© Chatsworth House

One of the events which is always very popular is “Christmas at Chatsworth” where the house is dressed for Christmas.  It began after the terrible incident of foot & mouth disease we had in the UK from February to September 2001. The late Duke of Devonshire decided to open the House in the run up to Christmas to help out as it had been closed during the above months.  DH & I took the Boys and that first year it was very simple with Christmas tress in every room and it was lit my candles. 

It was such a hit that they decided to run the event the following year but with a theme and has been happening ever since. The Theme for this year is the book “Henry and the Lion’s Christmas Feast” by Joseph Coelho OBE who is a multi-award winning playwright and Author of over 45 books. 

DH and I don’t go every year but have been several times and love it.  Unfortunately I cannot go this year but Youngest & Girlfriend are going to go.  The House also run, during November, a Christmas Market which is just outside the gates of Chatsworth and when they are booked in to go the market is also on.  Both events are very popular and it is best to book as soon as possible.  Hopefully they will get some photographs I can show you. 

We are very lucky to live in Derbyshire and have Chatsworth on our doorstep to be able to visit during the year.  When the Boys were little and had broken up from school for Christmas we used to take them and the dog up to the Grounds on December 23rd for a long walk and we have been there when it was like the picture above with snow and one year it was thick fog.  The Boys loved it and it was great to spend a few hours outside in the fresh air before all the festivities.

My Favourite year was 2017 when the theme was based on Charles Dicken’s Books.  Here are some galleries of pictures of the tour.

One of the Christmas Trees with Sewing things on it.

The Dining Room was based upon Miss Havisham’s room from “Great Expectations”.

The Final Christmas Tree in The Sculpture Gallery with Scrooge’s reformed words from “A Christmas Carol”

The Saturday we went which was December 9th we had snow in the morning.  The above is the view from the car park outside Chatsworth House.

After we left it began to snow again and this was the countryside on our way home.

Our garden when we got home!

I am hoping that DH & I will be able to go next year. 

I hope you lovely lot are having a good week and enjoying the last days of October.  Halloween tomorrow and then we have Bonfire Night next week, although a lot of the formal events are taking place this weekend. At the moment the weather is due to be cloudy but no rain.  Half way through the week! 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Our Wonderful Treacle with her Santa Hat on!  Coco is not keen on hats at the moment!