The Duke of Devonshire has revealed some of the secrets of his £32 million revamp of Chatsworth House – including how some of his changes ‘upset’ his mother.
Considered one of England’s grandest stately homes, Chatsworth House recently underwent a 10-year ‘Masterplan’ restoration – which involved it being encased in scaffolding, re-gilding the windows and removing three centuries worth of grime.
Stoker Cavendish, 74, succeeded his father after his death in 2004 and moved into Chatsworth with his wife, Amanda, and their children, while his own mother, Deborah Mitford, moved to a house on the estate.
Speaking about making changes to the house, made famous as ‘Pemberley’ from the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the Duke confessed it hadn’t always been smooth sailing.
He told The Telegraph: ‘We started making changes quite quickly. Privately my mother wasn’t very comfortable with some of those, but publicly she was fine and that was all one could ask of her. Some of what we did was viewed as quite disloyal by her.
The Duke of Devonshire has revealed some of the secrets of his £32 million revamp of Chatsworth House – including how some of his changes ‘upset’ his mother
Stoker Cavendish (74), succeeded his father in 2004, and moved into Chatsworth along with Amanda and their children. Deborah Mitford, his mother, also moved into a Chatsworth house.
This was done to commemorate the millennium by removing an avenue of lime tree trees that had been grown from the North Gate to our house.
He explained: ‘It was clear to me that the green tunnel they created, though wonderful, missed the point of the park because you couldn’t see it [through them].’
But he upset her very much when he shut down the estate’s dairy farms, which he claimed was ‘losing lots of money’.
Deborah’s siblings, John F Kennedy, Evelyn Waugh, and Winston Churchill – as well as Adolf Hitler and Evelyn Waugh- were all part of the same social circles. This was a life that epitomized a glamorous and privileged aristocratic lifestyle that is no more.
Speaking about making changes to the house, made famous as ‘Pemberley’ from the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the Duke confessed it hadn’t always been smooth sailing
Chatsworth House was home to Cavendish relatives since 1549. In 2018, the house was reopened after its most extensive restoration effort in 200 years. Some of the sculptures in Chatsworth House can be seen here.
As parents, the Devonshires played a major role in managing and maintaining the estate and the grounds.
In addition to maintaining an extensive art collection and taking care of the House’s 105-acre grounds, the Duchess also played a significant role.
Chatsworth Farm Shop was also established and managed by her. It sold meats, eggs, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables from the area.
When asked about her estate life, she once replied: “Well, it’s certainly not peaceful, and very often it’s noisy, but it’s my life, home, and work. Everything I desire is here.”
In 1555, Sir William Cavendish built the house and gardens. There are 126 rooms. The Peak District historic property is visited by more than 600,000.
Chatsworth closes each January and opens in late March to Christmas. It was open for the general public throughout the renovation period. However, different parts were closed.
The Daily Mail published a 2018 report that said the Duke of Devonshire was not connected to the internet, which led to the expensive refurbishment.
The Duke’s comments come as a new book is released celebrating the completion of the Derbyshire home’s 10-year refurbishment programme.
Chatsworth, Arcadia. This documentary tells the remarkable story of Chatsworth through seven scenes taken from the place’s life. The film also features a striking photographic portrait that captures Chatsworth and its collections at the’moment in high optimism throughout its long history.
The Duke and Duchess, who are both 77 years old, wrote in a preface to the book: “We lived at Chatsworth through the Masterplan. We used different rooms as work progressed.
“For over two years, we lived in our attic bedroom. Eighty-two stairs lead to the top from the ground floor. We found it better to keep your eyes open in the mornings.
The facelift of Chatsworth – during which the home was encased in scaffolding, the ‘grime from three centuries’ exposure to the Derbyshire elements was removed from its stone façade’, and the window frames on the South and West Fronts were re-gilded – included the installation of a lift serving all floors.
“These building works, the vast majority of which are hidden from public view, were necessary from an aesthetic point of perspective so that fabric and services in many parts of the house are now better than ever before,” stated the Duke and Duchess.
The work was also the end of a slow but steady alteration of Chatsworth’s use and purposes. This change began in 1945 when my parents realized Chatsworth would be more popular as a vacation destination rather than as an occasional private residence.
Chatsworth (Arcadia), Now tells the tale of the remarkable place (pictured) through seven scenes. The stunning photograph of Chatsworth and its collections is also included.
The facelift of Chatsworth – during which the home (pictured is one of its dining rooms) was encased in scaffolding, the ‘grime from three centuries’ exposure to the Derbyshire elements was removed from its stone façade’, and the window frames on the South and West Fronts were re-gilded – included the installation of a lift serving all floors
“These building works, the majority of which are hidden from public view, were necessary from an physical point of perspective so that fabric and services throughout most of the house now have a better condition than in very long periods of time,” stated the Duke and Duchess. Pictured left, a seating area with a view to outside, and right, the splendid grounds
The authors added that Chatsworth’s overriding impression is of peace. It is a completely serene house with stunning views. An optimistic spirit prevails. It is easy to forget the history and layers that have been built up over time.
It was truly amazing to see the transformation results. Around 1,500 gold leaf sheets were used on each of the window frames on the south and west terraces as well as for roof ornaments and gates.
Chatsworth House has been the home of Cavendish families since 1549. It reopened in 2018, following the largest restoration in over 200 years.
This 10-year-long program saw the restoration of ‘priceless paintings’, brickwork cleaned up and new turrets built. It was reported that dentist tools were used to extract mortar from the walls of Derbyshire’s stately home.
This 10-year-long program saw the restoration of ‘priceless paintings’, brickwork cleaned up and new turrets built. The Derbyshire stately homes’ walls were reportedly sandblasted with dentistry tools. The stunning exterior views of the estate are shown to the right. Pictured below is left a modern snapshot of one of its corridors.
Photographer captured stunning estate during different seasons. This photo shows spectacular Peak District grounds covered in fog.
Chatsworth, surrounded in its gardens, is open each year between late March and Christmas. It closes in January. It was open for the general public during the entire makeover, but different areas were kept closed.