Chatsworth Garden

The 105 acre garden is the product of nearly 500 years of careful cultivation. Over this time, although some points of interest were replaced to make way for new fashions, the garden retains many early features, including the Canal Pond, Cascade and 1st Duke's Greenhouse.

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.

The 12th Duke and Duchess, working with the Chatsworth Garden team and three celebrated garden designers, oversaw the biggest transformation of the garden for 200 years, including a brand new landscape project: Arcadia.

In the last 100 years, many of the historic features of the garden have been restored and numerous important new features have been added.

For more information about the Chatsworth Garden, visit the website here.