You'll be in good company with a stay at this charming cottage fringing Matlock and set within nine acres of English country gardens – the mighty Chatsworth House is just three miles from your door along the River Derwent. Inside, original beams, stone flanked windows, a crackling fireplace, and an immaculate shaker-style kitchen fill this period home with character and charm. While upstairs, bedrooms boast stunning views of the gardens and rolling hills beyond. But it's that shared indoor swimming pool that's the real clincher here – you didn't expect that from a sleepy village cottage, did you? Sunny mornings call for lazy breakfasts in the pretty gardens as you drink up the far-reaching views across the valley towards Bakewell and Haddon Hall. Then break up the morning with a splash about the indoor pool. Shared with just one other cottage, you'll have the place to yourself for two hours at a time, twice a day. When it's time to get out exploring the Derbyshire Dales, get off to a flying start in the nearby charming village of Rowsley (a five-minute drive) with its traditional pubs for real ales and a warm welcome. And, of course, there's always the stately Chatsworth House (a thirteen-minute drive or two-hour amble along the river) for a turn about the grounds.

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