A hotel in the Peak District has just been named the best place to stay in the UK in the prestigious Sunday Times list.
The Cavendish Hotel in Derbyshire, which stands in the grounds of the magnificent Chatsworth House, topped the list for 2025, praised for its beautiful interiors and ‘epic’ views of the Peak District.
The Sunday Times’ 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK is compiled by a team of experienced reviewers, who narrow down hundreds of stays into the definitive guide of the best accommodation around the UK.
Hotels are judged on several factors, including design, facilities, and value for money, plus dining and service.
There are a fair few successes this year for the North West beyond the achievement of The Cavendish.
Another consistently award-winning spot – The Gilpin – was named the top spot in the North West.
This beautiful spa hotel is home to a Michelin star restaurant, award-winning spa facilities, lakeside hot tubs, and spa suites built on top of natural ponds, spanning across two sites in the beautiful Lake District.
Spa suitesLakeside hot tubsSpa suitesThe Gilpin has been named one of the Best Places To Stay in The UK by the Sunday Times. Credit: The Manc Group
Judges said that The Gilpin is ‘snug and homely’ in parts while being ‘seriously slick’ in others.
Even closer to home, Gary Neville’s Stock Exchange Hotel was the only spot in central Manchester to make the list, praised for its ‘old-school opulence’.
The Sunday Times said: “This grade II listed hotel is a tasteful flurry of marble pillars, gleaming brass fixtures and charming service.
“Rooms are refined and restrained, the hushed palette of creams, greens and greys allowing the tasteful furnishings to draw the eye.
“And the A-list love it: the former footballers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs are co-owners, Madonna once booked out the entire place and Paul McCartney was a recent guest.”
Credit: The Manc Group
Moor Hall, the restaurant of which just scooped the ultimate accolade of a third Michelin Star, features in the top 100.
This beautiful bolthole in Ormskirk has been celebrated for its fantastic food offering, which includes another on-site one-Michelin star restaurant in The Barn, as well as its rooms which range from the botanically-themed garden suites in the grounds to the more traditional bedrooms in the manor house.
There’s another Lancashire favourite on the list too, as Northcote swoops in with its ‘exquisite Michelin-starred fine dining and warmly welcoming service’.
Moor Hall in Ormskirk, the best restaurant in EnglandNorthcote
“Located near Clitheroe and overlooking the Ribble Valley, it offers easy access to some superb country walks,” The Sunday Times list says. “But most guests find themselves tempted to stay in, sipping cocktails on the terrace or a whisky in the lounge.”
But claiming the prestigious top spot to be named Hotel Of The Year is The Cavendish.
Its reviewer said: “Given she had permission to raid the attics of Chatsworth House, one of the UK’s most beautiful stately homes, to furnish this Baslow bolt hole owned by the estate, it’s hardly surprising that the in-demand designer Nicola Harding has given its 18th-century interiors and 28 bedrooms impressive sparkle.
“Harding’s trademark zingy colours (from teal to tomato) contrast winningly with antique furniture and paintings by distinguished artists such as Elisabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth and Phyllida Barlow.
“There’s a cosy bar for post-walk snifters and an elegant dining room where your three courses are admirably food-mile friendly. Nature adds another touch of class, with epic views of the Peak District available through almost every window.”
All military personnel will be allowed to travel for free across Greater Manchester’s public transport system this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, this Saturday 28 June is Armed Forces Day.
Armed Forces Day sees Brits celebrate those who are currently serving troops, their families, serving reservists, veterans, and cadets, and Manchester will also be paying tribute to the hundreds who have ‘fearlessly served’ with day of commemorations in the city centre on Saturday.
Mancunians are expected to line the streets as a parade made up of armed forces personnel, veterans, and cadets will begin a procession that will proudly march through the centre of Manchester, starting in St Peter’s Square at 11:30am.
Manchester will be marking Armed Forces Day 2025 this weekend with a 'poignant' military parade through the city centre. 🎖🥁
You can also expect an afternoon of live performances by the lively Lancashire Army Artillery Band, alongside music hosted by BBC Radio DJ, Michelle Dignan, up until 4pm.
Historic military displays, and stalls from organisations including the NHS, Royal British Legion, and Manchester City Council’s own Armed Forces Covenant, will also be in attendance, as well giving visitors the chance to explore an engaging display of military vehicles, uniforms, artefacts, and personal stories that span the rich legacy of the British armed forces inside a pop-up Military Museum tent.
This year’s Armed Forces Day is also particularly-special because it marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) which happened on 8 May, and the upcoming Victory over Japan (VJ Day) on 15 August.
All military personnel can travel for free on Manchester’s public transport this weekend / Credit: GMP | Bee Network
And so, in order to honour what an important weekend it is for hundreds in our region, the Bee Network has announced that all military personnel will be allowed to travel for free.
Free travel will be permitted on all Bee Network bus and tram services on both Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June for any members of the Regular and Reserve Services carrying their MOD90 card, veterans who carry their Veterans’ badge or Veterans’ rail card, and cadets travelling in uniform.
To mark Armed Forces Day, we're offering free travel this weekend (28-29 June) for military personnel and veterans across bus and tram services in Greater Manchester.
“The Armed Forces community makes an invaluable contribution to our society, and we’re showing our appreciation with free travel on Bee Network buses and trams across Greater Manchester this weekend,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is the Chief Network Officer at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
The free travel is part of TfGM’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant – a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly.
There’s a barn conversion in the Peak District that has struck an almost-impossible balance between true rural countryside setting, and absolute luxury.
While most countryside staycations involve a degree of ruggedness – whether it’s shovelling sawdust into a toilet or having to wrestle a log burner to get some heat in the room – Stanage Barn has nothing of the sort.
This luxury converted barn is so remote you’re taken there by your hosts in an off-road buggy, but is fitted with absolutely every modern comfort you could dream of.
A spa-worthy bathroom, modern interiors, ultra-fast WiFi, a wine fridge, recliner chairs, and a premium bed all match with its incredible rural countryside location for a truly world-class staycation.
They’ve even pampered your four-legged friends with this conversion, factoring in a utility room with a dog wash sink in it.
The family who run this spot shunned any quaint barn conversion template and instead drew on Scandi architecture and modern touches to deliver such luxury.
There are the angular tables and worktops, the wooden-clad walls, the indoor-outdoor element from huge picture windows and sliding doors. It really is an architectural marvel.
Even the walk between the bedroom and the bathroom will take your breath away, with a floating walkway separating the two.
Inside Stanage Barn in the Peak District
There’s a kitchen fitted with – genuinely – everything you could need. Anyone ever stayed in a place where they give you Tupperware and a salad spinner?
And if you don’t want to spend a minute inside with such beautiful surroundings, there’s an outdoor BBQ too.
With such comfortable accommodation it’s easy to forget that you are actually in proper Peak District countryside. Until you look out the window and a sheep’s looking back at you, that is.
Stanage Barn is right near Stanage Edge, one of the Peak’s most famous landmarks, and is walking distance from the village of Hathersage and its lido, country pubs and pretty cobbled streets.
Fair warning though – the walk back is beautiful, crossing streams and fields full of sheep, but that last stretch to the barn itself is steep. Nothing a chilled glass of wine in your private, enclosed courtyard as the sun sets can’t fix though.
If you’re on the hunt for a countryside escape but really aren’t here for the yurt life, Stanage Barn is, hands-down, the best Peak District spot for you.
Daisy Jackson -
10th March 2025 
