Sunday, April 28, 2024

Chatsworth House One of England's Finest Estates

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Approached through 400 hectares of parkland, Chatsworth House is a vision of serenity at the heart of Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park. But like a swan gliding on a river, that gorgeous tranquillity conceals bustling activity, hidden from visitors enjoying one of England’s finest stately homes. Hundreds of the most beautiful historic houses, castles, and gardens across Britain offer our members free entry. An education visit to Chatsworth makes for a rewarding day for students and teachers alike – whatever their stage of learning.

History of Chatsworth

Chatsworth has always prided itself on the welcome they offer to all visitors. VisitEngland would like to invite you to take part in a short survey about our website, it should take no more than a couple of minutes. Discover 10 of the Peak District's best historic sites, from the eminent Chatsworth House to the mysterious Lud's Church. While renown for some of the UK's most breathtaking natural sites, the Peak District is also home to a wealth of history spanning from the Bronze Age to World War Two. In addition, Paxton was also responsible for the record-breaking creation of the Emperor’s Fountain, named after Tsar Nicholas II who was expected to visit Chatsworth in 1855.

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Park, woods and farmyard

In pictures: Lancaster Bomber flypast in 40th Chatsworth Country Fair - BBC.com

In pictures: Lancaster Bomber flypast in 40th Chatsworth Country Fair.

Posted: Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

In 1959 Andrew Cavendish, his wife, Deborah Mitford, and their children moved back into Chatsworth House. In 1981, Chatsworth Settlement Trustee created a new Chatsworth House Trust to preserve the house and open it to the public. This new trust manages the home but allows the Duke and his family to continue living at Chatsworth House. Despite the debt, Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, decided he wanted to keep the family house. Andrew sold thousands of acres of land, more of the estate artwork, and transferred Hardwick Hall to the National Trust instead of a tax.

Shopping & eating

The estate regularly hosts field trips for schools from early years, primary or secondary school pupils, and welcomes activity-based outings for local community groups, Chatsworth House is around a three-hour's drive from London. We will send you the latest TV programmes, podcast episodes and articles, as well as exclusive offers from our shop and carefully selected partners. The famous socialite Lady Georgiana Spencer and the 5th Duke of Devonshire lived here in the 18th century, while in the 19th the eccentric 6th Duke of Devonshire, or ‘the Bachelor Duke’, occupied its halls. Sadly in 1608 Bess passed away and possession of Chatsworth passed on to her eldest son Henry; however the estate was purchased by his brother for the price of £10,000.

When Bess died, her eldest son Sir Henry Cavendish inherited the estate, but he sold it to his brother William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire, for £10,000. I’m from the north, so naturally, I recommend you visit the north. In other words, you can’t possibly appreciate all England offers unless you venture north. Christine’s day also revolves around long-term plans for the house, and the many annual events held there including Floribunda, the flower festival, and of course, Christmas.

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They do change the rooms that are on show from time to time, and when we went we did not get to see the Queen of Scots Apartments. Bess’s fourth husband George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury was appointed to be the custodian of Mary, Queen of Scots, by Queen Elizabeth I. Mary stayed as a prisoner at Chatsworth at various times between 1569 and 1584. The rooms on the east side of the house where she would have stayed have been totally redone but are still called the Queen of Scots Apartments. Nikki Webster is a travel writer who covers how to travel while grinding a day job without breaking the bank. Nikki is always in search of off-the-beaten-track experiences and unique stays. She is particularly fond of Florida and writes extensively about the state.

The 6th Duke, wanting to impress him, had Paxton create the fountain which reached heights of 90 metres. Despite Nicholas never actually visiting, today Chatsworth benefits from his amazing spectacle and has become one of the best points in which to photograph Chatsworth in all its resplendent beauty. Together, the Duke and Paxton had grand ideas for the garden which would undergo an extensive renovation with their design plans, laying the foundation for much of what you see today.

Chatsworth House & Gardens

The Duke employed the services of the famous Capability Brown who replaced the formal garden design of the 1st Duke with something notably more natural, a cornerstone of his design style which at this time was particularly fashionable. With changes made to the surrounding landscape as well as the building itself, Chatsworth under the 4th Duke began to take on a distinctive form and style. Situated not far from the picturesque market town of Bakewell, Chatsworth House began its life in the hands of the Leche family in the fifteenth century when a house was built in the parklands, turning it into a large estate. Approaching the house, a harmonious ensemble of warm stone set against a backdrop of densely wooded hills in exquisite landscaped parkland, feels like stepping into a historical painting. Farm stock also graze in the park, many belonging to tenant farmers or smallholders, who use it for summer grazing. Bess of Hardwick's park was wholly on the east side of the river and only extended as far south as the Emperor Fountain and as far north as the cricket ground.

She flies around 60,000 miles annually and has visited 74 countries, 50 states, and six continents. You can read all about her travels at or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Furthermore, with holiday cottages and hotels, shops and restaurants, including Britain’s best farm shop, you can really make the most of your time with us.

Last but not least are the friendly faces of the front-of-house team and the guides. At the centre of this hive of activity are the present Duke and Duchess, busy working on their ‘masterplan’ for restoring, preserving and enhancing Chatsworth. Now able to offer full lift access to all floors of the historic building, Chatsworth can ensure that visitors using wheelchairs are able to share the same experience as other visitors, and see everything the house has to offer. It was not until 1686 that the 1st Duke of Devonshire began a major re-building programme at the house, constructing most of what survives today. While the 2nd and 3rd Dukes largely left the architecture of the house alone, they amassed its huge collection of notable artwork, from Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture to Old Master drawings. His son meanwhile, who was known as the 2nd Duke of Devonshire, did not make any further changes to the house itself, rather his contribution was most notable in terms of his art collection which he displayed at Chatsworth.

Explore the Chatsworth estate and you'll find welcoming country pubs, hotels and holiday cottages, a shopping village and an award-winning farm shop and café. There are large open-space and smaller recreational parks as well as a public library and a transportation center. Distinctive features are the former Chatsworth Reservoir and the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The area was home to Native Americans, who left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish beginning in the 18th century.

Although the 10th Duke had transferred his assets to his son during his lifetime in the hope of avoiding death duties, the Duke died a few weeks too early for the lifetime exemption to apply and tax was charged at 80 per cent on the estate. Some of the family's advisors considered the situation irretrievable and there was a proposal to transfer Chatsworth to the nation as a Victoria and Albert Museum of Northern England. Instead, the Duke decided to retain his family's home if he could. He sold tens of thousands of acres of land, transferred Hardwick Hall to the National Trust in lieu of tax, and sold some major works of art from Chatsworth.

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