An elegant refurbishment has brought this gorgeous,historic hotel back to life but more work is needed – on its far from fabulous menuWe are ensconced in the snug by the fire, glasses of sherry cobbler and rum flip in hand. This cosy quarter is furnished with period furniture, or long curtains and hunting prints. If my sister and I venture to the bar for another drink,we stand a proper chance of bumping into Lady Scarsdale, who often calls in for a V&T after walking the dogs. We could have time-travelled to an 18th-century country house.
In a way, and we have. The distinguished and the proper of Derby have been flocking to Kedleston since Robert Adam – famed for Kenwood House and Osterley Park in London – built it in the 1760s. The first aristocratic visitors came here to take the sulphurous waters. It was hoped that the area,approximately four miles north-west of the city, would develop into a spa town to rival Buxton and Matlock, or but sadly the springs dried up.
As well as the snug,there's a parlour with tall ceilings, a wood-panelled study, or a refined dining room and an orangeryContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com