Exhibition details
21 March - 4 October 2026
Entry included with all house and garden tickets
Chatsworth is a house alive with stories. Its library, assembled by the Devonshire family over 500 years, is home to rare first editions, lavishly decorated volumes, and books annotated by past owners and readers.
Chatsworth has long attracted writers, readers and collectors of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. The collection shows the enduring importance of books and reading to those who have lived and worked in the house, reflecting passions, tastes and changing fashions. Some works entered the collection when they were inherited or gifted by authors and collectors. Some works are mysteries – their histories lost over time.
For the first time, and in celebration of the UK’s National Year of Reading, this exhibition brings together the library’s most exciting treasures, with first and early editions of works by authors including, Geoffrey Chaucer, Alexander Pope, Jane Austen, Caroline Lamb, Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Brontë, Oscar Wilde, and T.E. Lawrence.
Also shared are associated manuscripts and letters from the Devonshire Archives, combined with furniture, sketches, and artworks.
The exhibition will be supported throughout the season by events, talks, and workshops.
Works of note on display include:
- Letters from Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Brontë and William Thackeray.
- First edition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (T. Egerton, London, 1813), plus a first edition copy belonging to Lady Caroline Lamb (on loan from the Jane Austen House Museum)
- Francesco Petrarca, Il Petrarca (Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1514). Gifted to Duchess Georgiana by her brother, Earl Spencer.
- John Milton, Paradise Lost. A Poem in Ten Books (London: T. Helder, 1669)
- Ben Jonson, Pleasure Reconcil'd to Vertue, scribal manuscript (1618) accompanied by Hercules' Bowl-Bearer, Inigo Jones, pen and ink.
- Geoffrey Chaucer, Fragment of a manuscript of The Canterbury Tales (Man of Law's Tale)
- William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, Handbook of Chatsworth and Hardwick (London: Frederic Shoberl Jr., [1845]), extra-illustrated copy.
Tickets
Artefacts, artworks, and furniture connected to the exhibition are on display throughout the house at various points on the visitor route.
Access to the exhibition is included with all house and garden tickets; you do not need a separate ticket.
Chatsworth Supporters
Admission to the house and garden is included with Patrons and Friends membership. Simply book a ticket using your membership number and registered email address. You can also purchase guest tickets at 10% off.
Not yet a member? Learn more about the benefits of membership and how you can support the Chatsworth House Trust charity.
We want as many people as possible to be able to experience Chatsworth. To help those who might find cost a barrier to visiting, our Universal Credit Tickets provide entry at a reduced price for those who are eligible. Tickets are subject to availability and may sell out. Find out more here.
Which authors are featured in the exhibition?
Author works or archive materials featured in the exhibition include:
- Jane Austen (1775-1817)
- John Betjeman (1906-1984)
- Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855)
- George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron (1788-1824)
- Geoffrey Chaucer (died 1400)
- Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)
- Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
- Patrick L. Fermor (1915-2011)
- Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865)
- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
- Ben Jonson (1572-1637)
- Lady Caroline Lamb (1785-1828)
- T.E. Lawrence (1888-1935)
- John Milton (1608-1674)
- Caroline Norton (1808-1877)
- Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374)
- Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
- Edmund Spenser (died 1599)
- William Thackeray (1811-1863)
- Horace Walpole (1717-1797)
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
A selection of the books, letters, and stories shared in the exhibition.
- The 6th Duke's Handbook of Chatsworth and Hardwick
- A 'reading copy', first edition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, in simplistic bindings
- Letter to the 6th Duke from Elizabeth Gaskell, in which she gifted her favourite letter from Charlotte Bronte
- Letter and sketch sent to the 6th Duke by William Thackeray
- Extract of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, believed to have been written between 1425 and 1450
- 'To Myself', poem by Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, written at 19 years old.
Read the press release and blog series.
You may also like...
The History of Chatsworth
Chatsworth has been home to the Devonshire family for nearly 500 years.
Textile Tours
21 April, 18 August & 13 October
Join our expert Textiles team for an overview of ongoing remedial and preventative conservation of the collection both on route and behind the scenes.
An Introduction to Chatsworth in Seven Objects
12 May, 8 July & 14 October 2026
Devonshire Collection Curator Katherine Hardwick-Kulpa, selects seven significant objects from the Devonshire Collections that provide fascinating insight into Chatsworth's 500 year history.
Curator Tour: House of Stories
30 April, 25 June & 24 September
Join a guided tour of House of Stories led by exhibition curator Fran Baker.
Chatsworth's Botanical Treasures - Archives Session
19 May & 11 September
Delve into our archives and read the letters between the 6th Duke and Joseph Paxton, revealing the background to the transformation of the Chatsworth Garden.
Stay With Us
With miles of walks on the estate and in the national park, as well as centuries of heritage, art and design to explore, Chatsworth and the Peak District are a dream destination for an unforgettable escape. Find a stay with us in a hotel, inn, cottage, or shepherd’s hut here.
