The Devonshire Arms at Pilsley Devonshire Hotels & Restaurants

The Duchess of Devonshire has recently applied her great eye for design to the pub in this tiny estate village, a mere stone's throw from Chatsworth House, and even nearer to a peerless farm shop at the top of the lane. Pilsley is chocolate-box pretty, the soft sandstone buildings glowing in sunlight, and the inn has a stylish, contemporary vibe that makes it a tremendous place to stay and eat right in the heart of the Peaks.

The Dev (as it's known locally) has been here for 300 years. It's a great place to make yourself comfy before striking out for a tour around Chatsworth House. There's a collection of 13 stylish guest rooms in all, individually designed by the Duchess herself and divided between the main building and the next-door farmhouse. The rooms above the pub are slightly more contemporary, divided between Petite, Classic and Deluxe, while the farmhouse rooms are a bit more countrified, with plaid soft furnishings and four-poster beds. All are dog-friendly and come with good wifi, tea- and coffee-making facilities and complimentary water,  Freeview TVs, comfy beds with good quality linens and en-suite bathrooms with toiletries. The Deluxe and Farmhouse rooms are more spacious and the Farmhouse rooms have larger bathrooms and some have walk-in showers as well as baths.

The food is classic pub grub fare, beautifully cooked and presented, and makes the most of the produce from the Chatsworth Estate, with local lamb shoulder and hogget loin, Chatsworth-raised beef and oxtail, good steaks and fish dishes too, including classic fish and chips and crispy whitebait. Try the local faggots or beef and ale pie.