RJV - The Cottage Warden's email address for staying at PDMHS Magpie Mine Field Centre (Agent's House) is on the PDMHS website under the "Contact Us" section as follows:
MagpieBookings🇦🇹pdmhs.com
N.B. 🇦🇹 to be replaced by an @ symbol to obtain the correct email address - this is to minimise email addresses being harvested for junk mail.
The cottage warden is Mave Luff who incidently has been seriously ill for the past year or more. If you have problems contacting her please send me a PM and I can let you have her private email address. As far as I can remember, it is £3 a night for PDMHS members and £6 a night for non-members. There is a shower, W.C., running water and electricity (generator), for more details please contact Mave. Remember that the cottage gets fully booked for Bank Holidays early.
Toadstone - the old pub that was in Sheldon village before the "Cock and Pullet" opened was a beerhouse/alehouse (there is a difference - too long an explanation for me to put on here!) in the cottage next to it walking up the hill, it was called the Devonshire Arms and was run by Vince and his two sisters in the front parlour of their cottage, the beer was served in pink jugs with white handles and lips, poured straight out of barrels into the jugs, the barrels being kept in a larder style room to the side of the parlour. Woe betide anyone moving a chair out of place nearer to the open fire black-leaded range, as Vince bodily removed one from the chair and placed both you and the chair back in it's original position! I understand that this pub closed around 1972.
Regarding catering, Magpie cottage has two well equiped kitchens for self-caterers. Alternatively if one wanted to dine out without driving, one can walk the footpath to Sheldon village and eat at the "Cock and Pullet" who have their own hens supplying free range eggs, home cured bacon and home- made black puddings. Monyash is a short car journey from Magpie Cottage where is found the "Bull's Head" another pub that caters well, but can get crowded at Bank Holidays. Similarly there are a lot of eating places at Bakewell, a short car journey away, where also can be purchased the famous Bakewell Puddings, but again gets crowded at Bank Holidays.
If I can suggest, one of the best times of the year to visit Magpie Mine is May/June when all the wild flowers are out such as cowslips, wild pansies, orchids and the hawthorn blossom.
Trust this information helps.