Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire is an impressive stately home belonging to the Duke of Devonshire and has been home to his family for over 450 years. Chatsworth House is set in 1000 acres of Parkland including 105 acre gardens on the east bank of the river Derwent and has been one of Britain’s best loved and most visited country houses for many years.

Chatsworth House also recently received the Gold award for ‘Large visitor attraction of 2011’ by Enjoy England confirming its status as a great tourist destination.

Chatsworth House Contact details:

Address: Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire

Postcode: DE45 1PP

Telephone: 01246 565300

Chatsworth House Opening Times

11am-5.30pm (final admission 4.30pm)

Gardens opening times

11am-6pm (final admission 5pm)

Adventure playground and Farmyard opening times

10.30am-5.30pm (final admission 4.30pm)

Attractions at Chatsworth House

The House at Chatsworth – The most obvious attraction at Chatsworth is the house itself. An impressive building which was designed to be appreciated from all angles has some fantastic architectural features as a result of the various Derby architects who worked on it. Chatsworth House has a total of 126 rooms although only about 26 of them are open to the public, the rest making up the private accommodation of the Duke of Devonshire and the Cavendish family. Within the house there are also a number of displays of period costume as well as ornaments and paintings collected by the Duke of Devonshire and the Cavendish family over many years.

Chatsworth House Gardens – The gardens at Chatsworth are vast and beautifully landscaped providing a different scene in each season of the year. Features of the gardens include the 300 year old water cascade and the huge Emperor fountain which is fed by gravity, as well as a large maze and various different ‘mini’ gardens such as the rose garden and kitchen garden. All of this is tended for by a team of 18 Derby Gardeners.

Chatsworth House Farmyard and Adventure playground – If you need some entertainment for kids at Chatsworth then the farmyard and playground are the heart of the children’s activity centres. There are a number of different animals to see and regular animal handling sessions are put on throughout the day. To continue the fun, children can then head into the adventure playground set in woodland and enjoy some of the sand and water play areas as well as spiral slides and more.

Chatsworth House Farm Shop and Restaurants – The Chatsworth farm shop in the village of Pilsley is where you will find a great selection of fresh local produce on offer by the estates own Derby butchers and Grocers. If you can’t wait until you get home to try it then you can take a table at the award-winning farm shop restaurant.

Although the farm shop is on the Chatsworth Estate, it is some distance from the house itself. To find it use the postcode DE45 1UF.

Opening times for the farm shop are as follows:

19^th Feb – 12^th Mar 10.30am-4.30pm (7 days a week)

13 Mar – 23^rd Dec 10.30am-5.30pm (7 days a week)

Exhibitions at Chatsworth House

The main exhibition at Chatsworth is the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s own private collection (known as the Devonshire Collection) which is on display permanently in the house. The display has been collected over hundreds of years and many generations of the Cavendish family and includes sculptures, drawings, paintings and instruments. Some objects are only on display at certain times of the year as they are either very fragile or light sensitive. Others are on loan to various exhibitions around the world.

Periodically, Chatsworth house also lends its exhibition services to various external exhibitions of artefacts, paintings and other important collections from both private and public organisations. These can then be viewed and enjoyed by its visitors.

Chatsworth House Walks

With such a vast expanse of parkland, the Chatsworth House estate offers a great variety of different walks for everyone to enjoy. From woodland walks through the historic Stand Woods behind the house, to lazy walks across the parkland grass or maybe a relaxing stroll by the river. The estate is open throughout the year and it is free to take a walk around Chatsworth during daylight hours.

Weddings at Chatsworth House

If you are looking for an exceptional venue for Derby Weddings then Chatsworth House would surely be high on your list. With such stunning surroundings and a full team of professionals on hand to take care of all your wedding supplies and services Chatsworth House would make the perfect location for any bride and groom. But their wedding services are not just limited to holding your reception there – you can also get married at Chatsworth House as they have the facilities for a civil ceremony that can accommodate up to 90 guests, and a further 60 guests can enjoy the reception too.

Accommodation at Chatsworth House

There are various different options of accommodation available for visitors to the Chatsworth Estate. For those who are looking for a private retreat in peaceful surroundings, there are a number of cottages dotted around the estate that you can rent that sleep anywhere between 2 to 10 people. Alternatively you can book into one of the four different hotels located around Chatsworth. Take your pick from The Devonshire Arms in Beeley, postcode DE4 2NR or The Devonshire Arms in Pilsley, postcode DE45 1UL. There is also The Cavendish Hotel in Baslow, postcode DE45 1SP or the magnificent Shottle Hall Country House Hotel, postcode DE56 2EB.

Those wishing to camp or stay in a caravan can use one of 2 caravan parks at Chatsworth house. The first is the Chatsworth Caravan Park which is maintained by the caravan club and located in Baslow in Bakewell, postcode DE45 1PN.

The second is Greenhills Holiday Park which is privately owned and open to everyone. The address is Crowhill lane in Bakewell, Derbys, postcode DE45 1PX.

Christmas at Chatsworth House

Every year from the beginning of November, Chatsworth House puts on a fantastic display for Christmas by decorating its house and gardens with different festive themes. There are also several Christmas markets held over the period as well as nativities, Christmas gift shops and Christmas themed dining experiences. If you want to take an extended break at Christmas you can stay at any of the Chatsworth accommodation listed above which all have their own Christmas itineraries.