The Peacock at Rowsley

We decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary in the Peak District and booked into The Peacock for an overnight stay. We had a junior suite and were thrilled; it was wonderful. Full of old English charm, with a four poster bed, leather furniture and tasteful lighting.
The hotel itself was wonderful, with log fires and comfortable lounges. The staff were first rate and were so friendly, helpful and attentive. We did not eat dinner but did have breakfast; it was superb, well cooked, hot and plentiful. A lovely hotel and highly recommended.

My husband and I have been visiting The Peacock for 15 years. Staying twice a year, usually for a couple of nights. I often leave a Tripadvisor review and sadly this will be the first time it is not 5 stars, the signs of cost cutting becoming clear, at least to us.

Please don’t get me wrong, this is still a great place to visit and you will be looked after, but some small changes in details don’t work for us and this will regrettably no longer be our favourite close to home getaway it once was.

All staff members were friendly, polite and well intentioned.

Our personal taste means that we preferred the venue prior to the refurbishment last year (although this is our second visit since then). The new style feels more like a posh pub than the historic, antique coaching house feel it once had. The covering of the original stone floor in the bar, to us, is criminal!

That along though would not have impacted our score.

On check in we were asked to advise what time we would be eating breakfast. I queried this and was told it was new to help the staff plan! That isn’t putting the customer first. If I’m going to stay away from home I want to decide when I want my breakfast (within your hours) in the morning. I might take a walk first, or have a lie in. I might wake up early and hungry. It really isn’t a luxury experience to have to make that decision the afternoon prior.

The room itself was lovely (room 7) but they have now done away with two prior amenities (complimentary shortbread and tea/coffee on arrival, and a turndown service). This is the first sign of cost cutting we noticed.

On coming down for dinner at 17:30 for 18:00, despite passing the receptionist, we waited maybe 15 minutes before anybody came to the bar to take our drinks order. We were disappointed with the new (dare I say boring) offering of cocktails. On enquiring if they could still make our old favourite the cucumber and chilli martini, we were told not, albeit we were told that we weren’t the first people to ask that. The drinks we did order were well made.

We were then asked which one of us was the pescatarian. Not once but in the end three times, each time advising that we had no food restrictions at all and neither of us were a pescatarian. The GM did say something like “don’t mind us we do know what we’re doing, honestly”. It didn’t fill me with confidence albeit the evening that followed was generally wonderful.

The portions have reduced on the tasting menu, but, I actually think they are more suitable. Previously despite the awesome food quality, portions were so big that they were uncomfortable for a tasting menu. That said, the butter portion resembling the size of a pecan nut was insufficient to spread on half of one piece of bread (Lee gladly brought us more). I did miss the original Bakewell Best Bitter bread which was a staple for so long, but I understand things change.

Dinner service was well paced and generally delicious but two dishes didn’t hit the spot. The halibut was overcooked (slightly but dry as a result) and the panna cotta was overset and quite hard. The deep bowl the halibut in was not suitable to enjoy the dish properly either. These are small points - those items certainly weren’t inedible, just that they missed perfection. That has never been the case previously so I wonder whether there has been a change in chef. Other than Lee (whose service was really great) we were not asked how dishes were when staff cleared our plates so did not raise this on the evening. Furthermore, when we declined a too up our wine which was offered, the waitress proceeded to top up our glasses anyway - clearly she just misheard.

The breakfast offering has been reducing for some years now with the wonderful continental spread once offered long gone, but even since our last visit a few months ago, it’s dropped again in quality and offering. No longer are fruit, yoghurt and granola offered, for example. And our real bugbear with breakfast was the juice quality. Cheap, sweetened, nasty concentrated orange juice. A big drop in the premium freshly squeezed juices poured last time. Please charge an extra £5 a night if you have to but please bring back quality juice. This is not in keeping with your general offering. Thankfully the bacon quality remained exceptional, more akin to gammon. The food at breakfast was delicious, and great coffee too.

Sadly it feels to us that Longbow have brought in some common aspects that suit their other pub like venues. This was a super find back 15 years ago and we enjoyed it thoroughly but its identity appears to be slipping away and more pub type aspects are being brought it like the bonquet seating in the dining rooms. This could be due to Longbow or possible the loss of several great staff recently who had been here for years. It was however lovely as always to see Valentine, one of the original staff members who always wears a smile and works incredibly hard to ensure everyone is looked after.

My husband and I had an overnight stay recently. It was a lovely place to visit. We had a very welcoming experience on arrival. Our room was 16 at the very top of the hotel. The stairs may have been problematic if you had reduced mobility so best to check. We had the Sunday roast which was beautifully cooked and presented. The waiting on staff were all very professional and personable. The lounges pre and post dinner were charming and had beautiful log burners adding to the ambience. Our bedroom was quiet, warm and cosy. The extra touches of chocolates, quality tea and coffee products and Penhaligon bathroom products added a touch of quality. The bed linens were high quality and the bed very comfortable. We had breakfast the next morning which was plentiful and a good choice of options. All the staff should be commended for their professionalism. One man stood out but sadly we didn’t get his name. He was a very tall slim man and he was very attentive and informative about what the hotel had to offer. He served our meal in the restaurant at night. Thank you to all staff for making our stay special. We will return.

Took my partner, friends and out 5 doggies for afternoon tea on a random Wednesday in February. Just happened to be my 50th. Lovely experience, the afternoon tea, drinks and setting amazing. Any oversea visits would be wowed by this place. I am going to return to sample the full menu soon, but highly recommended !

Enjoyed a lovely 2 night stay at the Peacock. Beautifully decorated, nice touches including Penhaligon toiletries and a comfortable bed. Very peaceful with easy access to lots of top Peak District locations. The sitting room and bar area downstairs were excellent for an evening nightcap. Easy parking and staff very helpful. Thank-you!

We stayed here for three nights for a quick getaway break on the recommendation of our friends. The welcome was pleasant and helpful and our room (6), was charming. Bed linens and bed comfort was top notch. Penhaligons toiletries appreciated and the little box of luxury chocs is a nice touch. The hotel is just lovely, very comfortable, beautifully decorated and the staff all willing and pleasant. The bar is a beautiful space and warm fires tended all day could be found in the lounge and bar areas. The first breakfast service was not at all great but the manager soon put it right and all was well thereafter. The breakfast ingredients are all high quality and it arrived hot, although my ‘over easy’ eggs never quite arrived as runny as they aught to have been. Chef puts a lot of thought into the menu and we enjoyed all our food which was perfectly seasoned, something not always found in restaurants these days. The wine list had a good spread of wines for most tastes. Cocktails all excellent and perfectly mixed and presented with little dishes of crisps and warm nuts. The shower/bath arrangement in room 6 needs a re-think. The shower flow is weak, presumably due to the screening not being adequate due to the configuration. It is difficult to get close to the stream of water because of the bath slope. It’s awkward and not commensurate with the room experience. We would suggest removing the bath and creating a fully enclosed double shower space. This was the only thing that kept our rating away from ‘excellent’.
Staff need to be clear about how customers should be using the loyalty app as I had conflicting information offered throughout the stay. All in all we had the most relaxing time and would like to thank everyone for looking after us so nicely. Highly recommended!

We visited the peacock for lunch, unfortunately I was unable to eat mine, it was over seasoned, all I could taste was salt. We did mention this to the waiting staff who I found to be a little rude. I also over heard another diner complaining about the same thing. We left disappointed we had read reviews before making our booking and it looked really nice, unfortunately this wasn’t the case

Friendly and helpful staff. Dog friendly. The bar area had an excellent atmosphere on Boxing day. Food and drink was top notch. Gorgeouse hotel with superb staff.

Just returned from a 3 night stay over twixmas /NY. This is the third time we have treated ourselves here at this time of year and it once again did not disappoint. We stayed in Room 5, our favourite - a junior suite with lovely four poster bed and a nice comfy chairs to relax.

Our first night we ate in the bar at our favourite “peacock table”. The menu was still the same as the dining room but it made it a little less formal after our long drive.

The special tasting menu on New Year’s Eve was a spectacular event from start to finish - the food was just first class and the service was excellent. Once again a special shout out to Lee who looked after us that night along with his expert knowledge on the wine flight we enjoyed with each course. Once again (like during our stay last Easter), Lee made it such a memorable occasion and we felt very special. The staff overall are wonderful, the level of service is so good without being overbearing (would also like to shout out Sammy, Rhiannon, Marcus and Valentine amongst many others who looked after us so well).

On our last night we had dinner in the dining room, another wonderful feast and service to match.

My husband is gluten intolerant but this was no problem at all as adaptations were made to menu items which weren’t already GF.

Overall we had such a wonderful time making more memories and look forward to returning soon. Thank you to everyone.

A lovely stay shame it was just for one night. The hotel is a beautiful old building our room was traditionally furnished the bed was extremely comfortable. Fantastic walk in shower. We had dinner in the restaurant which was very good and breakfast the following morning equally as good. Service was impeccable by all members of staff. Can’t wait to return.

We stayed for one night and honestly couldn’t fault a thing. The staff were absolutely amazing, so welcoming and genuinely lovely. The cocktails and bar snacks were Devine. The room was incredibly comfortable, and the Sunday roast… wow. Hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. We’ll definitely be back

We have just had a wonderful Sunday lunch pre Christmas with lovely food and fantastic staff.
A great ambiance and perfect for this time of year.
A special mention for the very friendly and professional Sammy who was just lovely to my mum. The three of us enjoyed chatting to her.
Thank you were so kind.

This was our first stay at this beautiful, peaceful hotel set in the lovely village of Rowsley, and it exceeded all our expectations. The atmosphere was cosy, warm, and festive. Excellent service and delicious food. It was the perfect place to unwind and enjoy a countryside getaway, with Bakewell and Chatsworth House right on the doorstep. We will most certainly be returning for another visit soon!

It’s a real treat to stay here in this 17th century inn. The traditional country style is lovely at this time of year with Christmas decorations and log fires. The welcome is warm and all the staff are very friendly. Our room had a huge comfortable bed and a view over the garden. A delicious breakfast is included and cooked to order - try the eggs benedict with top quality ham. We also enjoyed dinner, especially the duck and beef Wellington main courses. The cheese board is very good. The drinks menu offers a lot of choice and beer on tap is avaiable - try the Chatsworth Gold. All is beautifully presented and well served. A luxury stay here combined with a visit to Christmas at Chatsworth is magical.

We stayed recently, following a day at Chatsworth, as a treat for my mother’s 80th birthday and it was absolutely perfect. Everything was wonderful from the moment we entered, the staff, the decor, the beautiful Christmas decorations. We stayed for dinner and it was wonderful. Another review mentioned it was cold and they should light the fire, we sat next to the fire and were grateful it wasn’t lit as we’d have been too hot. I stayed in a single room and they’d thought of everything, beautiful tea / coffee with fresh milk, dressing gown / slippers, well positioned plug sockets, gorgeous chocolates and bottled water. I’d 100% recommend.

My husband and I live locally and received a £20 voucher off the menu. We went on a Saturday lunch and ordered the burger and fries at £25 each! We assumed for this amount of money it would be something special. How wrong we were. It wasn’t even worth the £15 reduced amount we paid each. The small burger was on a very average bun with a small amount of tomato relish plus 1 lettuce leaf and 1 slice of tomato plus 2 tiny slices of gherkin. We had a few “triple cooked” cold and shrivelled chips which were rock hard and inedible. No side salad or coleslaw. That was it. For £25!!!! We won’t be back.

Lovely hotel would recommend if the heating is turned up

Bedroom: comfy bed, very nice linen

Bathroom: clean, nice, good large basin

Dining room: slightly souless, chilly - fireplace but fire wasn't lit ..... A shame.

The food is excellent, service friendly and very nice, but dinner rather spoilt by lack of heating and dull atmosphere

Lounge
Comfortable - but what's the point of a log burner if it isn't lit?

We realize times are hard for hotels, but if your guests are cold they won't be happy.

If you want a really special place, in a beautiful setting, near to some amazing things to do in the Peak District. Stay here.
We have stayed here about 7 times. We have booked alomst all the rooms and the suite. Every room is stunning.
The bar area and the restuarant are both top notch and the staff are friendly and informal - in a good way. You don't feel like you have to behave in a 'posh' way - we always hosted my Dad here - a proper local Derbyshire man, and he loved it.
The best thing here is that I am a bit strange in that I always take my cuddly Scooby Doo to hotels. At this hotel, when we got back to the room in the afternoon or evening, Scooby was tucked up in bed with a tangerine in his hand or holding the TV remote. We laughed a lot. Nothing was ever said by the staff - it was just such a nice touch.
Yes, it's not cheap. It shouldn't be. You will be treated so well here. It's special in a very top way. The people who work here really know how to host people - they're just brilliant.
Of course, the food is great and you can bring your dog in some rooms.

We stayed 1 night after visiting Chatsworth House & Gardens & Christmas Market.
I have eaten at the Peacock many years ago but never stayed, its fabulous. The situation within Rowsley village is beautiful with ample parking. We were greeted very warmly on arrival and offered drinks and coffee. The lounge is very cozy and comfortable with reading material to sit and relax.
Our room was a suite with every facility you needed from coffee/tea making facilities, radio, TV etc.
The furniture is excellent and bed linens and drapes very high quality. The superking bed was like sleeping on a cloud, with a wonderful mattress topper.
Beautiful products in the bathroom also. Great shower !
The full English breakfast was delicious, with great staff serving. Check out again was friendly and every effort had been made to ensure we had a good stay.
Im sure we will be back in the future, our stay was excellent.

Leaving a wonderful family wedding on a high, bad weather and a car breakdown forced us to make last minute arrangements in an area we were not familiar with. Luck would have it that the breakdown in Rowsley led us to The Peacock. Hospitality beyond expectations from Hilary on reception, Lee and Poppy in the bar, transformed a bleak situation to an unexpected special end to our weekend. The hotel oozes comfort with its warming fire in the bar and plush furnishings. The delicious light meal & drinks, along with the service, were of high quality restaurant standards. A good nights sleep and exceptional breakfast saw us on our way. We look forward to when we can return.