Another great adventure – from Harrogate to Chatsworth House, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. It should have been a 90-minute drive, but we endured several detours that took us through Sheffield and Chesterfield. I piped up: We are in Chesterfield! It was difficult to miss St. Mary and All Saints’ Church with its crooked spire and the bus station where I caught a bus to Hardwick Hall, which is about 35 minutes from Chatsworth. Both homes were once the property of the Devonshires, thanks to Bess Hardwick. Hardwick, which I visited in 2022, is now owned by the National Trust.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/07/day-9-june-8-hardwick-hall-more-glass.html
It was amusing for the American in the car to know where we were on our detoured route toward Bakewell.
This was my second visit to Chatsworth. My first visit was in the early 1990s with a dear friend, Paul Harten. The weather was not accommodating as it poured the entire day! Today, with two more dear friends, Alison and Michael Rhodes, we found the day to be a bit overcast, with the sun trying to peak through and warm.
Alison was the driver for this trip. I sat in the passenger seat with the GPS (her name is Emma). Michael sat in the back. His primary responsibility was to hand me the requested snacks for Alison and me. Let’s just say I have forgiven him for eating my entire bag of Haribo Tangfastics. This is my favorite UK Haribo treat as it is not available in the US.
The primary exhibit on display was The Gourgeous Nothings: The Flowers at Chatsworth. This exhibit was not my cup of tea, as I would have preferred to see more family portraits and other historical items.
Once we got through the flower exhibit, things got better.
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| King Leopold I and Queen Louise of the Belgians |
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| We were asked to draw our own flowers. This is mine. I am not an artist. |
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| Lady Emma Cavendish’s wedding veil. She married Hon. Tobias Tennant, son of the 2nd Baron Glenconner. They had three children, including the model Stella Tennant. Lady Emma’s sister-in-law is Lady Anne Coke, the widow of the 3rd Baron Glenconner |
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| A stunning dress owned by the present Duchess of Devonshire (Amanda) |
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| A silk Shepherd’s dress worn by Evelyn, Duchess of Devonshire, wife of Victor, 9th Duke of Devonshire |
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| John Singer Sargent: The Acheson sisters (1902) |
I spotted this Singer Sargent right away. The portrait shows Ladies Alexandra, Mary, and Theodosia Acheson, granddaughters of Louise, Duchess of Devonshire, by her first marriage to the 7th Duke of Manchester.
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| a bit closer to see these two portraits of King Leopold I and Queen Louise |
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| Portrait of a Man and Portrait of a Woman by Frans Hals. Both portraits were on loan to the National Gallery and are now back at Chatsworth. |
and then to the Sculpture Gallery
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| Hi, Lady with a camera …. |
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| Love at first sight |
and now to the Gardens!
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| Willow Tree Fountain |
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| Chatsworth Robin |
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| I do not know the name of this bird |
There are so many gardens to visit at Chatsworth. We saw most of them, but not all. The last stop before heading out was the farmyard, where one can feed the animals and watch a cow being milked, and the cute piglets!
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| moo juice |
In August 2019, I went to see The Treasures of Chatsworth at Sotheby’s in New York City. I had hoped to see the jewels, tiaras, and Coronation robes again, but none were currently on display at Chatsworth.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-visit-to-chatsworth-sort-of.html
I bought the guidebook, Your Guide to Chatsworth, which is informative and well-illustrated. I also bought three postcards, including this one:
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| @Chatsworth House Trust |
Why did I choose this postcard?
The Guidebook can be ordered from Chatsworth. Well worth a second visit, more than 30 years apart.
https://shop.chatsworth.org/products/guidebook?_pos=1&_psq=guide&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Then it was back to the car park and the drive to Clumber Park, near Welbeck Abbey (once the home of the Dukes of Portland), where we spent two nights with Michael and Alison’s son, George, and his family.
Day 9 will feature a visit to a famous car park!!!!
