Brushing up against the Peak District, Greater Manchester has some stunning scenery on its doorstep.

You don't have to travel far to escape the city for a breath of fresh air in the sweeping expanse of the National Park.

Just over the Derbyshire border, the spiny ridge of Chinley Churn and Cracken Edge is a popular spot for walkers.

Its rugged, rocky beauty is one reason, but I can think of another.

Nearby, The Lamb Inn beckons.

Just off Hayfield Road, the stone-built 18th century coaching inn seems to almost burrow into the hillside behind it.

Inside, it looks like it's been whittled out of the landscape too: a warren of rooms topped and tailed with stone flagged floors and wooden beams.

Coal-burning stoves glow from stone fireplaces and candles flicker on the tabletops; it's as cosy a shelter as you could hope to find from the wind-whipped moors around it.

What's cooking?

There's a daily-changing menu of British dishes such as rack of Derbyshire lamb and hanging venison skewers, mixed in with more far-flung flavours - a Moroccan lamb tagine here, a West African chicken curry there.

Most of it is available on the Sunday menu too, alongside traditional roast dinners (£12.95 or £16.95 with a starter).

A duo of pork (£17) is more pig than is probably medically advisable in one sitting; I'd happily lose the lump of tenderloin to give my undivided attention to the slab of pork belly and its pane of crunchy crackling, which slides away from soft, sticky meat and melting fat.

A deep, dark haggis bon bon prickling with pepper adds more crunch and depth to the plate, along with a rich port gravy.

Lamb Henry (£17) is another beast of a dish: a big, burly, bone-in shoulder of lamb, slow cooked in a sticky and sour minted gravy.

Lamb Henry

Both come heaped on a thick scoop of mash, with an enormous mound of buttery crushed carrot and swede, and a pile of peas, sprouts and kale.

This is food to see you through a harsh winter - and to send you into hibernation by the fire.

Can I get a decent pint?

For a freehouse, the beer selection could be better.

A pretty pedestrian selection of cask ales includes a thin and slightly sour Thwaites Wainwright golden ale; we order two pints of it and then look wistfully at the wine list.

Other hand pull choices include Wychwood's Hobgoblin Gold and Young's Special London Ale, while the keg taps are given over to Beck's Vier, Peroni and Strongbow.

Nobody goes to a traditional country pub expecting cutting-edge craft beer, but with breweries like Thornbridge, Buxton and Red Willow on their doorstep, there's the opportunity for a little more local flavour.

Should I save room for dessert?

Good luck with that. But if you do find yourself with any appetite left, the stem ginger pudding is worth loosening your belt a notch for.

Quivering at the touch of a fork, the sugar-dusted slab of sponge is so light I'd worry about eating it in the beer garden in summer, in case a sudden breeze sent it into lift-off.

Are you being served?

The young floor team are warm, welcoming and clued-up on what's behind the bar and coming out of the kitchen - although the labrynthine layout of the place means it's sometimes hard to catch someone's eye for a refill or the bill.

What's the damage?

Two meals, two pints and one dessert come to £47.50. Mains aren't cheap but the piled-high portions justify the price tag.

The verdict

With character around every corner, The Lamb Inn is about as idyllic a country pub setting as you could imagine - and exactly the kind of place you'd hope to find at the end of a hilly yomp.

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