Table Of Content
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. The house and garden were first constructed by Sir William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick in 1555. There were terraces to the east of the house where the main lawn is now, ponds and fountains to the south, and fishponds to the west by the river. The main visual remnant of the time is a squat stone tower known as Queen Mary's Bower on account of a legend that Mary, Queen of Scots was allowed to take the air there while a prisoner at Chatsworth. Some of the retaining walls of the West Garden also date from this era, but they were reconstructed and extended later.
Private rooms
Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown is single-handedly responsible for changing the landscape of 18th century England, creating magical gardens and vistas that we still enjoy today. Over the years, Chatsworth would play host to a variety of notable guests including writers, artists, entertainers, nobility as well as royalty itself, including none other than Queen Victoria. In later years, under the 8th Duke, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra would become regular visitors at many of the lavish parties taking place at Chatsworth. The Rock Garden was thought to have been inspired by the 6th Duke’s Alpine visit during his Grand Tour of Europe, which led to the ambitious construction.
History
In the mid-1950s, the 11th Duke and Duchess began to think about moving in. The pre-war house had relied wholly on a large staff for its comforts, and lacked modern facilities. 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.
Accessibility
She lodged in the apartment now known as the Queen of Scots rooms, on the top floor above the great hall, which faces onto the inner courtyard. An accomplished needlewoman, Bess joined Mary at Chatsworth for extended periods in 1569, 1570, and 1571, during which time they worked together on the Oxburgh Hangings.[8] Bess died in 1608 and Chatsworth was passed to her eldest son, Henry. The estate was purchased from Henry by his brother William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire, for £10,000. Despite the debt, Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, decided he wanted to keep the family house.
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There are over 30 rooms to explore, from the magnificent Painted Hall to the regal state rooms and atmospheric Sculpture Gallery, while private art haul the Devonshire Collection is one of the finest in Europe and worth a visit in its own right. Chatsworth is a registered charity dedicated to preserving the house, its collections, garden, woodlands and parkland for everyone to experience and enjoy. 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.
Help us care for ChatsworthEvery penny generated by ticket sales and memberships is reinvested into Chatsworth House Trust, a registered charity. With our charitable status, you can further help us care for Chatsworth - as well as develop our learning and community outreach programmes - by choosing to add an optional 10% donation and Gift Aid when you buy your ticket. A visit to Chatsworth makes for a rewarding day for students and teachers alike – whatever their stage of learning.
Meanwhile James Paine designed a new bridge to the north of the house, set at an angle of 40 degrees to command the best view of the West Front of the house. Most of the houses in Edensor were demolished and the village was rebuilt out of sight of the house. The hedges between the fields on the west bank of the river were grubbed up to create open parkland and woods were planted on the horizon. These were arranged in triangular clumps, so that a screen of trees could be maintained when each planting had to be felled. Brown's plantings reached their peak in the mid-20th century and are gradually being replaced. The 5th Duke had an elegant red-brick inn built at Edensor to cater to a growing number of well-to-do travellers coming to see Chatsworth.
Historic Sites Associated with Mary Queen of Scots
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. Other facilities include The Cavendish Rooms, which also serves refreshments, a shop, and three rooms for hire. The stables cater for 30,000 people a month in the visitor season.
He converted the kitchen in the centre of the north front into an entrance hall, from which guests walked through an open colonnade in the courtyard, through a passage past the cook's bedroom and the back stairs, and into the Painted Hall. He then built a neoclassical service wing for his kitchens that was a forerunner of the 6th Duke's north wing. William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, had some of the family's private rooms redecorated and some partition walls moved, but there are few traces of the mid and late 18th century in the public rooms.
In addition, the 1st Earl of Devonshire played host to the famous English philosopher Thomas Hobbes whom he employed to educate his son, William. In time, Hobbes would become an integral member of the family, travelling with the younger William Cavendish across Europe. He would spend the last few years of his life on the family estate and passed away in December 1679 at Hardwick Hall. After his passing, many of Hobbes manuscripts found a home at Chatsworth House.
Avant-garde design takes over Chatsworth House for the summer - The Architect's Newspaper
Avant-garde design takes over Chatsworth House for the summer.
Posted: Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Today Chatsworth House is open to the public and is operated by the Chatsworth House Trust. The house boasts a wealth of interesting art, furniture and antiques as well as exceptional architecture throughout a number of its stunning rooms. A must-see at Chatsworth House is the amazing Devonshire Collection, which displays an array of interesting items from the family’s personal collections. An education visit to Chatsworth makes for a rewarding day for students and teachers alike – whatever their stage of learning.
Enjoy a 'pawsome' day out - we’ve tried to make visiting Chatsworth with your dog as simple and fun as possible. Enjoy a 45-minute tour of the garden by buggy and with a knowledgeable guide. We have a range of restaurants and cafes offering a selection of dining options, from freshly made sandwiches to set menu lunches. Our multi-media guide can be hired in the house for a small charge offering additional information to enhance your visit. In May 1944 Kathleen Kennedy, sister of John F. Kennedy, married William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, elder son of the 10th Duke of Devonshire.
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. 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. Our year-round programme of events and experiences are designed to educate and inspire. If you haven't already, you may be able to add a guided tour of the house or garden to your visit.
The only surviving baroque façade is that on the eastern side, where five bays of the original seven remain, and are largely as built. There are carved trophies by Samuel Watson, a Derbyshire craftsman who did much work at Chatsworth in stone, marble and wood. I have fond memories of playing in the water and enjoying a picnic. Initially built in 1669 and rebuilt in 1701, the grand baroque Temple or Cascade House was added in 1703. In 2004 the Cascade was voted the best water feature in England by Country Life.
A highlight of any visit is the Painted Hall, occupying Bess’s original Elizabethan Great Hall. Fed up with Catholic rule, the earl was one of a handful of nobles who invited the Protestant William of Orange to invade England in 1688. After the revolution’s success, he engaged the Versailles court painter Louis Laguerre to flatter the new monarch with a set of murals depicting scenes from the life of Julius Caesar.
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.
