' Chatsworth is indeed a most glorious and magnificent house. '
Daniel Defoe, 1726
The home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire has been open for people to look round from almost the day it was built. Many travellers, including Celia Fiennes and Daniel Defoe, wrote about Chatsworth in the 17th and 18th centuries and in 1775 an inn was built outside the Park gates for the convenience of sightseers. In 1813, the setting of the House in Capability Brown's Park was almost certainly the inspiration for Jane Austen's description of Pemberley in her novel, Pride and Prejudice.
' We then went to the Cascade and saw other fountains, very curious and pretty. '
Princess (later Queen) Victoria, 1832
In the mid 19th century, the railway came to Rowsley, three miles from Chatsworth, and in the summer of 1849, 80,000 people visited the House and Garden, drawn particularly by the new conservatories and waterworks built by Joseph Paxton for the 6th Duke of Devonshire.
' To enjoy such sources of happiness, and to see the pleasure they cause to others, would make it as impossible to treat them with indifference, as it is to deserve the possession of them. '
6th Duke of Devonshire, handbook to Chatsworth, 1844
No charge was made for visitors until 1908, when the resulting income was given to local hospitals. After the Second War, Chatsworth was among the first houses to re-open, and 105,000 people visited during the first post-war season of 1949. For the first time the proceeds went towards the upkeep of Chatsworth and since then almost 18 million people have paid to visit the House, Garden and Farmyard. Many more use the wider estate for free throughout the year.
' A mansion fit to satisfy a King. '
Black's Tourist Guide to Derbyshire, 1872
Contact | Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1PP | Tel: +44 (0) 1246 565300 | Email