to turn on only during specific hours will save you money in the long run. For example, setting your heating to come on for the times you wake up in the morning and arrive home in the evening will ensure that you are not wasting money heating an empty home. 

3. Unplug your devices

Did you know that devices that are left plugged in or on standby mode could be costing you £70 a year? “Vampire devices” like TVs, home speakers and microwaves drain your power even when they are not actively running, so make sure to completely switch them off and unplug them when you are not using them to save power. 

4. Insulate Your Windows

In the winter months, thick curtains and thermal blinds will be your best friend. During the night and early morning, keeping your blinds and curtains closed will help to maintain the temperature inside your home. 

When changing your curtains, this is also a good time to check for any loose seals or cracks around your window frames which may be letting in cool air. Small gaps can be easily fixed inexpensively with caulk and could drastically improve the heat retention of your property. 

5. Cook Efficiently 

Don’t waste the heat from your oven cooking! Ovens are often the most energy-demanding appliances in your home and cost roughly 63p per hour to run, so make the most of the heat generated from your cooking. Once you have finished using your oven, leave the door open to allow the heat to warm your kitchen. 

For more information on home energy efficiency in our properties, or to learn more about our net-zero homes at The Shrubberies, get in touch with our team on 01246 575744. 

Located in the heart of Chesterfield our brand-new development of premium bungalows, The Shrubberies, is an exclusive development of just nine properties. Created with our signature design and beautiful finishes throughout, these fantastic homes also include cutting-edge smart home technology from Wondrwall. 

Wondrwall are the world leaders in intelligent home management and renewable energy technology. This is why we have partnered with them to create energy-efficient net-zero homes at The Shrubberies. Every bungalow at The Shrubberies includes a complete home energy management system as standard, which adapts your heating and lighting according to your needs using a smart thermostat and light switches. By optimising your energy usage, plus storing any additional power generated, Wondrwall will help your property achieve net zero. 

Buying a home at The Shrubberies can save buyers money on their energy bills every year, with Wondrwall’s smart home system reducing energy usage by up to 90%. For the average household, this equals a saving of approximately £1040 annually.  

Our bungalows at The Shrubberies are perfect for a huge range of buyers, from young families to downsizers. With generous bedrooms, open-plan living areas and high-end integrated kitchens, you will find everything you need for modern life. 

The Shrubberies show home is now open! Join us for our open weekend on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of September from 10:00 – 16:00  to discover more about the development.