Stunning Chatsworth

Home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire; Chatsworth has passed down 16 generations of the Cavendish Family. The Duke’s estimated wealth is £800 million.

The Long Promenade Along the Front

The Tudor house dates to 1552 and the original was built by Sir William Cavendish on land purchased in 1549 at the prompting of his wife Bess of Hardwick who rose through a series of marriages from a modest beginning to being the second most powerful woman in England after the Queen.

The Gilded Gates

Cavendish was originally from Suffolk and rose in prominence and wealth for his actions on behalf of Henry VIII in the dissolution of the monasteries.

Chatsworth House seen through the gilt gatese

The house and estate were bequeathed to her son Henry and thus passed down through the Cavendish family. Bess retired to Hardwick Hall and married again.

The Impressive Stable Block now Houses Facilities for Tourists

A closer look at the Arched Entrance to the Stable Courtyard

The Chatsworth Stable Yard Horse Welcomes Visitors with a somewhat Cranky Expression.

Front of Chatsworth View Featuring the River Derwent, a 66 mile river meandering through the Peak District.

The 18th Century Three Arch Bridge was designed by Architect James Paine to offer its view to the front of Chatsworth House

The Sheep at Chatsworth walking in an orderly manner to fresh grazing.

Haddon Hall

Graceful, ancient and intriguing, Haddon Halls is a fortified Manor House near Bakewell begun in the Late 12th Century by the local Avenel Family but passed on to the Manners family in 1567 where it remains today.

Ancient Stoned Courtyard

The house is built around a rough stone courtyard. This nook hides the entry to the chapel.

The Internal Courtyard is dominated by the clock tower.

The house was expanded over time into 1620 and is still lived in by the present Duke and Duchess of Rutland.

Wall Dating to the Twelfth Century

In the late 12th Century, a fortified wall was built around the chapel, watch tower and certain timber buildings with permission granted by Prince John who later became king. The wall was incorporated into the house over time, but a portion of it can be viewed by visitors in a narrow corridor inside the house.

Bishop's Robe and other Artifacts on Display.

Ancient Stained and Paned Glass Windows let in Mosaics of Light

Looking out to the Lovely Gardens

Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall is an Elizabethan house built by Bess of Hardwick in the late 16th Century. Rising up in wealth and power from modest beginnings through a series of marriages, Bess showed off her wealth with the use of so much glass and the house has been said to be more glass than wall.

Ruin of the Old Hardwick Hall

The ruin of the old Hardwick Hall where Bess was born stands nearby.

The estate grounds are ornamented and seen by strolling to the Hall.

The Interior of the House features many decorative and historic tapestries.

The gardens were quite lovely even late in the season.

The tapestries line the walls of the rooms and the staircases.

The Records Room has been preserved intact.

The house was little inhabited after Bess with the family using the nearby Chatsworth house and estate.

The gardens in autumn featured beautiful agrapanthus.

Closer up to the deep bluish purple blooms.

Like daisies, cheerful asters never fail to charm.

The deep golden hues of Rudbeckia seem to reflect the golds in the bishop's ornate silk gown.

Offerings of Garden Plants and Pots from the National Trust at Hardwick Hall.

Wood Interior of the Chapel

Something about the chapel reminded me of stables, perhaps it was the old bare wood and the partitioning into areas that resembled stalls.

Parts of the Ancient Chapel were adorned with han.d-painted depictions

The walls of the chapel were painted in the early 15th century and were originally brilliantly colored.

Even murderous scenes of war were included on the Chapel Walls

Marble Statue of Family Son who departed too early.

While the chapel is somewhat rustic, it does house a copy of a lovely marble effigy of the then oldest son, Robert John Charles Manners who died at the age of nine in 1894.

Haddon Hall is set in lovely gardens an a rolling estate

Even the massive supporting wall is a tumble of garden plants.

SItting gracefully in the estate gardens, Haddon Hall is both showcase and a home.

While much of the public areas of the house are old, the apartments used by the Manners family have been somewhat modernized.

Looking Down from the Rise Where the House is Set Above the River Wye.

So Quintessentially English with the Dovecote overlooking the River Wye.

Left as is, Calke Abbey stands massive and hauntingly austere.

The Extensive Barns at Calke Abbey are left as is, much like the Abbey itself.

The Great Houses of Derbyshire -- Chatsworth, Calke Abbey, Haddon Hall, Hardwick House