Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House stands in the Derbyshire Dales, four miles north-east of Bakewell, beside the River Derwent. The present building was begun in 1553 by Bess of Hardwick on a drained site of reservoirs that served as fish ponds. The house passed through the Cavendish family, who still own it, and was rebuilt in stages from 1687 by the 1st Duke to create the present south and east fronts. The 4th Duke later remodelled the approach and gardens, removing old stables and part of Edensor village to open views across Capability Brown’s landscape. The house holds major collections of paintings, furniture, Old Master drawings, neoclassical sculptures and books. It is a Grade I listed property altered in the 18th and 19th centuries and restored in 2011–2012. Mary, Queen of Scots lodged in the Queen of Scots rooms on the top floor above the great hall during her captivity from 1570. Bess of Hardwick worked with her on the Oxburgh Hangings during long stays in 1569, 1570 and 1571. The political philosopher Thomas Hobbes spent his last years at Chatsworth and left many manuscripts there after his death in 1679. The 4th Duke’s marriage in 1748 brought the Burlington architectural collection and Kent-designed furniture from Devonshire House. The 5th Duke’s wife Georgiana Spencer became a celebrated socialite whose circle included literary and political figures. Visitors enter through the west front to find the Painted Hall and Long Gallery in the East Front. The State Apartments look onto an inner courtyard framed by the Elizabethan plan retained in the 17th-century rebuild. Beyond the house, Capability Brown’s landscape stretches across wooded hills to heather moorland. The collections include works by Gainsborough and old masters, displayed alongside neoclassical sculpture and fine furniture. The parkland, reservoirs and distant hills offer walks that open views of the Derwent and Wye valleys.