Peak District Breaks
action packed or relaxed
you decide!
Chatsworth is one of Britain's most celebrated and best loved historic houses and estates, offering something for everyone to enjoy, from world famous works of art and spectacular fountains to elegant shops and more than a hundred miles of free walks.
The home of the Devonshire family is set in the heart of England, in Derbyshire's Peak District National Park, surrounded by one of the most magnificent landscapes in the country. Built to be seen and enjoyed, Chatsworth has a long tradition of welcoming visitors from around the world, who have always been drawn by its unique and welcoming atmosphere.
Today, visitors of all ages come to enjoy Chatsworth's fascinating mixture of tradition and innovation, learning and entertainment. We look forward to sharing the history, beauty and grandeur of this place with you.
The House
The Palace of the Peak" is a family home which was built to be shared with visitors. You are invited to walk at your own pace through the house, absorbing the atmosphere of its beautiful rooms and the story that they tell of the family's history over the last 450 years. Looking out through the huge windows, with their gilded frames, there are views of the famous park and the garden with its waterworks.
The house contains one of Europe`s finest private art collections, representing 4000 years of European culture and craftsmanship, from ancient Greece to modern work by British artists. These treasures are seen in magnifcent rooms on all three floors of the house, from the grandeur of the 1st Duke`s Painted Hall and State Apartments with their rich decoration and painted ceilings, to the 19th century Library, Great Dining Room and Sculpture Gallery. Wardens in the rooms can answer your questions, and there are beautiful guidebooks and an audio guide available.
Throughout the house, there are magnifcent displays of paintings, furniture, silver, tapestries and porcelain and a gallery of neo-classical sculptures. Famous curiosities include four royal thrones, a giant ancient Greek marble foot, a lace cravat carved from wood, the fan of a Rolls Royce jet engine and the unique illusionistic painting of a violin hanging on a door. This year`s special exhibition, open on most days, celebrates the centenary of the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's sister, the writer Nancy Mitford.
The Garden
The 105 acre garden is a magical landscape, beautiful in all seasons, and it can be visited separately from the house. It has evolved over more than 450 years, and continues to change today. There are five miles of walks with rare trees, shrubs, formal hedges, temples, sculptures old and new, streams and ponds and the new, award-winning garden guidebook suggests trails and routes all around the garden while also explaining its history.
You are welcome to picnic in the garden, there are no signs saying 'keep off the grass', and dogs on leads are also very welcome. The famous waterworks include the twenty four steps of the 300 year old Cascade, falling 200 yards down the hill, the magic of water shooting from the branches of the willow tree fountain, the trough waterfall, and Revelation, the water-powered sculpture.
As well as the huge maze, and the rose, cottage and kitchen gardens, there is a new sensory garden. Joseph Paxton, famous head gardener in the 19th century, created the gigantic rock garden, newly restored with a viewpoint looking out over the garden, the enormous gravity-fed Emperor fountain, the beautiful Pinetum and glasshouses. There is also access on most days to his recently excavated coal tunnel. On Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the season, gardeners give short free talks about the garden at 1pm.
The Farmyard
The farmyard is an educational representation of the British livestock farming industry and farming within the estate. Visitors can learn about the growth and development of a variety of commercial livestock and how we utilise them in food production. There are several small animal-handling sessions each day and a milking demonstration at 3.30pm. A hand goat-milking demonstration takes place from late May to October.
The woodland adventure playground provides enjoyment for all ages and has been built to conform to the highest international safety standards. Young children explore the sand and water play areas, while older children can test their skill on the towers, ropewalks, spiral slide and commando wire. Allow at least one hour in the playground alone. In addition the 28 seat access trailer, which conforms to the highest safety standards, can be booked for educational tours around the Estate.
Refreshments are available in the farmyard cafe and there are indoor and outdoor picnic areas. Farmyard event weeks - As well as all the usual daily activities for visitors to enjoy, the farmyard team offer a number of special weeks throughout the season, focusing on particular moments in the farming calendar and the changing seasons. There may be special talks and demonstrations and other relevant seasonal displays and activities. These include new life weeks, rural skills week, harvest week and Christmas Nativity weeks from mid November.
The Farm Shop
Winner of Farm Retailer of the Year 2009 and 2011 and Best On-farm Butchery 2009 at the FARMA awards, Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop offers quality produce fresh from the estate, tenant farms, Derbyshire suppliers and small food producers.
Based just 1.5 miles from Chatsworth in the village of Pilsley, our traditional butchers will guide you through the vast array of meat, poultry and game. Delicious home-cooked meats and pies are available from the delicatessen counter, and our bakery provides wonderful fresh bread and cakes.
The Bakery
Our bakers start work at dawn to bring you freshly baked goods each day.We're proud of the wonderful range of breads, tarts, cakes and biscuits produced here at the farm shop. Our inventive bakers create different specialty breads each week, inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients.
The Butchery
Our traditional butchers have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and are happy to offer advice to our customers.The farm shop is proud of its home produced offerings which include beef, lamb, venison and pheasant from the estate, and we make great efforts to source produce as locally as possible.
The Delicatessen
The delicatessen is home to a great range of traditional pies and pastries, cooked meats, pâtés and a great vegetarian section. Alongside our farm shop kitchen, we have recently developed and added some new lines, such as our own range of freshly filled baguettes, an improved olive bar with over twenty varieties of olives, and a new range of pre-packed salads.The delicatessen is also home to a staggering 104 different cheeses, from traditional British Stilton to our range of fine French and continental cheeses
Fruit and Vegetables
We offer a huge variety of fruit and vegetables and some of our local produce comes from the South Derbyshire Growers, a business that source and supply fresh and traceable farm and garden produce from Melbourne, Derbyshire.
The Store Cupboard
The store cupboard is brimming with every pantry essential you'll ever need, from Chatsworth jams and marmalades to cereals, nuts and seeds. We also have a tempting selection of handmade chocolates, produced for us by Holdsworth's, a family run business from Bakewell.You'll also find our Chatsworth range of wines, as well as our Gardener's tap beer and André's Ale, brewed by Peak Ales on the Chatsworth estate.
