From post-funeral venue to loud, lively design hotel, the Farmhouse has changed almost beyond recognition. Once it has ironed out the wrinkles – and turned the music down from 11 – this could be a fantastic place to stay
The Mackworth hotel, just outside Derby, has long been a destination venue – for funerals. It is handy for Markeaton Crematorium, and used to be suitably sombre. The last time I was here was for my grandmother’s wake.
What a difference a refurb makes! The rebranded Farmhouse at Mackworth, now owned by Marston’s Revere Pub Company, is almost unrecognisable. My friend and I arrived late on Friday night and were almost deafened by club classics booming around the bar. We retreated to the library – which has books suspended from the ceiling – for a nightcap, curling up in cosy chairs as far from a speaker as possible.
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