Duke William, Matlock, Derbyshire

The Duke William is a true all rounder of a village pub. A campsite at the rear, and a large dining area fully exploit the picturesque location of the pub at Matlock Green, and yet this is no tourist season one-trick pony.

Of course a pub in the Matlock area which doesn't actively seek to accommodate the tourist trade is really missing a trick, but the secret to lasting success in a tourist hot-spot is to also find space for a loyal local trade. These are the drinkers and diners who'll still be there when the tourist season ends. Sadly, many businesses fail to understand this, leading to an ever more specialised trade whereby all their business eggs are in the one tourist trade basket. One poor season (such as the one we've just had), and a pub which has thrown away its business diversity can easily fail. This is certainly not the case with the Duke William, a pub where the owners have made every effort to accommodate a good local trade, and with a wide range of games teams resident at the pub..

The cosy front bar plays host to the pub game staples of Darts, Dominoes, and Cards, as well as a kings ransom of well polished trophies. The all-rounder nature of the pub extends to the range of games played outdoors, with teams in the local Long Alley Skittles league, and the thriving Derbyshire Dales Boules League, the Piste for which is located at the front of the pub.