Pride and Prejudice at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

I have been looking forward to writing this post for oh so long.  I wanted to make sure I was able to enjoy tapping away with my feet up, cup of tea and a chocolate eclair to hand.  So here we are, a picture heavy post which for this exquisite country pile, is more than justified.  The hardest part was deciding which photos would make it here.  So many taken and so many enjoyed once again as I relived each delicious moment of this incredibly grand place.  A house that we will be revisiting next year and sharing again with you.

Before Christmas I gave you the pictorial feast of the inside and Mr Toad's antics amongst the Christmas decorations (in case you missed this my post is here).  But beforehand we had enjoyed some late Autumn sunshine in the gardens which I can only describe as walking amongst your favourite box of chocolates with each corner or avenue displaying a different centre.

Chatsworth House was built in the 1560's with the south and east fronts rebuilt by the 1st Duke of Devonshire (not personally!) by 1696. As we walked around the outside of the south facade of the House (the front and incredibly grand facade will have to wait for our next visit here as we didn't have enough time), the fine architecture and sculptures filled my camera card with their intricate Baroque designs.

The more I zoomed in the more I could make out.  Incredible detailing.  And yes, there is gold on the windows!  The gold leaf has been reapplied to those windows that were original to the House and not the later extensions.  The Inner Courtyard used to greet visitors and so this entrance has the gold leaf but notice the windows to the right of the photo that did not (later extensions).

On the South Facade with the sun shining so brightly, the gold certainly twinkled like a reflecting ring.

Can you imagine all those centuries ago, travelling through the Derbyshire countryside and then stopping here and deciding to build!  Yes, I certainly could.

In the lake the Emperor Fountain caught rainbows from the sun.  We were so glad that the sun continued for now to shine down.

This was also installed by the 1st Duke of Devonshire and was the highest fountain in the country.  However the 6th Duke wanted to make it higher and by engineering a gravity fed fountain, this now reaches 200ft.

Another beautiful water feature is The Cascade which was originally completed in 1696 but then extended in 1703.

"This Cascade was built for the 1st Duke of Devonshire by a French engineer, Grillet, and completed in 1703.  Each step is different to the one below and above it, to vary the sound of the falling water.  The temple was designed by Thomas Archer.  Water can be made to flow over the roof and out of 13 spouts, including the mouths of the stone dolphins, and there are even hidden jets in the floor.  The temple and the Cascade were restored between 1994-96."

The Cascade looked beautiful with its autumn leaf jewels making the journey down to us.

Looking down on us amongst the trees was The Hunting Tower which I was fascinated to read that this is now a holiday home.  The details are here where you can see inside!

Surrounding us were beautiful sculptures.  Only one bottom has made it onto the blog, and I apologise to those who have a nervous disposition, but I have made sure no more will appear!

I loved the atmospheric surroundings of this sculpture called Dancing Figures by Lynn Chadwick CBE (1914 - 2003).

And this sculpture was very eerie.  Can you imagine being in the dark and catching a glimpse of this lady walking through the leaves?

Everywhere we looked there was something different amongst Capability Brown's inspirational garden plans.  Simple steps upwards and another piece of art to draw your eye.  Just amazing.

Grand steps leading up to golden tree canopies...

... leading to a view of the maze from high up!  It felt like a dream!  This was the spot where the Great Conservatory once stood.

With flowers still in full bloom to entice you into the entrance, could this place be any more perfect?

Continuing the exploration of these gardens, we came across the Coal Tunnel.  A couple of flights of stairs and down I went.  Mumsy stayed behind so this was an adventure done on my own!

"The coal hole and tunnel were constructed in the late 1830's by Joseph Paxton to supply the boilers that heated his Great Conservatory, where the maze is today.  Coal came in horse drawn carts from Rowsley Station, 3 miles to the south of Chatsworth, taking a road that was hidden behind the garden, and which then came under the Cascade to this cole hole.  The Conservatory required 300 tons of coal every winter.

At the foot of the hole, coal was transferred into small carts (bogies) on rails, which men then pulled through the tunnel to the seven boilers that heated the seven miles of hot water pipes.  The smoke from the boilers passed along an underground flue, remains of which can be seen either side of the hundred steps above the maze , to a tall chimney hidden in Strand Wood.  This elaborate engineering work ensured that visitors to the Conservatory did not see any evidence of the work required to heat the building.

After the demolition of the Conservatory in 1920, the hole and tunnel were gradually filled in with rubble and garden waste,.  They were excavated by members of the Garden, Domain and House departments in 2002-3."

I can't tell you how spooky and atmospheric it was down there.  I was the only one walking through as the wind whistled past me and travelled through the curves of the tunnel.

When I came out I didn't have a clue where I was so had to go back again to rejoin Mumsy.  The man coming the other way looked white as a sheet when he saw me come round one of the bends!

Phew, I am at the end of this very edited trip to Chatsworth.  It will be continued when we revisit, which I personally can't wait to walk around again.

Until then, I need to let the mists of time roll over those Derbyshire hills until we return.



You can catch Chatsworth on film with Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess, Death Comes to Pemberley and the Wolfman.

Looking forward to my next trip out, whenever that may be.

Have a wonderful week ahead.

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