Both culture and nature are on your doorstep at Maggi and Gerard Heelan's 'excellent B&B guesthouse' just five minutes' walk from the Opera House in this splendid Peak District spa town.

With walks from the doorstep, views of Peak District hills, a peaceful garden, breakfast feasts and restful bedrooms, it's no surprise that Underleigh wins so much praise.

Overlooking the River Hodder in the Forest of Bowland, this sprawling 18th-century manor house is joyously traditional, with stone-flagged floors, open fires and bags of atmosphere.

In a picturesque Pennines village, this traditional coaching inn has 18 bedrooms, some with beams, some with roof window, an informal brasserie, and a restaurant serving pub classics and more inventive dishes.

Beyond its imposing colonnade and Tudor revival upper storeys, this grand Victorian hotel balances superb service with friendliness, traditionally styled with more contemporary rooms, brasserie fare with refined dining.

Their backgrounds are in finance and marketing, but Mujtaba and Amelia Rana must have their hearts in hospitality and design.