Chatsworth House dates back to the 16th century where the estate was owned by Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury. There are a number of areas to explore in the extensive grounds and there are activities for the whole family to get involved in.

The House

Daily activities are a great way to explore the house and learn about its history and residents. We suggest starting by joining the introductory talk that happens outside the house at the weeping ash tree. To help guide you around the house there is a multimedia guide which is available in multiple languages, this guide shares facts, figures and hidden stories about the house, so you can explore at your own pace. You can also join taster tours of the house; these are given by our experts. Taster tours provide additional information about the history of the building that isn’t available in the multimedia guide.

Garden

The 105-acre gardens are beautiful especially in the warmer months, there are gardens to explore for little ones including the Sensory Garden, Human Sundial and Willow Tree Fountain. You can download a trial of the gardens on the Chatsworth website. If you want to learn about the gardens and their history, you can join in on one of the guided garden tours. There are three scheduled garden tours each day from March – October that you can join for free, the tour takes around an hour and is a great way to discover hidden stories about the history of the gardens.

Farmyard and Playground

The farmyard and playground are a big hit with children, there are lots of activities that children can get involved with. Children can get up close with the animals in the Guinea Pig Village and Animal Handling in the Oak Barn, there are all sorts of furry animals’ children and adults can handle including lambs, chicks and goat kids (season dependant). Almost every day on the farm (until the end of October) you can take see our milking demonstration where children can learn about where milk comes from and see the cows being milked. The playground is another big hit with children, here they can let off some steam and explore the slides, climbing walls, swings and zip wire. There is also a sandpit where they can dig for treasure.

Chatsworth Events

There are events happening all year round at Chatsworth both for children, adults and the whole family to get involved in. We recommend checking the online events calendar for upcoming events and booking information.

Location

Chatsworth is located in Derbyshire in the Peak District National Park, this is an area of great beauty, relaxing walks and exquisite scenery. There are lots of attractions to visit in the Peak District and surrounding areas, we recommend taking a look at Treak Cliff Cavern, Derby Museums and Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery. We have a number of hotels that you can stay overnight in or for a few days so you can make the most of your visit to the Peak District.