The George At Alstonefield

Hulme End Tea Junction

➤ Hulme End, Fawfieldhead, United Kingdom, SK17 0EX

Tea • Soup • Coffee • British

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"I received a recommendation from a shopkeeper in Hartington that instead of paying for parking at the NP carpark, I could enjoy tea and cakes at the tearoom and park for free. Sure enough, there was a sign that said "spend a penny with me and park for free"! I bought a takeaway cup of tea for my thermos and headed off along the Manifold Trail, knowing I was welcome to park for as long as I liked. After three hours of walking, I treated myself to a delicious slice of Banana and Pistachio cake and a hot chocolate (from a machine, but still good). There was also a small gift shop with postcards and local crafts to browse through. The service was friendly, and I found it to be a great deal to be able to park for free in exchange for a drink and snack that I would have bought anyway. Note: Parking is free with purchase from the tearoom."

Charles Cotton

➤ Market Place, Hartington I-SK17 0AL, United Kingdom

Pub • Cakes • British • Breakfast

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"Our room faced the front of the hotel, and while the village was quiet with only two pubs and a small corner store, it seemed to be a shortcut for heavy vehicles speeding downhill at night, with headlights constantly illuminating our room. We also found out that the hotel closes in the evening if it's not busy, and the front door may be locked as early as 10 PM, requiring a code for re-entry. The internet service was poor; even standing just outside the front door, I had no reception and couldn't call the emergency numbers posted there. It appears that the quality of the rooms varies significantly, with some having been upgraded while others are less desirable, including our own. When we questioned our bill because we didn't think the room was worth £140, we were told that since we had booked through Charming Escapes, we should take it up with them, as the hotel receives only a fraction of what we paid. This made us feel like second-class guests, especially since it seemed we were stuck in a low-quality room. The standard rate for a double room is £90, and if I were to rate our experience like on the TV show "Four in a Bed," I would say £50 a night would have been generous. Previous reviews also mentioned an issue with the door handle and the ability to lock the room, which had not been fixed. If you’re just looking for a place to dry off your hiking boots, this hotel might suffice, but I wouldn't recommend staying here again. It has a lot of potential, and thankfully, we had a wonderful evening at The Devonshire Arms just across the street—it felt like a whole different experience. It seems the staff at Charles Cotton have simply given up."

Watts Russell Arms

➤ Hopedale, DE6 2GD, Staffordshire Moorlands, United Kingdom

Pub • Wine • Cakes • British

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"So I was scared after visiting inside this pub no drinks or bottles on show only us in there not been cleaned or renovated since 1960 no music not chat from landlord it was silent cold and dirty. Can’t believe this place is still going felt so sorry for them and wanted to have a drink to help them surviveMaybe better in the summer when you don’t have to sit inside"

The Olde Royal Oak

➤ Wetton, Staffordshire Moorlands, United Kingdom

Fish • Steak • Ice Cream • Breakfast

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"I would rate this pub a zero if possible… We came to this pub after a long walk around Wetton in the thunder and lightning. We order coffees and cakes and sat down and one of our friends had a salad pre packed because of his diet. We was then giving a dirty look by an old woman I guess was either the owner or wife of the owner. She rudely said “you cannot eat food in these premises” then proceeded to make comments as she was walking off. We continued to finish our drinks and then the chef came up to our table with shouting saying “you cannot eat that, I’ve been slaving away since 7am this is a restaurant, would you do this anywhere else?” The lady then said in passing “I hope you suffocate on that muffin” which was brought from the pub. Which is absolutely vile when we’re lining their pockets. We proceeded to say we’ve spent money here and we’ve only come for a quick drink and also mention how disgusting it was how they approached the situation instead of asking politely, to which we would’ve been more understanding. The chef actually came across as quite threatening and we felt very unwelcome. So we finished our drinks and left. Highly recommend avoiding this pub if you’re having a good day. This ruined our experience as a whole. What a shame.."

The Tea Junction

➤ Hulme End, Staffordshire Moorlands, United Kingdom, SK17 0EX

Cafe • Soup • British • Breakfast

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"First visit stopped off for a tea at the end of a 10 mile walk along the Manifold Trail. As you walk in there is basically one long table down the left hand side and two rows of tables down the right. The table on the left appeared to be occupied by some locals and, as we would later find out, staff, whilst of the 6 ? tables down the right one was occupied, 4 had dishes and trays on them which had not been cleared, and one was clear, clean and empty where we sat . I notice an earlier comment about a member of staff playing with her nails, and whilst there was no evidence of that, the place just didn 't seem to have that spark, that cleanliness, that marks out a place where you 'd really want to return to from an average place where you wouldn 't go out of your way to return. A couple of previous reviewers have done 'then and now ' type reviews people who clearly visited under a previous owner but as a first time visitor all I 'd say is: you 've got a fantastic venue at the end of a popular walking and cycle route first impressions count, so you need to make sure that tables are kept clean. There 's really no excuse for tables having trays of old food on them for 15 20 minutes when there are customers coming in and, as we found out, one member of staff had been sitting down and chatting to locals on the long table whilst all this had been going on."