Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House, is one of Britain’s most cherished stately homes and gardens and home to the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire since the 17th Century.

‘The Palace of the Peak’, Chatsworth House is located deep within the unspoilt rugged countryside of the Peak District , a glorious Baroque palace amid acres of landscaped parkland and carefully manicured gardens.

Chatsworth House

The original Tudor manor was built in 1552 by inimitable Elizabethan aristocrat Bess of Hardwick, whose habit of marrying profitably (she was married four times) gave her the wealth to build such lavish properties as Chatsworth. Between 1570 and 1581 Bess and her husband the Earl of Shrewsbury hosted Mary Queen of Scots as prisoner at the behest of Queen Elizabeth . However the Earl and Mary had a scandalous affair and Bess left for her home in Hardwick 15 miles away, declaring her husband a ‘knave, fool and beast’. In 1618 Chatsworth came into the ownership of the 1st Earl of Devonshire who transformed it much to its current palatial splendour
and is owned to this day by his direct descendant
the Duke of Devonshire.

Over the years Chatsworth has been renovated by many famous names in architecture and design. The magnificent Painted Hall is truly breathtaking. Its ceiling murals depict scenes from the life of Julius Caesar by Louis Laguerre, the Great Staircase sweeps down to the marble floor that was laid by the 6th Duke in 1834 and the State Rooms on the top floor are richly furnished with marvellous paintings, tapestries and ceiling murals. Chatsworth House also contains an outstanding private art collection including Egyptian carvings from 2000 BC to 'modern' paintings by Rembrandt and Gainsborough. The Chapel is renowned, built between 1688 and 1693 it has remained unaltered ever since. Laguerre and Ricard painted the walls and ceilings with scenes from the life of Christ and Verrio painted the picture of Doubting Thomas over the altar.

In the 18th Century the 4th Duke of Devonshire employed the genius of Capability Brown to create one of his grandest of landscaped gardens which feature The Canal 314 yards long and crowned by the 296 feet high Emperor Fountain named after Tzar Nicholas of Russia. Though the crowning feature is the 17th Century Cascade fountain designed by Grillet. The Old Conservatory Garden is where you will find the magnificent Maze, planted in 1962 it continues to baffle visitors.