Rowsley, near Bakewell · Hotel
A 17th-century dower house turned small luxury hotel between Bakewell and Matlock, known for its restaurant and private fly fishing.
The Peacock sits in the village of Rowsley, where the Derwent and the Wye meet, roughly halfway between Bakewell and Matlock. The house dates from 1652 and was built as a dower house for Haddon Hall; it remains part of the Haddon estate, which explains the quality of the fabric and the art on the walls.
There are 15 bedrooms, individually decorated with a mix of antique and contemporary furniture rather than a single scheme, and the scale means the hotel never feels like a machine. It holds four AA stars and ranks at or near the top of Derbyshire hotel listings, with around 800 reviews and consistently high scores for the food and the service.
The restaurant is the reason many people book. The kitchen runs an a la carte menu alongside a longer tasting menu on Saturday evenings, using estate game and local suppliers, and the bar does a shorter menu for anyone arriving off the hill. The hotel also holds fishing rights on stretches of the Wye and Derwent, with rods available to guests, which is unusual and a genuine draw for anglers.
It suits couples, food-led breaks and anyone wanting a base for Chatsworth and Haddon Hall, both a short drive away. Children are accommodated but the atmosphere is adult and quiet. Bed and breakfast doubles start from roughly £185, more for the larger rooms and at weekends, and the restaurant should be booked at the same time as the room.