The Old Robin Hood

This is a former coaching inn, Grade II listed, on the outskirts of Holmesfield village where the Peak District National Park begins. The building dates back to the 1600s and it feels it. Walk in and the ceilings are low beamed, the walls are thick, and the stone fireplace in the sitting room has a woodburning stove that changes the whole atmosphere once it's lit on a cold evening.

The sitting room and dining area sit at the back of the house, with patio doors that open straight onto the garden. From the dining table, the view is open countryside and rolling hills. On a clear evening, the sunset from the lawn is worth sitting out for. The hot tub is right there on the patio, so you get the same view from the water.

The kitchen is properly set up for cooking for a crowd. Granite work surfaces, a Belfast sink, a breakfast bar, and enough space that more than one person can work in there without getting in each other's way. There's a homemade cake waiting on the side when you arrive, which sets the tone for the whole stay.

Walk in through the front door and the first room is the games room. A pool table and table football keep people occupied on rainy afternoons and evenings when nobody fancies going out. There's a fridge-freezer in there too, so drinks stay cold without anyone traipsing back to the kitchen.

Two of the five bedrooms are on the ground floor, which helps when the group includes grandparents or young children. One is a king-size with a feature fireplace, the other a twin. Upstairs, there's another king-size, a double with a private shower en-suite, and a twin. Pull-out beds in several rooms take the total to fifteen. The bathroom upstairs has a roll-top bath, and a separate ground-floor shower room keeps mornings manageable.

Geothermal underfloor heating runs throughout, which means the stone floors stay warm even in January. Between that and the woodburner, the place is comfortable without anyone fighting over a thermostat.

Outside, the lawned garden has a patio, a BBQ, and enough space for a big group to spread out. There's ample parking and bike storage if you want to ride straight into the Peak District from the door.

Holmesfield sits on a ridge between Sheffield and Bakewell, ten miles from the city and practically inside the national park boundary. There are eight pubs within a few miles, and The Crown Inn at Totley is worth the drive for the food alone. Chatsworth House and Bakewell are both an easy drive, and the walking starts straight from the front door. Two dogs are welcome, and the nearest shop is three miles away, so stock up on the way in. By the first evening, with the woodburner going and the sunset lighting up the hills from the garden, you probably won't want to leave anyway.