Stunning farmhouses in beautiful Cheshire

Before making a start on the miles of wild moorland, rocky peaks and hiking trails for which this area is so well known, take a little time to start the explorations in the city of Chester. History is all over the town, from the Roman walls to cathedral, world-famous zoo, and ancient collection of Rows, a seam of black and white timbered shops. Chester's history is as evident here as it was in Roman and Viking times, thanks to ancient traders populating the city's pretty streets and providing stories for the town museums.

If you've made it this far north (or south) it could well be the famous countryside that brought you here. Book a big farmhouse in the Peak District region, where foothills and trails can be mapped out every day, then return to local produce sourced from market towns like Macclesfield, Nantwich and Altrincham. Cheshire's Peak District covers almost 100 square miles, so don't leave your farmhouse kitchen without making a picnic big enough for the day: the scenery will keep you hooked until sunset.