Chatsworth Garden

Chatsworth is welcoming visitors with more than 50,000 new flowering perennials, shrubs and trees as well as a huge, new stone sculpture called Natural Course by the artist Laura Ellen Bacon.

Famous for its rich history, historic and modern waterworks and sculptures, its Victorian rock garden and maze, there is something for everyone in the 105-acre Chatsworth Garden.

The house and garden were first constructed by Sir William Cavendish and Bess of Hardwick in 1555. The Elizabethan garden was much smaller than the modern garden is now.

In 1811 the 6th Duke (known as the Bachelor Duke) inherited a garden which had been sadly neglected by his father. The restoration, on a very grand scale, was not immediate and 15 years were to pass before Joseph Paxton was appointed as head gardener. Paxton proved to be the most innovative garden designer of his era, and remains the greatest single influence on Chatsworth’s garden.

In the last 60 years, many of the historic features of the garden have been restored and numerous important new features have been added. These include the ravine and azalea dell, he rose garden, the serpentine hedges and, last year, the trout stream was redesigned.

The Arcadia project is Chatsworth’s biggest garden transformation for nearly 200 years working to a plan by the celebrated garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith to plant over 80,000 plants to create new, meadow-like glades connected by woodland walks and featuring a major new sculpture installation by artist Laura Ellen Bacon.