There’s a lot of romance to the Peak District, with its hilltop tors, valleys dense with heather and littered with elegant stately homes, and pockets of woodlands in-between expanses of windswept moors to lose yourselves amongst. This part of the UK is also known for its old spa towns: Buxton, Matlock and Matlock Spa, and there’s certainly romance to these charming places, and to the postcard-perfect tiny villages with their intimate tea rooms and cosy pubs. So, the job of choosing our favourite romantic accommodation in the Peak District wasn’t easy, but it certainly wasn’t a chore. Especially when the brief was to make them luxury romantic hotels in the Peak District!
For an historic stay
- The Old Hall Hotel’s age is referred to in its name, but if you find history romantic then this is the hotel for you: supposedly Mary Queen of Scots had rooms here, because she loved to take the waters in Buxton. And she’s just the first in a line of historical figures who have apparently graced these halls. It’s also old enough to have its own resident ghosts. We can’t say which if the 35 rooms and suites you’re likely to come across them in, but our Gurus prefer the Classic bedrooms or those with four-poster beds, for their chintz wallpaper, heavy draped curtains and antiques. Outside, pretty Buxton has a lot of charm, and is known for its Summer Arts Festival as well as its natural springs. And the hotel’s elegant, ivy-clad facade, with its towers and flags fits right in.
For a Romantic Luxury Escape
- On the very edge of the Chatsworth estate, the Cavendish Hotel is a rather secluded country house, turned 24 room country house hotel. The countryside in this part of the Peak District is especially stunning, and this a great hotel choice for couples who like a room with a view. Inside, the rooms are spacious and traditionally decorated, some with four-poster beds, some oak beams, and most of them lovely antiques and luxurious fabrics. The public spaces have open fireplaces, which add to the cosy, intimate atmosphere. The restaurant has won awards for championing seasonal, local produce, and serving it up with a rural twist.
- Once upon a time the Peacock at Rowsley was the Dower House for Haddon Hall, the seat of the Dukes of Rutland, and you can still see some of the Rutland furnishings today, mixed with contemporary pieces to create a stylish, luxurious feeling collection of 15 rooms and suites — some with four-poster beds. This is the kind of hotel where you’ll be greeted with afternoon tea, and offered camomile tea before bed, and there will always be a fire roaring if cosiness is required, along with supper on a tray. The restaurant has 3 AA Rosettes, so its offering is impressive. And you’re surrounded by miles and miles of countryside to explore.
For foodies
- Fischer's Baslow Hall is a neatly symmetrical manor house in a fantastic location close to Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall, with a fabulous Michelin-starred, contemporary British restaurant. This isn’t quite a restaurant with rooms, but there are only 11 rooms and suites so it has a similar intimacy. The decor is classic contemporary with a very luxurious feel, there are also open fireplaces and antique furnishings.
The Most Luxurious Inns for Couples
- Just outside the borders of the Peak District National Park, The Cow is a beautifully refurbished country inn with a boutique sort of feel, incredible views and an atmospheric restaurant which serves modern British food and an excellent selection of ales. The Cow is perfect for walkers. The decor in the 12 rooms involves pale colours, stone sinks and polished concrete tiles, but they’ve retained some of the original features too, and the effect is charming and contemporary.
- Is it a pub, is it a B&B, or is it a hotel? We’re not sure, but the name is The Old Hall Inn, so it’s probably fair to call it a combination of all three. The pub part is really charming, dating from the 1800s, and there are some fantastic old features to appreciate while you enjoy one of their excellent local beers or ales. There’s also a cosy, romantic restaurant section. For the accommodation you'll find a range of 11 rooms, suites and studios, some within the pub and some in neighbouring Whitehough Hall. There’s a good range of styles here, with very contemporary studios, and very traditional, country-house-hotel-style rooms and suites.
Luxurious & Romantic B&Bs
- The Manor House is an unassuming Georgian-era manor in Brassington, one of the Peak District’s picturesque country villages, in an excellent spot between Chatsworth, Sudbury and Tissington. Within the main house there are just three double bedrooms, all of them dressed in a floral, French country style, with impressive roll-top baths and vintage linens, then there’s an additional coachhouse room, which has its own living quarters and a private garden too. The gardens are beautifully rustic, and the views are glorious, making this a relaxing escape.
- Eight room escape Dannah Farm is just outside the Peak District, but you wouldn’t really know it from the view out of the windows, which is of mature gardens and rolling green hills. Inside the decor is cosy and traditional, with open fireplaces in the lounge and library. The rooms vary as you go upstairs, with the mid-level rooms having four-poster beds, and the three top floor rooms have exposed beams and private hot tubs.
For great value
- The Biggin Hall Hotel offers direct access to the dales, so it’s perfect for walkers. But it’s also elegant, romantic and affordable, converted from a 17th century manor house mid-way between Ashbourne and Buxton, in a fantastic Peak District location. There are 21 rooms and suites, all of them different, but several have grand canopied beds — which makes a nice change for many of us, and they’re crammed with charming original features. The building is Grade II listed, has an impressive collection of architectural influences, and is surrounded by gardens and lawns. Plus there’s an excellent restaurant.
- And what could be more romantic than staying in the original building behind ‘The Feathers’ in ‘Jane Eyre’? This is the heritage of the now George Hotel, a 500 year old country inn in the north of the Peak District National Park. These days it’s a little more luxurious inside, with four-poster beds and a good collection of antiques and comfortable contemporary furnishings. It also has an award-winning restaurant, one of the best in the area, with 2 AA Rosettes.
Still not sure which to book?
