Chatsworth House is a stately home in the county of Derbyshire in England. It’s close to Bakewell (3.5 miles / 5.6 km) and Chesterfield (9 miles / 14 km), and has been the home of the Duke of Devonshire and his family since 1560.
Chatsworth House is set inside more than 1,000 acres (4km2) of parkland, which is free to enter and enjoy all year-round. Sheep and deer can be seen walking freely around the parkland.
Chatsworth House has been selected as the UK’s favourite country house several times, and many people visit it in all seasons to enjoy the interior as well as the exterior.
Inside
The interior is very grand. You can see amazing ceiling murals, a huge collection of paintings and art work, dramatic staircases, impressive furniture, antiques, and many other things as you walk through the house.
There are 30 rooms to explore, including the ‘Painted Hall’, the ‘Great Dining Room’, the ‘State Rooms’, the ‘Galleries’, the ‘Library’, and the ‘Guest Bedrooms’. You can take photographs anywhere inside the house, which is unusual in a stately home.
The Painted Hall
The Great Dining Room
The Library
Outside
Chatsworth House’s gardens attract over 300,000 visitors per year. About 20 full-time gardeners keep the gardens looking beautiful all year-round. The gardens feature many buildings, ponds, statues, fountains, and of course many varieties of trees, plants, and flowers. ‘The Maze’ is a popular attraction for many people. It was made with 1,209 yew trees and can be found in the ‘Modern Garden’.
The Maze
The wider grounds around Chatsworth House are free to explore. The woods and the hills are great places to walk, and many people enjoy short walks and longer hikes on many different routes. As you are walking around the grounds, you’ll probably come across many lakes, ponds, and farmyards, as well as sheep and deer grazing in the grass.
Chatsworth House from behind
Chatsworth House from the front
Special events
Chatsworth Country Fair is usually held in August. People can enjoy many special events and attractions such as:
- Vintage car shows
- Horse riding
- Brass bands
- Dancing
- The Red Arrows acrobatic display team
- Clay pigeon shooting
- Archery
- Fairground attractions
There is always a lot of delicious food and drink to try. The ‘Fine Food Village’ is where large and small local companies sell their food. Look out for the Bakewell Pudding!
There is also the ‘Farm Shop’ tent where you can buy many kinds of locally produced farm goods, such as cheese, yoghurts, vegetables, and so on.
Opening times and prices
The house, garden, farmyard, gift-shops, and tea rooms are usually open mid-March to late December.
The 1,000 acre park and the farm-shop are open all year-round.
The house is open 11 am – 5:30 pm
Tickets to enter the house and the gardens cost £15 for adults, £13 for senior citizens, and £10 for children.
