I

s it just us that thinks eating out just ain’t as much fun as it used to be? We’ve read the historical accounts of medieval banquets – the big hunks of rich meat, the tankards of mead, the raucous atmosphere and all blissfully free from cholesterol cares and weight worries – and we want some of that.

Peckforton Castle has answered our greasy-mitted prayers for some grub and entertainment Dark Age stylee. Their fully themed medieval banquets tick all the right boxes: set in a Gothic-style mansion on a hillside overlooking the verdant Cheshire Plain, with a Great Hall that is suitably, eh, great with tapestries adorning the walls, a huge fireplace, a musician's gallery, and guttering candles to complete the ambiance.

The food is served on locally-made pottery and created using traditional recipes packed full of huge robust flavours. Add to the mix a merry band of musicians, a jester from Chester and period costumes from buxom wenches to executioners and you’ve got yourself an unforgettable dining experience.

And for those lords and ladies that may over-indulge, Peckforton Castle is also a luxury hotel. So after you’ve feasted and danced your way back in time, you can digest the evening’s entertainment reclined in a fairy-tale four poster bed, surrounded by historic features and a flat screen television – now that’s what we call a dinner party.