Chatsworth House from the gardens.
View seen from near the Cascade.
The house is Grade I listed.
PARISH OF CHATSWORTH CHATSWORTH PARK
SK 2570/2670
6/82
29.9.51 Chatsworth House
GV I
Country house. South wing 1687-9 by William Talman. East front
1689-91 by Talman, west front 1700-03, north front 1705-7 by
Thomas Archer. Alterations and additions 1756-60 by James
Paine, mostly replaced by alterations and additions including
the north wing 1820-42 by Jeffrey Wyatt, later Sir Jeffrey
Wyatville. Baroque and Neo-classical styles. For the First,
Fourth and Sixth Dukes of Devonshire. Sandstone ashlar (mostly
local) with other stones and marbles used for decoration. Roofs
hidden behind parapets. Basically preserving the plan of the
previous Elizabethan house, of four ranges around a courtyard,
and with a long north east wing with a return range to south and
wall enclosing a long entrance courtyard. Three floors, the
ground floor treated as a basement due to the fall of the land.
North wing of one storey over a basement. South front of twelve
bays, 3-6-3 with a rusticated basement and two upper floors of
equal height. Advanced end pavilions have giant fluted Ionic
pilasters. Full entablature with carving to the frieze of the
pavilions and bold inscription CAVENDO TUTUS across the centre.
Balustrade added in 1693 and urns in 1701. The basement has
segment headed glazing bar sashes and in the centre a double
return flight staircase, a replacement of 1837 by Wyatville.
The first and second floors have twelve glazing bar sashes in
moulded architraves with stepped keyblocks. East front of 1-8-1
bays, continues the rusticated basement, entablature, balustrade
and urns. Segment headed sashes to ground floor and glazing bar
sashes in keyed moulded architraves, to the two upper floors.
The end bays are set back and are flanked by paired giant
pilasters. The front was altered by Wyatville in 1823, who
removed a row of attic windows and refaced the whole front.
West front (originally the entrance front) of 3-3-3 bays. The
centre three advanced and pedimented, on four fluted Ionic
attached columns. The outer bays have giant fluted Ionic
pilasters. Rusticated basement with segment headed glazing bar
sashes and a central flat arched entrance with moulded
architrave. Two tiers of glazing bar sashes above, in moulded
architraves with stepped keyblocks, the centre and upper ones
decorated with relief carving. Complete entablature with carved
frieze, carving also in the pediment. Balustraded parapet with
urns. Garlands around the centre windows. Carving by Nadauld
and by Samuel Watson. North front of 3-5-3 bays, the centre
five forming a shallow curve, taller than the rest. Rusticated
basement, giant fluted Corinthian pilsters to the centre bow,
and glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves. The facade was
altered by Wyatville whose north wing abuts it. He altered the
fenestration of the centre part, removing attic windows and
making the pilasters fluted. The internal courtyard has
elevations of five and seven bays, mostly in their present form
as altered by Wyatville. Plain pilasters with carved trophies
by Watson. Top floor windows with alternately triangular and
segmental pedimented architraves. Wyatville replaced an open
colonnade on the south side. North wing has north elevation of
1-5-5-5-1 bays, followed by the orangery of 2-5-2 bays. Of the
first part the middle and end bays are divided by plain
pilasters and have solid parapets with urns rather than
balustraded parapets. Rusticated basement with segment headed
glazing bar sashes and glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves
above. The orangery has the five middle bays advanced and
divided by plain pilasters. Large casement windows.
Balustraded parapet, dated 1827. The wing is terminated by a
three by six bay pavilion and belvedere, rising to four storeys.
Entablatures between storeys, glazing bar sashes in moulded
architraves and the corner bays with plain pilasters. The
belvedere has open colonnades on all sides. Lower pavilion
beyond. Return range to west with gateways and entrance lodges.
Tripartite composition with three round-arched carriageways.
The centre flanked by paired Tuscan Doric columns, triglyph
frieze, entablature and parapet, partly balustraded. Flanked by
glazing bar sashes in moulded architraves and rusticated
advanced end bays. Partly balustraded parapet. The central
gates are re-set and are late C17 by Jean Tijou. Wall to south
enclosing entrance courtyard with statues on pedestals.
Interior: North entrance hall converted from a kitchen by James
Paine. Tuscan Doric columns with triglyphs. Wyatville replaced
the chimneypieces and widened the staircase. North corridor
enclosed and altered by Wyatville. The Painted Hall of two
storey height. Ceilings and walls painted by Laguerre, assisted
by Ricard, in 1694. Stone carvings by Samuel Watson. Staircase
1911-12 by W H Romaine-Walker. The south range commences with
private apartments, one room with an early C18 chimneypiece,
another with early C19 painted panels in the window reveals. The
Oak Room has panelling and twisted columns of c1700, brought
from Germany by the Sixth Duke. The chapel in the south west
corner is of two storeys, with an east gallery. Cedar panelling
with limewood carvings by Samuel Watson. Sumptuous Baroque
alabaster reredos designed by Cibber and carved by Watson.
Completed in 1694. Walls and ceilings painted by Laguerre. On
the west side, the west stairs with iron balustrade of 1702 by
John Gardom, with wrought iron panels on the landings by Tijou.
Painted ceiling by James Thornhill. West entrance hall with
Grisaille painting. Leather Room and Lower Library redecorated
in 1839 by Crace. The ground floor of the north wing contains
service rooms. First floor has mostly private apartments,
taking in the upper half of the chapel and hall, except the
north wing. On the south side private dining and drawing rooms,
basically early C18 but redone in 1780s by John Carr. The
dining room was altered by Wyatville. In the west wing the
centre bedroom was originally a vestibule and has late C17
panelling. Other rooms with delicate late C18 plasterwork.
Duchess’ dressing room ceiling by Joseph Palfreyman, 1775. The
Red Velvet Room has a chimneypiece by Kent. On the north side
the Library made in 1832 by Wyatville with woodwork and fittings
by Armstrong and Siddons. Late C17 ceiling with painting by
Verrio. The Ante-Library by Wyatville with ceiling painting by
Hayter. To the north the suite of rooms in Wyatville’s north
wing. Dome Room, the Great Dining Room with segmental arched
coffered ceiling and chimneypiece by Westmacott the Younger and
Sievier. Sculpture Gallery lit by three lantern skylights. At
the north end ormolu capitals to the columns, by Delafontaine of
Paris. Bas reliefs by Thorwaldsen and collection of
neo-classical sculpture. Second floor contains the state rooms
along the south wing. Great Staircase designed by Talman
(1689-90). Ceiling by Verrio; statues and doorcases by Cibber,
balustrade by Tijou. The state Dining Room, Drawing Room, Music
Room and Bedroom fill the south side. They have painted
ceilings by Verrio, Laguerre and Ricardi and a profusion of wood
carving by the London carvers Lobb, Davis and Young, assisted by
Watson. The rooms were decorated in 1689-99, but only the
Dining Room survives in its original state. In the centre of
the west wing is the Sabine Bedroom, originally a lobby, with
uninterrupted illusionist painting over ceiling and walls by
Thornhill (1708). In the north wing are smaller family rooms
and in the east wing the Queen of Scots Rooms, a suite of rooms
redone by Wyatville c1830. The oak stairs between ground and
first floor are by Wyatville, 1823-4. At the end of Wyatville’s
wing is the Theatre, designed in 1833 as a banqueting chamber.
The painted ceiling panels of c1700 by Cheron and Thornhill,
were originally in the Library. Sources: William, 6th Duke of
Devonshire Handbook of Chatsworth & Hardwick, London 1844.
J Lees-Milne and J Cornforth Chatsworth. Nine articles in
Country Life April-September 1968. Duchess of Devonshire
The House: A Portrait of Chatsworth MacMillan 1982.
Listing NGR: SK2602270104
This text is a legacy record and has not been updated since the building was originally listed. Details of the building may have changed in the intervening time. You should not rely on this listing as an accurate description of the building.
Source: English Heritage
Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.
