Chatsworth House is a Grade 1 listed house and estate in the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, England.

With a house packed full of priceless art and history, majestic rooms to explore and grounds full of pretty gardens and a maze there is no shortage of things to do at Chatsworth. The surrounding parkland is a great place for a countryside walk, and the kids will be well entertained by the onsite farmyard and adventure playground.

Here’s how to spend a perfect family day out in Chatsworth.

Tour Chatsworth House

The seat of the Duke of Devonshire, the house itself is a magnificent honey-coloured stone building of 80,000 sq ft. Completed in 1708 and with 25 rooms to explore including the Painted Hall, State Rooms and Sculpture Gallery, you’ll really want to take your time walking around the house.

Good to know: no prams or large carriers are allowed inside the house.

You can buy timed tickets for the house on the Chatsworth website.

Don’t Miss The Gift Shop

As you exit the house you’ll walk through one of my favourite gift shops selling a wide range of homewares, gardenwares, skincare products, books, gifts and more. To find out what I bought in the Chatsworth gift shop that inspired Tea Room Travels read this.

Explore The Gardens

Famous for the Victorian rock garden, maze and the Cascade, there’s plenty to explore in the 100 acre Chatsworth gardens once you’ve finished in the house. My particular favourites were the exotic plants and the hedge maze.

Top tip: once you’ve made your way out of the maze climb the set of stone steps for a decent view over the top.

Good to know: the Cascade is currently not running due to essential restoration. You can still see it, but with no water running down the steps.

Take In The Views Of Chatsworth House

Because the house is so large and imposing, you’ll get a good view of it from anywhere in the grounds. On the drive in and by the fountains are some of my favourites.

You might recognise Chatsworth House from Pride and Prejudice when it stood in for Pemberley. Other notable productions that have taken place at Chatsworth include The Duchess, Peaky Blinders and The Wolfman.

Entertain The Kids In The Farmyard

A great activity for the kids is the farmyard which is located up past the car park. It has all the usual farmyard animals such as pigs, sheep, horses, goats, chickens and guinea pigs. The kids will love the “hold a guinea pig” sessions, held at various times during the day.

And The Adventure Playground

From the farmyard the kids can take a secret tunnel to the adventure playground complete with slides, sand and water play and a massive woodland playground. It’s a great place for the kids to burn off some energy before you head home.

Have A Cake In The Tearoom

When it’s time to refuel head to the Stables courtyard. Here you’ll find The Carriage House Cafe which is the onsite tearoom serving light meals and homemade cakes. Don’t miss the lemon drizzle cake, my personal favourite.

Other dining options in the Stables courtyard are the Cavendish restaurant for afternoon tea and set lunches, and The Parlour for homemade ice cream.

The Larger Park And Estate

With woods to explore, lots of walking trails and even a Hunting Tower to find in the grounds, you will have no shortage of opportunities to explore the beautiful Derbyshire countryside that Chatsworth sits on. It’s a great place for a countryside walk.

Visit The Chatsworth Farm Shop

In the nearby village of Pilsley is the Chatsworth Farm Shop with estate-reared meat, flowers from the gardens, bread, ales and seasonal fruits and vegetables. This would make for a good stop on your way home.

Tickets

Adults – £32 for a ticket to the House and Garden.

Children – £10 for a ticket to the House and Garden.

Getting Here

A 3 hour drive north of London and 1.5 hours south of Manchester, Chatsworth is located in rural Derbyshire with plenty of onsite parking, fees payable.

The nearest train station is 30 minutes away in Matlock and there is a bus from here to Chatswoth.

Where To Stay

My recommendation is the Devonshire Arms at Baslow which is owned by the Chatsworth Estate. A lovely pub in a small village with nice rooms, a good restaurant and cosy bar area.

There are other Chatsworth Estate-owned pubs in surrounding villages too, some confusingly also called the Devonshire Arms.

For other places to stay in the area try these.

Further Afield

Don’t miss the pretty town of Bakewell 6 miles away for a famous slice of Bakewell tart.

For more things to do in the Peak District National Park have a look at these ideas.

We recently visited Chatsworth as part of a month-long road trip around England. Read the full trip report here.