The Rutland Arms

In the heart of the Peak District, the tiny and inordinately pretty little town of Bakewell makes an ideal base for those intent on exploring the surrounding countryside. There’s a wide variety of walks within easy striking distance, from the easiest of riverside strolls to ambitious hikes over hill and dale, not to mention one of the UK’s most celebrated attractions, Chatsworth House, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. In a handsome stone building the middle of town, the Rutland Arms is a welcoming, unfussy sort of place, whose 33 guest rooms have been pleasantly upgraded but retain their  period features, including a few that come with coveted 4-posters. Dogs are allowed in most guest rooms, and are also into the bar and breakfast area, but not the popular restaurant, where they serve an excellent Modern British menu that still manages the odd nod to tradition– don’t leave without trying the ‘Bakewell tart’, a sweet and slippery, almond-flavoured confection with a dab of jam that was invented by accident in 1860!

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