The Peacock at Rowsley would not look out of place in a film set. Perhaps that is why actors and actresses filming in the area choose to stay here. Built in 1652, this has been a hotel since 1832.
I was visiting the Peak district in Derbyshire, the heart of England, an area of outstanding natural beauty and home to my favourite house in the whole of England – Chatsworth. For this visit I wanted to visit not only Chatworth but also the surrounding area to see what else it had to offer the overseas visitor. Finding somewhere comfortable to stay, that represents the best of British hospitality was one of my aims.
The Peacock at Rowsley is just 3 miles from the Chatsworth estate. I would call it a country house hotel rather than a boutique hotel, although with just 15 individually styled rooms it probably fits in the later category I feel it would undersell it to describe it as such.
Until recently the hotel was owned by Lord Edward Manners, the owner of nearby Haddon Hall. The property was originally built for the steward of the estate and was once used as the Dowager house. The stone peacock on the roofline at the front of the house, from whence came the name of the hotel, is part of the family crest.
Haddon estate sold the hotel to Longbow Venues in January 2025 allowing a much needed half million pound refurbishment. The investment has resulted in some delightful reception rooms, all while staying true to the heritage of this grade II listed building. None of the furnishings feel out of place, it all feels like it belongs, like it has always been here, and yet doesn’t feel dated. I think it is the details that make the difference, even the original Mouseman tables, complete with the carving of a little mouse, have been added to with sympathetic copies to create a cohesive feel to the dining room. There are little touches everywhere; original paintings, books and lamps and fresh flowers abound. One could easily imagine a well travelled sporting gentleman from the Regency era staying here.
In fact sporting gentlemen still stay here to this day, if one can consider fly fishing a sport. The hotel gardens back onto the river Derwent which is famous for its rainbow trout. Guests can take advantage of the four spots on the hotel grounds, and four more on the Haddon estate. Some guests return year after year in the high season of late April to early June when the may flies are plentiful and the fish are biting. I’ve never stayed at a hotel before where fly-fishing was one of the main attractions.
As this is a listed building there is no lift, and none of the 15 bedrooms are accessible. Help is offered with any luggage however. My room, number 3, is classed as a junior suite. There is a large, romantic, four poster bed which I have all to myself. The furniture is antique, mixed with antique style. The cabinet at the end of the bed, for example, looks perfectly in keeping with the rest of the room, but is actually a TV cabinet, the television rising and falling at the touch of a button. The utterly charming mullioned windows look out over the hotel gardens on one side, and have a view of what might be the most picture perfect English country cottage on the other. There are two leather armchairs and an original fireplace. There is both air conditioning and a traditional style radiator. Visiting in June I had hoped I would need the former, alas the weather was not on my side and I was very glad of the radiator to dry off my damp clothes.
The bathroom in this room is on the small side, which is no problem for me travelling alone. I am assured that the bathrooms in the other rooms are much larger, and I managed to see the bathroom in room 1 which is a much better size. The shower is over a bath, but again there are other bedrooms with walk in showers. As with any hotel, particularly one in a historic building where bathrooms have been retrofitted, if bathroom size is a concern for you mention it on booking.
The little touches here are totally in keeping with a hotel of this standing, Penhaligon’s toiletries, artisanal tea and coffee, and some delicious locally made chocolates. The robes are fluffy, and I appreciate that the slippers provided are eco-friendly and plastic free.
Other than the history and the fly-fishing, the thing that draws people to the Peacock is the food, and rightly so. It has an excellent reputation and the chef, Dan Smith, has stayed on through the change of ownership. There are 2 dining rooms as well as tables in the bar for people who prefer a more relaxed setting. The menu is small, but beautifully curated, with much emphasis on local seasonal produce. I chose the Mackerel to start, followed by the trout, in a hotel renowned for its fishing I felt it was the logical choice.
Before I could enjoy my fish I was brought a fresh bread roll and some butter. This may not sound exceptional, but this butter was out of this world. Whipped with truffles and shallots and melted into the still warm roll it was a taste sensation. The waitress clearly saw me roll my eyes in pleasure as I tasted it, she just looked at me and said “good isn’t it!”. Talking of the waitress the staff here are lovely. Some of them have been part of the team for decades and they greet former guests like old friends. Service isn’t rushed because conversations are taking place between guests and staff, about where they are from, when they will be back, and where the wine merchant is located in the next town. There is a humanity to it that has been lost in many luxury hotels.
The mackerel came with a mackerel paté, a sorrel mousse and some dainty balls of pickled apple. The finely sliced pickled kohlrabi that accompanied it was a pleasant surprise, it is not something I normally eat but it was sweet and was a perfect partner to the mackerel. Kohlrabi is not a traditional English ingredient, more commonly found in eastern Europe, but it grows well in the climate here and shows how good modern British cooking can adapt and incorporate ingredients from elsewhere.
The trout was, as I expected, perfectly cooked, and the lovage sauce was a fine example of good traditional English food. The strawberry and white chocolate mousse delivered yet another eye rolling moment. The smooth sweetness of the white chocolate being counteracted by the black pepper and balsamic tuile.
There is a very good wine list, with many new world wines that I don’t typically see in France. I chose a glass Chilean Sauvignon blanc to go with my fish, which was deliciously crisp and fresh. I asked for a recommendation for a red wine to go with dessert and was given a glass of Chilean Pinot Noir. Given my recent experiences in Burgundy (see article) I was somewhat surprised, but the waiter chose well. It had a depth to it that I find lacking in Burgundy wines and was well rounded. The vineyard, so the waiter tells me, has the peculiarity of using Alpacas in the vineyards to keep the weeds down.
Overall, this is one of the top ten meals I have had in England. The balance of flavours was perfect, as were the portion sizes. The three AA rosettes it holds are well deserved. After a very good night’s sleep, the good food continued at breakfast where I tried the Peacock special muffin with a sausage patty and tomato relish. It was a very nice way to start the day.
If I were to change one thing about this hotel, it would strangely be the signage outside. Something about the large Peacock sign doesn’t do justice to the elegant country house hotel hidden within. I don’t know if it the sign or the font but passing by you would be forgiven for thinking this was a pub or country inn, rather than a very special place that almost defines English Country hospitality.
Important disclosure: This is an independent review. My stay at The Peacock at Rowsley was hosted on a complimentary basis, as part of a trip organised by VisitPeakDistrict. All meals, were paid for independently. All views are my own.
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