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In the 1860s the 7th Duke had St Peter's Church, Edensor, enlarged by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The church spire embellishes the views from the house, garden and park. Inside there is a remarkable monument to Bess of Hardwick's sons Henry Cavendish and William, 1st Earl of Devonshire. The last horses left the stables in 1939, when the building became a store and garage. The grooms' accommodation was turned into flats for Chatsworth employees and pensioners. When the house reopened after the war, "catering" was limited to an outdoor tap, which has since been relabelled "water for dogs".

Chatsworth Estate

We ended up buying the guide book at the gift shop at the end of our visit, so I could learn more about what we saw. To ensure an even flow of visitors, you must book timed entry tickets for the House online in advance here. I wouldn’t recommend visiting the Chatsworth House as a day trip from London. While it is possible to do a Chatsworth House day trip it would be exhausting.

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I also thought about the food that would have been served in the dining room. Chatsworth House has 126 rooms, but most are closed to the public. The present (12th) Duke and Duchess of Devonshire live privately in their apartments while the house is open to the public.

History of the farmyard

The building was rewired, the plumbing and heating were overhauled, and six self-contained staff flats created to replace the small staff bedrooms and communal servants' hall. Including those in the staff flats, 17 bathrooms were added to the existing handful. The 6th Duke's cavernous kitchen was abandoned and a new one was created closer to the family dining room. The family rooms were repainted, carpets were brought out of store and curtains were repaired or replaced.

Our year-round programme of events and experiences are designed to educate and inspire. The Devonshire Collections is one of the largest and most significant private collections in Britain. Step back in time and find out more about the fascinating history of Chatsworth and the Devonshire family. There is a line of Chatsworth branded foods endorsed with the Dowager Duchess's signature and available by mail order. She also established Chatsworth Design to exploit intellectual property rights to the Devonshire collections, and a furniture company called Chatsworth Carpenters, but the latter has now been licensed to an American company.

A favorite for the children, the farmyard at Chatsworth lets children meet ponies and lambs, take a trailer ride,  swing, climb and splash around. There are also special activities during Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. Created by James Paine, the stables are two stories high and accompanied by towers.

Now in the hands of William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire, his business portfolio expanded as did his investment in the property and he acquired more land during his time managing the estate. The building itself is an architectural gem which has played host to a variety of events and provided the filming location for famous film and television productions, perhaps most notably Jane Austen‘s “Pride and Prejudice”. The great stately home belonging to generations of the Devonshire family sits proudly in all its architectural majesty and grandeur, surrounded by the beautiful rugged landscape of the Derbyshire Dales. Explore the Orangery shop at the end of the house route and relax in the garden or the Stables for something to eat. There are plenty of places to stop for a light meal, lunch or afternoon tea. A ticket which includes house entry must be booked to access the welcome talk.

Is it time to dismantle Chatsworth House? Now Then Sheffield - Now Then Magazine

Is it time to dismantle Chatsworth House? Now Then Sheffield.

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You can still see the Hunting Tower, built in the 1580s, on the hill above the House. There’s nothing better (in my opinion) than visiting mansions and estates at Christmas. If for nothing else, an overdose of Christmas decorations is guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Visiting Chatsworth House in the Peak District: Is it Worth it?

In order to see places you can visit for free as a Historic Houses member, please see our ‘Free to Visit’ listings page here. The first house to be built on the Chatsworth House site was constructed in 1549 by Bess of Hardwick and her husband Sir William Cavendish. This original estate was notable for its use as a prison for Mary Queen of Scots, who was kept here on several occasions between 1569 and 1584. Little remains of the original structure except the Hunting Tower which still stands on the hill behind Chatsworth House. By the 20th century, Chatsworth was in need of improvements, however the outbreak of the Second World War put these plans on hold, as the building would during wartime be occupied by Penrhos College, a girls’ boarding school. In addition, the 1st Earl of Devonshire played host to the famous English philosopher Thomas Hobbes whom he employed to educate his son, William.

Most of the main features of the garden were created in five main phases of development. The other family living rooms are in the eastern half of the ground floor of the South Front. They are reached through the Chapel Corridor on the public route or the turret staircase from the dining room. The room in the south-east corner was once the Ducal bathroom, until the Bachelor Duke built his new plunge bath in the North Wing, and is now a pantry where the family china is kept. This connects to the modern kitchen, which is under the library and made out of the steward's room and linen room. The yellow drawing room is next to the dining room and directly beneath the State Drawing Room.

It seated 90 in some old horse stalls in the stables and was unsatisfactory to customers and from a commercial point of view. In 1987 the Duke and Duchess's private chef, a Frenchman named Jean-Pierre Béraud who was also a leading light in the success of the Chatsworth Farm Shop and Chatsworth Foods, took charge. After a failed attempt to gain planning permission for a new building incorporating the old ice house in the park, a 250-seat restaurant was created in the carriage house. The 19th-century coach used by the Dowager Duchess and the late Duke at the Queen's Coronation is on display there.

Police shoot, kill armed woman at scene of Chatsworth home fire - NBC Los Angeles

Police shoot, kill armed woman at scene of Chatsworth home fire.

Posted: Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Find out more about the house and hear stories of Chatsworth's history by renting a multi-media guide during your visit. Download our room cards in advance of your visit, and find out more about each historic space and the collection items on display. Find out more about the various properties and estates that have been owned by the Dukes of Devonshire and the wider family. Chatsworth Garden consists of 105 acres of diverse cultivation, the product of nearly 500 years of continual gardening. Meet members of the Devonshire family, below, and discover their stories and their influence on Chatsworth, England, and the world.

In 2004 the Cascade was voted the best water feature in England by  Country Life. In 1939 the house became a public school for girls—a wise move from the then-owner – Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire. At this time, country estates were being used as barracks for World War II. Due to this, the savvy Duke anticipated potential damage from being a barrack and came up with the idea of using the estate as a school.

There is a lot to see and you will want to have time to explore the grounds too. If you have kids, you will probably want to take them to the Farmyard and Adventure Playground at Chatsworth Estate. In the farmyard, kids will see ponies and lambs and can take a trailer ride. Then, go in the secret tunnel to the playground where there is a giant rope park, climbing walls, a trampoline, huge slides, zip wire and swings. The formal gardens were larger than many parks that I have been to! If you want to minimize your walking there is a buggy tour that you can catch for a small fee just outside the house.

Discover the history of the Devonshire family and how seventeen generations have each contributed to the creation of one of Derbyshire's finest country houses. Nestling in the heart of the Peak District, Chatsworth is one of England’s architectural masterpieces – both imperiously grand and arrestingly beautiful. The ancestral seat of the illustrious Cavendish family, Chatsworth was built to be seen. Over the centuries, successive generations – the earls (and later dukes) of Devonshire – remodelled and embellished the house and filled it with treasures, creating a showcase of art and design intended to be enjoyed by all who came.

There is a sitting room in the north-west corner — one of the few rooms in the house with outside views in two directions. There are more family bedrooms on the second floor facing west and north. The Scots and Leicester bedrooms in the east wing are still used when there is a large house party, which is why they are sometimes available as a separately charged optional extra in the tour of the house and sometimes not.