Postcard from… The Chatsworth Estate

Hello from… The Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire

Where I’m staying… The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow, an incredibly charming hotel on the grounds of the Chatsworth Estate. The building has stood on the estate since the 1830s, but was reimagined as a hotel in 1970. It recently underwent an incredibly cute refresh, and you can read all about it in my Guest Book here! The estate is widely believed to have inspired Jane Austen’s description of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s home in Pride and Prejudice, and was in fact used as a location in the 2005 film adaptation of the book. 

The best meal I had… On the first night at The Cavendish, I ate at their fine-dining restaurant, The Gallery. I am normally not one for a set menu (or fine dining, for that matter), but this changed the game! It was beautifully presented and portioned with 5 courses and no obnoxious foam or theatrics. Most of the game and produce were sourced from the estate itself, from the homemade sourdough with herb butter made from Chatsworth’s garden, to the melt-in-your mouth beef filet with Alsatian onion. Pro tip: if the weather is good when you visit, make sure to get an ice cream before walking around the gardens—the Cherry Bakewell flavor was my favorite (the dessert itself originated nearby in the town of Bakewell).  

Most fun thing I did… While it may seem obvious, I’d say visiting Chatsworth House. The Cavendish is so well located that you can walk on a small footpath just in front of the property, and within 5 minutes you will find yourself on the vast and extensive Estate. The grounds are incredibly well kept and extend as far as the eye can see—the Estate is over 35,000 acres!—and it’s only about a 30-minute walk to the entrance of the house. Whether you’re an art history buff or a Pride and Prejudice fan, Chatsworth House is an incredible experience. Inside, you’ll find everything from centuries-old tapestries to an extensive sculpture court, royal portraits, and a library that looks straight out of a period film. The gardens, designed in part by Capability Brown and renowned and knighted gardener of the estate, Joseph Paxton, are equally grand, with maze-like hedges and rose walks. Everyone working here is filled with pride and excitement. I would recommend getting a ticket to both the house and the garden—you can spend all day wandering (it really is on the scale of Versailles), and there are lots of charming restaurants, incredible ice cream, and a great gift shop! I also explored Baslow, where I found the sweetest pottery shop filled with ceramics from local artisans, who all fire their objects in the kiln behind the studio. The glazes are all mixed by the owner himself, and you can get some lovely things for very modest prices. Also in Baslow was Simply Pale, a lovely clothing and homewear store with a great selection including Savon de Marseilles, beautiful linens, dresses from India, and thoughtfully curated antiques. 

The book I read (and would recommend)… The book to read here is obviously Pride and Prejudice, or honestly any Jane Austen classic. Since my trip was short, I watched the 2005 film adaptation instead. There is something transportive about watching that movie while sitting in a bed that was original to the house it was set in. And if, like me, you don’t have a car, you can relate to Elizabeth trekking across the vast fields of the English countryside to get around. 

A thing or two I learned… It is safe to say that before my trip, I was fairly clueless about all things Chatsworth, not to mention English lordships and aristocracies. But while here, I became very interested in the history of the Estate’s most influential gardener, Sir Joseph Paxton. He was introduced to the 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1826 and appointed Head Gardener. His work around the Estate lives on to this day, including the impressive rock garden and Emperor Fountain. I also learned that he played a role in the cultivation of the banana in the UK and subsequently the Western world, and that every banana is most likely descended from the specimen harvested at Chatsworth, aka the Cavendish Banana. His obsession reportedly started after seeing a banana on one of the house’s bedroom wallpapers, which led him to bring back a sample from Mauritius and to later cultivate it here on the property. For centuries this story was thought to be a myth, as the banana-ed wallpaper was never found, but it was proven true when a bed was moved in the 1920s to reveal the illustration. Who would’ve thought?!

The best thing I’m bringing home… At the estate shop, I picked up some of their incredible shampoo and conditioner, which I fell in love with at The Cavendish—it’s produced on the estate using their own botanicals. From Baslow Pottery I’m bringing home a spouted bowl, perfect for preparing my morning matcha in, and some lovely linen dresses from Simply Pale.