The Cavendish

Teatime brings ‘some of the nicest, warm, home-baked scones’ at this ‘welcoming’, ‘beautifully kept’, traditional hotel on the Chatsworth estate. It is owned by the Duke of Devonshire; Philip Joseph, the manager, ‘runs it very well’. Across the oldest part of the hotel (the once-upon-a-time Peacock Inn) and the newer Devonshire wing, ‘very attractive’, refurbished bedrooms each has its own charm (‘though I wish they’d make one with a walk-in shower’). All have ‘welcoming touches’: assorted hot drinks, biscuits, ‘large, thick bathrobes’. In the modern Gallery restaurant and the informal Garden Room, new chef Adam Hill’s cooking is ‘pretty faultless’, as regular visitors discovered in 2016. ‘Our Kitchen Table menu was well balanced and beautifully presented – delicious mushroom and wild garlic soup; wild sea bass timed to perfection; sweet, tender local lamb.’ Cross the adjacent parkland to reach the stately home – or stay in and soak up the ‘lovely’ atmosphere. ‘A morning cuppa sitting up in bed and looking across the estate doesn’t get much better!’ (Padi and John Howard, Beverley Adams, Susan Willmington)