For 18 years (life before university) the Peak District was my home. Rolling green hills, quaint market towns and villages, deep blue reservoirs and expanses of moorland, covered with purple heather. I have so many fond memories of going on walks and adventures around the Peak District, climbing hills, crossing rivers and enjoying the great outdoors.
Classic English weather dictates that there will be beautiful, sunny days where the rolling hills are bright, emerald green and skies are blue, but there are also days of grey skies, thick cloud and rain. Sadly this visit to the Peaks was characteristic of the latter and showed us solid rain for the majority of our stay. However, that didn’t mean that we weren’t able to enjoy the charm of the Peaks.
Staying at The Peacock in Rowsley was like taking a step back in time. The luxury, grade two listed hotel is part of the Haddon Estate with close links to Haddon Hall where The Peacock owners, Lord and Lady Edward Manners, currently reside.
Our room had sunshine yellow walls, contrasting blue day chairs, a king-size bed, antique furniture and character accessories was warm and welcoming, enticing us in after our day in the rain.
The traditional glass window panes from the bedroom looked out to the picturesque English village and paintings on the wall showed beautifully detailed historic horse riding images.
The hotel has 15 bedrooms, each with their own unique character and charm. Downstairs there is a large, open-plan lounge where guests can relax, read and enjoy tea, coffee or even a drink from the bar.
We spent a lovely couple of hours reading magazines and relaxing whilst the rain fell outside.
We were lucky enough to get a break in the weather late afternoon so took to the grounds of The Peacock, making our way down to the river and exploring the beautiful garden, before wandering around the local village.
Our evening at The Peacock was made extra special by a visit to the three AA rosette-winning fine dining restaurant. The Peacock is famous for its food using local produce from the Peak District National Park.
We enjoyed perusing the menu and having a pre-dinner drink and amuse bouche in the bar; decked in dark wood and lined with spirit bottles of all shapes and sizes.
We delighted over 3 courses from the a la carte dinner menu outlined below. (Unfortunately some of the images came out quite grainy due to the ambient lighting but I hope you can get the idea of the feel and quality all the same!)
Starter: We both enjoyed creamy roasted tomato soup with mascarpone and basil pesto puree.
Mains: I chose Local lamb, summer beans, lovage, figs, kohlrabi & goats curd. Pete chose Fillet of Derbyshire beef, oxtail and onion tart, chard, carrot, parmesan and red wine sauce.
Dessert: Who could turn down dessert with a menu such as this? A chocoholic at heart I had Caramel and casa luker chocolate mousse, red wine poached cherries and milk sorbet. Pete picked the impressively presented Strawberries, lemon curd, lemon and olive oil cake, basil and lemon sorbet with meringue.
Our stay at The Peacock was really enjoyable, with warm, welcoming staff who were on hand for any request, a delightful, flavoursome dinner menu and a quaint, country classic room with that hint of luxury.
The small, independent feel of the hotel made us feel particularly valued as guests and the quaint village is perfect for a quiet romantic getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. Several guests we saw had enjoyed walks in the country, fishing or visits to nearby Chatsworth House.
If you’re looking for a place to stay whilst in the Peak District it definitely comes highly recommended from us!
Our stay at The Peacock hotel and our a la carte dinner were kindly provided on a complimentary basis through The Peacock’s PR team and Lord Edward Manners himself. All opinions and images are my own.
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