The Peacock at Rowsley

Generations of glamorous aristocrats hang around this 17th-century manor house, gazing from gilded frames over what is today an exemplary hotel. Owned by Lord and Lady Edward Manners of Haddon Hall, it exudes traditional comfort. Readers on a return visit found their four-poster room, with views over the grounds, ‘extremely well appointed’, with ‘elderflower cordial, elegant pictures and Chinese antique ornaments’. Front rooms overlook the road. All rooms now have air conditioning. ‘They’ve clearly had decorators in; acres of fresh paint have been applied.’ Complimentary tea in the drawing room arrived with ‘the most delicious shortbread’. However, ‘muzak, hélas, in all public rooms, though not as intrusive as last year’. In a dining room with Mouseman oak tables, Dan Smith’s locally sourced menus include ‘delicious, beautifully cooked’ dishes such as lamb with pommes Anna, mint and goat’s curd. There is cheaper fare in the beamed bar. After a breakfast with ‘the best and lightest croissants’, it’s time to explore the Peak District national park, fish for trout on the estate or visit Haddon Hall and Chatsworth House. (Francine and Ian Walsh)