The Peacock at Rowsley

‘Really excellent’ food is at the very heart of this lovely Peak District hotel in a 17th-century manor house, surrounded by good walking country, and known for its fly-fishing. Owned by Lord and Lady Manners, it was built for the steward of their stately home, Haddon Hall, and is full of tradition, with paintings of aristocrats on the walls, a beamed bar, four-posters in some of the country style bedrooms. Along with antiques, these all have air conditioning. Some readers report minor niggles – ‘the bathroom was modern but on the small side and the shower lacked power’ – but these are more than made up for by the ‘high standard of cooking’, with meals served by ‘well-trained, efficient staff’. Regular visitors were ‘slightly disappointed’ to find that ‘the food has got rather pretentious. It was still good but who needs blackberry and chocolate sauce with their beautifully sourced venison?’ In the atmospheric bar, a less-expensive menu impresses, with ‘extremely tender shoulder of lamb, smoked tomato risotto, salmon, sublime lemon tart’. After breakfast, visit Haddon Hall and Chatsworth House. (PA, P and AD, and others)