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One of
England's treasure houses and home of the Cavendish family for
450 years, Chatsworth is the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire..
Originally a tudor manor which held the captive Mary Queen of
Scots, the house we see today dates mostly from the late 17 C,
when the 4th Earl, later the 1st Duke of Devonshire built the
magnificant Palladian mansion overlooking the River Derwent. |
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Inside the house itself, a maze of balconies and grand
staircases lead, eventually, to the state apartments, their ceilings
daubed with overblown cherubic figures. None of the rooms is
finer than the Dining Room in the north wing, its table set as
it was for the visit of George V and Queen Mary in 1933, and
its wall hung with seven Van Dycks. Vases of the semi-precious
Blue John stone flank the door through to the sculpture gallery
where visitors can admire the Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Sir Joshua
Reynolds. |
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- The extensive
gardens were originally laid out by Capability Brown
- but altered
later by Sir Joseph Paxton who also built the Emperor Fountain.
This jet of water, 290' into the air, is the highest gravity
- fed fountain in the world.
- Paxton built
a Great Conservatory at Chatsworth, which has since been
- demolished,
but it served as a model for his Crystal Palace at the Great
Exhibition of 1851.
- As well as
work on the formal gardens, he was responsible for modelling
the new village of Edensor, moved to its existing site between
1838 and 1840, with its houses each an individual design.
- Visitors will
also enjoy the children's adventure playground, farmyard, garden
centre and farm shop where produce from the Chatsworth estate
is sold.
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