The Duncombe Arms
Refined-rustic country gastropub with boutique rooms. Flagstone floors, log fires, leather banquettes, Persian rugs and art from the Crane Kalman Gallery in Knightsbridge — the pub is proper cosy. The Walnut House annexe rooms are modern but done in botanical wallpapers, Farrow & Ball colour schemes and Hypnos beds. It's the ideal combination of local-feeling pub and genuinely luxurious sleep.
Book a restaurant table at the same time as your room — there's no guarantee of a table if you leave it to chance
Why It Matters
Michelin Bib Gourmand holder with 2 AA Rosettes and multiple Top 50 UK Gastropub rankings. Laura Greenall's ancestors were the original Duncombe family who once owned the Calwich Estate — making this a genuine homecoming story. The wine list runs to 200 bottles, 36 available by the glass via Coravin. Tom Parker Bowles called it 'the local we all wish we had' in the Mail on Sunday.
The Duncombe Arms is a 19th-century village pub in the tiny Staffordshire village of Ellastone, right on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border and just south of the Peak District. Co-owners Johnny and Laura Greenall took over what was a boarded-up local in 2012 and turned it into one of Britain's most lauded gastropubs — Michelin Bib Gourmand, 2 AA Rosettes, and a regular on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list. It calls itself 'a pub with rooms', which is factually correct, but considerably undersells what's actually going on here.
Where You'll Stay
5 room types available
Deluxe Double Room (Bath & Shower)
Same generous proportions as the shower doubles, but with the addition of a bath tub alongside the walk-in shower. Upstairs rooms in this category have slightly more elevated views of the Staffordshire countryside. All individually styled with Farrow & Ball colours, artisan wallpapers, and Crane Kalman Gallery art.
King-size or super-king-size Hypnos
Deluxe Double Room (Shower)
Large double rooms in the Walnut House annexe, a few paces from the pub itself. Each room is individually styled by co-owner Laura with botanical or geometric-print artisan wallpapers, Farrow & Ball colour schemes ranging from seafoam green to warm coral, and original artworks curated by the Crane Kalman Gallery of London. These rooms have a large walk-in shower. Ground-floor rooms have a private patio with table and chairs overlooking the Dove Valley.
King-size or super-king-size Hypnos
Garden Cottage
A freestanding stone cottage in the private grounds of Wootton Hall Estate, about 2 miles from the pub (a short drive — a car is essential). Formerly a Victorian pump house, it sleeps up to six across three bedrooms: a master double, a standard double, and a single convertible to double. Uninterrupted views of rolling Derbyshire countryside, a private terrace with seating, and cottage garden. Available for full-week or half-week lets.
Junior Suite (Family Room)
Two larger rooms in Walnut House, ideal for families with children under 12. Same country-chic fit-out as the doubles, but with a pull-out sofa bed for one child (£30 surcharge) and a bath alongside the shower. These are the biggest rooms in Walnut House. A foldaway bed can also be installed for a second child (£30 per bed).
King-size or super-king-size Hypnos, plus sofa bedThe Old Barn
A converted 19th-century barn adjacent to the pub, once part of the Calwich Estate where Handel, Rousseau and Darwin were said to have visited. Three bedrooms — a master double, a double, and a single convertible to double — sleeping up to 5-6 guests. Chic open-plan living space with a log burner, large kitchen with electric range and Nespresso machine, and a private garden with BBQ. Private parking with CCTV.
The Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
The surrounding Staffordshire and Derbyshire countryside offers good cycling terrain. The pub makes an ideal base for rides into the Peak District.
Several footpaths leave directly from Ellastone village. One short circular walk, and a longer 6-mile route that leads to Calwich Abbey. The Weaver Hills are also accessible from the area.
The private gardens of Wootton Hall Estate are accessible to guests staying in Garden Cottage. Worth exploring — the grounds are beautiful and the cottage sits among mature trees.
Ellastone is the village on which George Eliot based the setting of Adam Bede ('Hayslope'). A local guide named Ed Barker organises walks to locations from the novel, largely focused around Calwich Abbey.
Regular wine-tasting dinner evenings hosted at the pub, developed in partnership with Bibendum. The pub uses a Coravin to offer 36 wines by the glass; these events go deeper into specific bottles and producers. Dates and themes vary — check the What's On page.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Real log fires in the original pub snugs and bar areas. A key reason to visit in autumn and winter.
Free Wi-Fi throughout Walnut House and the pub.
Room rates at Walnut House include breakfast from the pub's menu. Served Mon–Fri 8–9:30am, Sat–Sun 8:30–10am. Book breakfast times on arrival.
Private room for up to 12 guests, available for celebrations and business lunches. Must be booked in advance.
Large pub garden with views over Worthy Island Wood, plus a terrace. Very popular in summer.
Select Walnut House rooms accept dogs. £25 surcharge per stay. Guests must inform the pub in advance so they can allocate the right room.
There is no swimming pool at this property.
Free private parking available at the pub. Additional parking at the Wootton Hall Estate for Garden Cottage guests.
Electric vehicle charging points available on-site.
There is no spa or dedicated wellness facility at this property.
BUILD YOUR THE DUNCOMBE ARMS PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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