For Sarah’s birthday this year, we opted for an overnight stay in Bakewell. On the way, we decided to pop into Chatsworth House. It was a long time since either of us had last been there.

It is quite expensive to visit the house and gardens, but thankfully there is plenty to see and do to make the ticket purchase worthwhile. We started with a cuppa in the old stableyards.

Then moved on to the house.

Everything about this house speaks of opulence.

It is renowned for the quality of its art, the collections of which have been built up over the generations.

They reflect the tastes of the various generations of the Devonshire family.

There were plenty of rooms to explore, each different in their artistic design.

It is particularly renowned for its dog-related artwork. There were dogs everywhere!

Many of the ceilings were painted or designed by the most famous artists of the day.

One of the best-known artworks at Chatsworth House is the Trompe l’oeil of a violin and bow hanging on a door painted by Jan van der Vaardt, sometime between 1674–1724.

Chatsworth also contains lots of examples of contemporary art.

The house was originally built by Bess of Hardwick and her husband William Cavendish around 1553. It lies on the east side of the River Derwent.

Finally, we worked our way through the sculpture gallery.

After lunch, we moved on to the gardens of Chatsworth.

We started with the cottage garden and sensory garden.

Then moved on to the kitchen garden.

Further up we enjoyed a little time at the Cascade.

There was plenty of outdoor art to admire too.

Next, was the grotto.

We attempted to work our way to the centre of the garden maze, got lost … and gave up.

The Rock garden was impressive. It was designed by Joseph Paxton around 1842.

As the day drew towards a close, we headed back to Chatsworth house itself.

We had a final look around the greenhouses.

Then it was back to the stables and time to leave.

Chatsworth House is well worth a visit. There’s plenty to do and see. Indeed, you will probably need to visit more than once.