No weekend or mid-week break to Derbyshire would be complete without a visit to Chatsworth House, Garden and Park.
From the formidable Bess of Hardwick, the most powerful woman in Elizabethan Britain after the Queen, to the present Duke and Duchess of Devonshire; Chatsworth’s story spans over 450 years and includes links to British and International monarchies, politicians, artists, writers, poets, horticulturists, 250 welsh schoolgirls and an army of staff who looked after the family, house, garden and grounds.
Chatsworth’s archive and the Devonshire Collections cover an even wider period of history with items dating back to 1390 BC.
In this suggested two-day itinerary, we take in Chatsworth and Bess’s Elizabethan masterpiece, Hardwick Hall.
Day 1
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire
Head to Chatsworth and, as you drive in from the village of Edensor into the park, look to your right to see the first glimpse of the house through the trees.
Tickets into the house are by timed entry, so book in advance to pick your preferred slot and benefit from free parking.
There are free 10-minute ‘Welcome to Chatsworth House’ talks every day from 10.30am outside the north entrance to the house, or you can book on a guided tour. Guided tours run twice daily (at 11am and 1pm) and cover all 25 rooms on the visitor route. Staged in small groups, a tour is a great way to fully absorb the history of the family and the house.
If you prefer to go at your own pace, there are room cards in each of the main rooms on the visitor route as well as a multi-media guide (available for hire, don’t forget your headphones) which offers information on the vast array of artwork, tapestries, ceramics and furniture on display. Chatsworth’s visitor welcome team are also be on hand to answer questions and tell you more about a particular person or piece; they usually have a fascinating anecdote to share too.
You’ll exit the house via the Orangery gift shop and enter the garden past Flora’s Temple, one of the many cafés and restaurants at Chatsworth.
Chatsworth Garden
At 105-acres, there is plenty to see in the Chatsworth Garden.
The famous waterworks include the 300-year-old Cascade, the Willow Tree Fountain and the impressive gravity-fed Emperor Fountain.
As well as the Maze, the Rockery and the Rose, Cottage and Kitchen Gardens, there are also over five miles of walks with rare trees, shrubs, streams and ponds to discover.
Roam at your leisure or book onto a garden taster tour or a 45-minute buggy tour and have the benefit of a guide.
If you have time, consider adding on an escorted Belvedere tour offering excellent views over the estate.
St Peter's Church, Edensor
Before heading to your accommodation, call in to St Peter’s Church in Edensor.
Rebuilt by the 7th Duke of Devonshire in the 1800s, the Church contains memorials to several members of the Cavendish family as well as Kathleen Kennedy, the wife of the elder son of the 10th Duke and sister of US President J. F. Kennedy, and Joseph Paxton who was head gardener under the 6th Duke and was hugely influential on the garden and the village of Edensor that we see today.
Cavendish Hotel, Baslow
Check in to one of the 28 sumptuous rooms at the Cavendish Hotel in Baslow and reserve a table for dinner in either the three AA Rosette The Gallery, or dine outside in the summer sunshine at the Champagne and Seafood Terrace.
Also nearby is The Devonshire Arms Pilsley and The Devonshire Arms Beeley. If you're planning a longer break, why not make yourself a home from home in one of our cosy holiday cottages.
Day 2
Hardwick Hall, Chesterfield
After a leisurely Derbyshire breakfast, travel the 17 mile journey (approx. 30 minutes by car) to Hardwick Hall, Bess of Hardwick’s Elizabethan masterpiece.
Now owned and managed by the National Trust, Hardwick Hall was astoundingly innovative for its period. It was built by England’s ‘first architect’, Robert Smythson, in the Italian Renaissance style and features a symmetrical design with extensive use of glass, which in Elizabethan Britain was a very rare and expensive material. Inside are extraordinary examples of Elizabethan plasterwork, overmantels, tapestries and paintings.
Hardwick Hall remained in the Devonshire family until 1957 when it was given to the Government in lieu of death duties.
The hall is open from 11am to 3pm, leaving room either side of a visit for lunch in the restaurant and a roam around Hardwick’s 2000 acres of grounds; a mix of formal gardens and natural parkland. There are a variety of walks ranging from 1.5 miles to 3.5 miles, including The Miller’s Walk, which provides an opportunity to view the Hall from across Miller’s Pond.
If you have time, why not add a trip Stainsby Mill? Located next to Hardwick Hall in the village of Doe Lea, and also owned by the National Trust, there are documents in the Chatsworth archives referencing a Mill in this location as far back as 1216. In 1859, the 6th Duke of Devonshire reconstructed the Mill, replacing its wooden machinery with modern cast and wrought iron.
Before you head home, why not grab dinner in the Hardwick Inn; a traditional pub dating back to the 15th century and built of locally quarried sandstone.
If you fancy staying longer, you could add these attractions to your itinerary:
- Hardwick Old Hall, located next to Hardwick Hall and owned by English Heritage. This was the birthplace of Bess of Hardwick.
- Bolsover Castle, also English Heritage, and owned by Bess’s son, Sir Charles Cavendish, and then her grandson, Sir William Cavendish.
