The Literature Empire

As a gift for my 26th birthday, I got to tick off one of my bucket list destinations – the Chatsworth House.

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with Pride and Prejudice. The book and its adaptations hold a place in my heart. After all, it’s also one of the main reasons why I settled down in Derbyshire.

When I was deciding which university to attend, I found out that Derbyshire is home to Chatsworth House, a place that acted as Mr Darcy’s Pemberley in the film adaptation from 2005.

Now, it’s been nearly 7 years since I moved to the county – and I haven’t visited Peak District until now. I’ve just never really had time to go, and I thought it would be really difficult to get there.

Honestly, our journey was an adventure. But I’m really excited to tell you all about our trip and share with you some of my favourite photos.

Here’s what we loved about our time in the Chatsworth House and why you should visit the place too.

What You Need to Know About the Chatsworth House

Before I dive into our experience, I should probably tell you a bit about the place I fell in love with. Chatsworth House is a stately home in Derbyshire, which has been the seat of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire since the 16th century and is home to the Cavendish family. The house has a rich history. In fact, the first house on the site dates all the way back to the 16th century. The current house as we know it today was built in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Chatsworth House is mainly known for its impressive architecture – featuring a Baroque façade, grand staterooms, and a stunning Painted Hall. Throughout the years, there have also been many famous guests within the walls of this grand home. Some of the names you might recognise are Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria. And Mary, Queen of Scots, was held there as a prisoner at various times between 1569 and 1584.

Another reason why so many people love visiting the Chatsworth House is its art collection. When you’re in luck, you might even see some of the drawings from Leonardo da Vinci and Titian or even a painting by Rembrandt.

Our Chatsworth Experience

To put it lightly, visiting Chatsworth was an adventure – at least when it came to the transport. We took a train from Derby to Matlock and planned to continue our journey by bus. But when we came to the bus stop, we found out that the bus was leaving from somewhere else entirely. So, we ended up taking a taxi. It was stressful, but I would go through it time and time again.

I have to be honest – I teared up when we were driving down the road and got the first glimpse of the Chatsworth House along with its vast grounds. And when you’re coming into the house, you just can’t help but look up.

The interior of the house is stunning. But I guess we had a stroke of bad luck and came there when it was very busy and crowdy. So, I felt really anxious and like I need to rush through the house. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we missed something on our tour.

Once we got outside into the gardens, we really didn’t have much time left. Even though we were in a time crunch, I managed to see the iconic Great Fountain (if you saw Pride and Prejudice from 2005, you’ll understand). We also got lost in the maze.

But then, we had no choice but to head home.

Even though I loved the visit and had a good time, I learned a lesson. Next time, we need to make sure that we get there at the beginning of the opening hours. Then, we could stay there for longer and explore the house and the grounds further.

Chatsworth in Literature and on the Silver Screen

Chatsworth House has a rich history. But another reason why it’s so famous is its appearance in films and TV shows. It’s even said that it could’ve been a house that inspired Jane Austen when describing Pemberley.

And while we’re talking about Jane Austen, we could mention my favourite story – Pride and Prejudice. Of course, there is the iconic series with Colin Firth. However, the 2005 film adaptation used Chatsworth as one of the filming locations. To be more specific, the place got its chance to shine as Mr Darcy’s Pemberley, and it’s the reason why Chatsworth appeared on my bucket list.

Other programmes and films that feature Chatsworth are:

• The Wolfman
• The Duchess
• Death Comes to Pemberley
• Peaky Blinders

Have you noticed Chatsworth in any of these?

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I hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s article. If you’d like to explore Chatsworth House, you can get the tickets on their official website and learn more about the local history.

I’m not really sure what the next article will be about just yet. Should I get started with the series on how I’m learning to read more? Would you like another book review? Learn about a specific author or time in literature? Or should we drift into the world of movies?

If you enjoyed the article, I’d be grateful for a like, comment, or share.

I hope you have a lovely week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.

Till the next time,

Eva