Days of discoveries and changes at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire

There's always something different to see at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, even a surprise or two.

One of the biggest surprises this month in terms of size, is the fact that the recent, blisteringly record high temperatures we've been experiencing have uncovered something very special.

This is a view of the South Lawn at Chatsworth, usually a lush-looking green.

Now though, like thousands of lawns across the UK (including mine), it's scorched and in places the colour of straw.  Unlike others, this lawn has revealed what is left underneath of a much earlier garden from the the17th century.

The pattern looks intriguing, doesn't it? What's even more fascinating is that the historians and gardeners know what exactly was here from this illustration of the ornate design of the garden which was created in 1699 for the Ist Duke of Devonshire.

It's lovely to see these echoes of the past, proof that the gardens at Chatsworth have constantly evolved and changed over 300 years.

What a coincidence that this should happen now, as the garden has been going through its biggest transformation in the last 200 years.

I came to Chatsworth last September to see the changes which were taking place across the 105-acre gardens and was bowled over by the time, energy and sheer scale of the alterations and creation of a new15 acre garden called Arcadia on a ridge above the more formal gardens, at a cost. of around £15 million.

You can read about it here..

http://thinkingofthedays.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-day-of-visiting-chatsworth-house.html?m=1

Last month I was back to see what else has been happening since then. Arcadia continues to delight, and it's good to see Tom Stuart Smith's designs of woodland and meadow glades in a different season, a different palette of colours.

The rose garden has also had a make over, the first since 1939. Designer Tome Stuart Smith says he wants more romance, and has planted over 100 different varieties of roses and introduced the underplanting of foxgloves, bearded irises and violas to provide a show from early spring to autumn.

 

A bigger and bolder move is enhancing the Rock Garden, designed by Joseph Paxton. It's the oldest and largest in the world and has delighted visitors for many years. 

Not only are there more rocks strategically placed to add depth to a vista but they are also accompanied by new, prolific swathes of planting to add colour and more all-year-round interest.

This centrepiece of the Rock Garden still commands awe and attention. and my case, longing. It was such a hot day, I had an intense urge to stand for a while under the falling cool water.

I don't think Steve Porter, the amiable Head of Gardens and Landscape would have approved somehow, but he likes the fact that visitors are spending more time now in the Rock Garden, not merely walking through it. There is more to see, and areas to sit and drink in the views.

"The more time people engage with a garden and revisit a garden is a measure of success," says Steve, and that's happening already, with more visitors returning, eager to see what's going on in the garden. 

The most hardworking three acres of gardens at Chatsworth are very productive ones. A fruit garden, a vegetable garden, and a cutting garden  are set on the hill with wonderful views across to the rolling parkland  

Mick Brown is the Production Garden Manager, leading a team of three gardeners and eleven volunteers.

He says there have always been kitchen gardens at Chatsworth in different areas, but this site was very much unloved until the early 1990's.There were greenhouses, but the 11th Duke and Duchess Deborah were inspired by the popularity of the grow your own movement, at the time, to make the kitchen gardens beautiful as well as productive, and open them so that the public can see the area.

The cutting garden is undeniably decorative and it was so pleasing to see rows and rows of peonies. I was especially taken with the exquisite "Evening World " which I will definitely introduce into my garden next year.

 

I wasn't the only one transfixed by the cutting garden....Camilla Anderson and Sylvia Travers,  also from the Garden Media Guild were too.

All of these flowers are grown to be seen here in the garden, to be cut for floral bouquets for the House itself, for weddings and other events held at Chatsworth House, and for the floristry workshops 

held here too. Not a single bloom is wasted ....

The vegetable garden is similarly intensively cultivated, as the vegetables and salads aren't just grown to feed the Duke and Duchess and their family.

They are supplied to hotels, pubs, and the Farm Shop which is owned by the Estate well as the newly opened Chatsworth Kitchen in nearby Rowsley, serving locally sourced food each day.

According to Mick Brown, the high demand for their vegetables from local chefs is energizing his team because they can see the value in what they do each day, and they are growing a wider variety too, with historic crops enjoying a resurgence. Mick's enthusiasm for his job is obviously infectious and he's proud of what his team are achieving.

The produce of the fruit garden and orchard is in demand too, such as the Derbyshire Beeling Pippin apple and other local traditional varieties. 

Mick also oversees the glass houses, including the wonderful vinery, a huge glasshouse which was originally erected in 1835 with two others to house orchids.

    

Since the 1920's though, the space has been used to grow muscat Alexandria grapes and peaches. It's a glorious space, even though what sounds like shots ring out at intervals. We're assured that it's just the blackbird scarer, so we all relax and tuck into some produce from the Estate, such as beetroot and horseradish chutneys and heritage green tomato chutneys, with cheese and biscuits.

 Delicious limoncello, orangecello and even some Great Conservatory rose pink gin too.....thimblefuls, I might add, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to navigate home.

Unfortunately, it was time to leave, but I'll definitely be back again. Visiting Chatsworth House Garden really is the gift that keeps giving, with something new to discover with every visit, 

Chatsworth House Garden is currently open daily from 10.30am until 5.30pm.

A day of visiting Chatsworth House Gardens , Derbyshire

Why you should visit or revisit Chatsworth House 

 

As I drove down into the valley past the sheep grazing in the parkland, I caught sight of  Chatsworth. Built of local limestone, honeyed in the September sunshine, with gold tips on the roof glistening, I felt a shiver of excitement. 

I was here to see the biggest garden transformation of Chatsworth for 200 years designed and created by three well known and respected landscape architects and garden designers. 

Dan Pearson, Tom Stuart Smith and James Hitchmough have all worked with  Steve Porter who is Head of Gardens and Landscape at Chatsworth to create an area of 15 acres known as Arcadia, and carry our major changes to a further 10 acres in the rock garden and elsewhere.

First though, a quick visit to the kitchen garden, where fruit, flowers and vegetables are grown for the house, the cafes and for wedding events.

As well as being decorative with lovely views, I liked the informative and decorative signage.

From the kitchen garden, you walk, higher to where the old trout stream has been remodelled by Dan Pearson. based on his Chelsea Flower Show design of 2015.

 You follow the stream as it snakes half a mile from herbaceous borders into grass. It's shady, welcome on a hot afternoon as you walk into Arcadia.

Arcadia , a new garden at Chatsworth House

 It's based high on the ridge behind the main house, there was a wilderness that had never been gardened. 200 trees were felled to create light and space, and the area is divided into four glades.

In one there's an impressive sculpture by Laura Ellen Bacon. I've not heard of her before but I do like this "Natural Course" and the way the 100 tons of stone connects so well with the landscape.

The meadow glades delight in shades of dusky pink, cream, white and blue as you wind your way through the pathways. There are huge drifts of perennials, and in the wet glade, over 8,000 camassia, ferns and persicaria have been planted.

your senses are heightened too in this special place.  Birdsong seems louder and scents stronger .....with major plantings of daphne and actea "Pritchard's Giant".which I have decided is a new favourite.

 Pretty arches of white glisten and its heady scent take my breath away.

A quick chat with Tom Stuart Smith

I speak to Tom Stuart Smith who has overseen this project, adores this plant too..., using 50 of them at a time throughout both Arcadia and the rock garden.

More walking through Arcadia, and you enter an area that was cleared of beeches oaks and limes to create a wonderful moment, of seeing how this garden connects with the rest of the formal gardens. There in front of you, newly planted bulbs and perennials line the steps leading you down ....but your eyes are caught by the majestic maze, with green parkland beyond.

Stepping downwards, Tom Stuart Smith leads us to the three-acre Rock Garden which has also been remodelled with the introduction of new paths and heavier planting of perennials than before, some echoing those up on the ridge.

Now, this is one of the earliest and largest rock gardens in the world, designed by none other than Joseph Paxton. So how does it feel to be asked to redesign some areas? Tom smiles and agrees it's a challenge...but you can see by the smile in his eyes and his love of the gardens here, he's happy with what has changed here over the last three years.

Meanwhile, the more formal gardens, designed by gardening greats such as Capability Brown and Joseph Paxton are waiting to be explored. 

The Maze itself and the newly planted entrance are on the foundations of the Great Conservatory designed by Paxton. It took 4 years to build and was the largest glasshouse in the country in 1840 - an elaborate and stunning place to grow plants and to visit. 

According to Steve Porter, the Head of Gardens and Landscape though, after the First World War, it became a huge extravagance and the 9th Duke of Devonshire decided to demolish it. It was blown up, and apparently, it took several attempts to do so. Steve says that even now, his team are still digging up pieces of glass. 

By now, it was time to walk back to the Stables near the House.

 Families were still sitting by the water, entranced by the sight of the Emperor fountain shooting water up to 90 metres high, but it was nearly closing time.

I've spent the last week constantly thinking about my visit to Chatsworth House and the hugely ambitious garden transformation commissioned by the current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. They wanted an exciting contemporary and sustainable garden.

It takes a leap of faith to radically remodel, and institute change on such an expensive and expansive scale in a much loved and admired garden.

Supported by Gucci, after three years of hard work by the designers, the gardeners and a team of volunteers, and even mucking in themselves to help during the Pandemic, the Duke and Duchess's vision  "Arcadia", a pastoral paradise, in harmony with nature has been realised.

Accessibility information for the Gardens at Chatsworth House

You can download an access map from the Chatsworth House website.

There is free admission for carers (don't book a ticket for one)

A 28 seater trailer which is fully wheelchair accessible,  offers tours of the garden on certain days. Garden buggy tours are also running for visitors to book at a small additional charge. 

I visited Chatsworth House as a member of a press trip with the Garden Media Guild