Rutland Arms Hotel, Bakewell

A handsome old building on the roundabout in Bakewell's centre, the Rutland Arms is a traditional country hotel. On entering the foyer there is some seating near a fire on the left, the hotel reception and rooms straight ahead and the bar on the right, in what looks like an extension of the original building; the floor is at a slightly different level, so a potential trip hazard. There are three hand pumps on the bar, with two from Thornbridge (Jaipur and Made North) and one from Peak Ales (Chatsworth Gold). I went for the Made North, a very pale bitter but not overly hoppy, as some Thornbridge beers can be. It took a while to pour, as the hand pump was not working properly, but the beer was in good enough condition. Whether it justified forking out £2.30 of my hard earned cash for half a pint is another matter. But this is a hotel rather than a pub, and besides it was the only drinking establishment that seemed to be open at 11am and saved me having to wait in the cold for my bus to Stanton in Peak.