Stanley's Alehouse, Smedley St Matlock

Stanley's Alehouse is a little way up the hill out of Matlock but it's worth the climb. A rather grand building houses Stanley's but the inside has been refurbished as an outlet for the various products of the Bumpmill Brewery. there were ales, too, from other small local breweries and I had a rather nice pint (well, three and a half pints, actually) of 'Amberillo' from Dancing Duck. There was quite a mixed crowd, i.e. women, for a micropub and we concluded that it may be because the interior is tastefully decorated and doesn't look like a waiting room. A pleasant evening was had.

The Market, Chesterfield Marketplace

Obviously quite popular with the young and trendy crowd, the Market devotes at least as much energy to its food as to the beer. They lay claim to serving the following: Pale Rider – Kelham Island Moonshine – Abbeydale Landlord – Timothy Taylor Dark Peak - Raw Cornish Knocker - Skinners Blanco Blonde - Sheffield Brampton Mild - Brampton Golden Pippin – Copper Dragon Jaipur – Thornbridge Hooky Gold – Hook Norton but carry only 3/4 selected beers at any one time. The surroundings are fine and the service was adequately friendly. A place to see and be seen, if you're thirty something.

The Royal Oak, Shambles, Chesterfield

You have to look quite hard for the Royal Oak and that might explain why only 2 men and a dog were in there on a perfectly good Wednesday night when we visited. It's certainly worth finding, though, mostly for the quirky interior. The pub is divided into two halves and you have to go outside to get from one half to the other. The lower half houses the TV set, fruit machines and toilets but the other half is the architectural oddity. Apparently it was originally two butcher's shops with upstairs living accommodation and, as you sit amidst the beamed walls, you can peer up into the vaulted ceiling. The range of beer is not extensive but a good pint of Farmer's Blonde was on offer and went down well. If you're in the town centre, certainly worth a visit.