When a hotel description places the greater weight of emphasis on the kind of board games that are available, there’s an inevitable tendency to fear the worst. The upside though is pretty simple: the Castle Inn in Bakwell near Matlock provides a staggeringly good range of real ales, wines and good grub. And we use the word grub deliberately as in these parts that’s what it is, with a typical menu including such traditional English fayre as rustic bread, Ruddles Ale tart, prime steaks, top steaks, slow cooked lamb and chops. That said, there’s also a fairly imaginative range of international food too, from Chicken Tikka Masala to rigatoni pasta and lasagne.

This charming 16th Century coaching inn is located just off the A619 as it crosses the River Wye at Bakewell Bridge. There is a roaring log fire for cold and weary travellers in the 35-seater restaurant and 4 bedrooms – R4U

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