Marianne O'Reilly
Google
I cannot speak highly enough about this place, it is just "wow" from start to finish. Parking was easy, even on a busy Saturday, the house is awesome, from the gilt Versailles like gates, every room is jaw dropping, completely over the top, lavish decor, painted frescoes on the ceilings and walls, beautiful ornate plasterwork, carved wall panels, leather embellished walls, fabulous chandeliers, gorgeous paintings and a ton of really beautiful pieces of art, ceramics and statues. The staff are super helpful and friendly, I recommend the audio guide, it is very informative. There is a lovely gift shop selling high quality gifts, including Chatsworth's jams, chutney, drinks and house related gifts. Outside the grounds don't disappoint, there are huge greenhouses and plants to see and buy. There is the famous fountain and lake featured in Pride and Prejudice, a massive rockery garden, made from massive stacked granite slabs, I've never seen anything like it. There is a giant hedge maze and beautiful views from wherever you are in the grounds. I believe there is a children's play area and farmyard, but I didn't visit there as I was too tired after all the walking. The only thing I didn't really enjoy was the sandwich I got from the deli van, it was quite expensive and the bread was really thick and overwhelmed the filling. Ice cream and sandwiches cost around £7+. There is a restaurant there but I can't comment on that as I didn't use it. There are plenty of well maintained public toilets but not inside the house. Standard Adult entry is £32, including parking, which is on the high side, but in my opinion it is worth it.