A Visit to Chatsworth House and Gardens

Chatsworth House and Gardens is one of the finest stately homes in the whole of the UK. I remember seeing a documentary on Chatsworth House at Christmas and it just looked incredible. I did not make it for the festive season but if you can, then I would imagine it is just magical!

About Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House is where the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire reside in their private residences within the house, which has been passed down over sixteen generations of the Cavendish family.

There are twenty-five rooms for the pubic to explore and all are a history lovers delight. The rooms have plenty of incredible works of art, some four thousand years old! There is also the painted Hall, which is quite a dramatic entrance, with incredible artwork on the ceiling too. The grand entrance was created by the first Duke and is pretty awe-inspiring.

You will also pass through the library (although you can only admire from the outside), with thousands of books in a cosy but extravagant room. The dining room is also really impressive and first held a formal dinner for Queen Victoria, before she was made Queen. It still hosts formal dinners for up to forty guests. There is also a sculpture gallery, the bedchamber, the chapel, drawing room and sketch gallery.

Chatsworth suggest spending 1-1.5 hours to explore the house, but I found myself only taking around 30 minutes, although I was not really stopping long in each room. The house is really impressive and great if you love history and art, but if you are not that interested in that stuff, and want to save money, then just visit the gardens instead, which were my favourite part!

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About Chatsworth Gardens

Chatsworth House Gardens are huge and cover 105 acres. This will easily take 2-3 hours to explore, so really give yourself time so you are not rushing around. There are so many places in the gardens to stop for a picnic or just to sit and take in the beauty of the surrounding nature.

The Chatsworth gardens have been developed over five hundred years and are continuing to modernise, although some features still remain very much how they used to look, such as the Cascade which is over three hundred years old, finished in 1696. In 1712 the cascade was made almost twice as long, making it quite a dramatic feature in the garden.

The first Dukes greenhouse, although it has been relocated within the garden, still remains and is one of the most important 17th century greenhouses still remaining in England.

One of my favourite areas was the Pinetum, that smell of the pine forest is just the best! The trees were towering above me and the sun was streaming through, it was absolutely amazing. In fact, everywhere I walked in the garden

I just kept saying ‘wow.’ It certainly helped that the sun was shining on a gorgeous Autumnal day. The pinetum was first established from 1830 to 1831 and was one of the first pinetums in England.

The rock garden is also really impressive and was first built by the 6th Duke to remind him of a trip he took to the Alps. There is also a stunning pond, where the colours of the trees and shrubbery are reflected in the water.

There is a rose garden, a maze, a kitchen garden, arboretum, the canal pond and great fountain, a sensory garden, conservatory, temple and so much more. There is so much to explore here, and even though the price to get in is a little high (£24 for house and garden, as of 2022), I really do believe it is worth it!

If you have kids there is also a playground and farmyard, which is said to be pretty awesome. There is a giant rope park, zip wire, trampoline, and big slides. Forget about the kids, it sounds fun for the adults haha! You can also get up close and personal with all the cute farmyard animals. I am sure the kids would love running around and exploring the many areas of the garden too!

Getting to Chatsworth House and Gardens

For the latest prices and opening times, take a look at the Chatsworth site for updated info. I would advise to pre-book online to make sure you get a ticket, especially at Christmas and in summer.

By car: There is a car park at Chatsworth and driving is probably the easiest option if it is available to you. If you are staying in nearby Bakewell, then a taxi probably wouldn’t cost too much either. There are two car parks here and they cost £5, although it says on the site free parking until 25 March 2022.

By train: Matlock is the closest train station to Chatsworth, and then you can get a bus which goes right to the house. You can also get a direct bus to Chatsworth from Sheffield train station. The closest major train station is Chesterfield, and then you would need to get a bus (although buses from here only stop around a 25 min walk to Chatsworth House). If coming from London, Chesterfield is around 2 hours from London St Pancras.

By bus: The 218 bus from Sheffield and Bakewell stops at Chatsworth house daily. The 217 from Matlock stops at the house Monday to Friday, ex bank holidays. If getting the bus from Chesterfield, get off at Nether End, Baslow and then walk across the small bridge and onto a track on the right. Then follow the public footpath for 2km to the gardens (it is a pretty walk). You could also look on the National Express site for coaches straight to the house.

I actually walked from Bakewell to Chatsworth House, which took over an hour (maybe even two). Whilst a bit of a trek I would thoroughly recommend it as the scenery is beautiful along the way. You can get the bus back to Bakewell on the way back, which is also very scenic.

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I really hope you enjoyed this post. If you get the chance to visit Chatsworth, then I’m sure you won’t be disappointed! There are also so many other things to do in this area of the Peak District, with incredible hiking and walks.