Cotswolds Cooler Than Traditional Derbyshire: Inside the Peak District's chic Callow Hall Hotel
The pinnacle of luxury in the Peak District: Inside Callow Hall, the swish country hotel that's 'Cotswold cooler than traditional Derbyshire' Callow Hall brings guests back to nature without giving up creature comforts. Jane Knight stays in a 'wooden beehive' upgraded version of a shepherd's hut' READ MORE: The cove time forgot - and the gorgeous pub it houses
It may be called the Peak District, but the old railway line we cycle down is right around the corner from this country hotel, is virtually flat.
Pedal one way along the 21km Tissington Trail and within minutes you'll be be in the market town of Ashbourne, with its cobbled streets and antique shops. If you take the hotel's bikes the other way towards Buxton, leaving the trail at Thorpe and cycling to the Dovedale car park, you can cycle through the valley with its famous stepping stones.
>Two and a half sweaty hours later my son and I are back in Callow Hall - and what a classy place to crash, all eye-catching colors and a whirlwind of patterns thanks to interior designer Isabella Worsley. Although elements of this Victorian mansion remain - the grand staircase, tiled fireplaces and ornate ceilings - they are beautifully offset by pink seating and sea-green walls adorned with vintage flower pressings and botanical prints .
The 15 bedrooms in the main house are all equally beautiful, with carefully chosen fabrics. Some also have a bathtub in the room. Instead, we stay in one of 11 wooden beehives, a bloated version of a shepherd's hut, cantilevered over the wooded hillside with two larger treehouses. Rustic furnishings, upholstery, and a delicious woodsy scent contribute to the warm and cozy ambience.
There's still time until dinner, so we're delighted to find generous gifts of snacks to help us out. Open a cupboard and you will discover a whole kitchenette cleverly integrated inside. Sipping and nibbling on the terrace, sounds of undergrowth all around, we see both a rabbit...
It may be called the Peak District, but the old railway line we cycle down is right around the corner from this country hotel, is virtually flat.
Pedal one way along the 21km Tissington Trail and within minutes you'll be be in the market town of Ashbourne, with its cobbled streets and antique shops. If you take the hotel's bikes the other way towards Buxton, leaving the trail at Thorpe and cycling to the Dovedale car park, you can cycle through the valley with its famous stepping stones.
>Two and a half sweaty hours later my son and I are back in Callow Hall - and what a classy place to crash, all eye-catching colors and a whirlwind of patterns thanks to interior designer Isabella Worsley. Although elements of this Victorian mansion remain - the grand staircase, tiled fireplaces and ornate ceilings - they are beautifully offset by pink seating and sea-green walls adorned with vintage flower pressings and botanical prints .
The 15 bedrooms in the main house are all equally beautiful, with carefully chosen fabrics. Some also have a bathtub in the room. Instead, we stay in one of 11 wooden beehives, a bloated version of a shepherd's hut, cantilevered over the wooded hillside with two larger treehouses. Rustic furnishings, upholstery, and a delicious woodsy scent contribute to the warm and cozy ambience.
There's still time until dinner, so we're delighted to find generous gifts of snacks to help us out. Open a cupboard and you will discover a whole kitchenette cleverly integrated inside. Sipping and nibbling on the terrace, sounds of undergrowth all around, we see both a rabbit...
What's Your Reaction?
