It's felt like quite a long week, and my energy levels are about up to posting a whole bunch of photos... so here are some snaps from my day at Chatsworth! The weather wasn't great, but the company was, and the house and gardens are beautiful. I didn't spend all that much time in the garden, but last time I went I spent more time in the garden than the house, so it evened out nicely (and this time Colin wasn't waiting in the car park!) So... photo post ahoy!
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This was the carriage they used at the
Coronation, I think -
included a great metal horse... |
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There is plenty of slightly unusual sculpture around -
this was probably my favourite bit.
Note the gilded balcony! |
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| The order of service for the Coronation! |
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| A whole Coronation room! I was in Heaven. |
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Here we all are, standing looking regal on a staircase.
(l-r: me, June, Carol, Barbara - who has a blog) |
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| Even on a gloomy day, not a bad view to have, eh? |
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For those who watched the BBC series, here's a close-up of the gilding...
I also saw the Head Tour Guide (whose story was in ep.1) walk past me. |
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| A rather striking room - but, wait, what is that behind the door? |
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My dark, blurry photo doesn't really show it -
but this is the most amazing piece of
trompe-l'oeil I have ever seen |
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My favourite part of a rather over-decorated house was this
beautiful wallpaper. It might be a little overpowering
if one had less capacious rooms, though... |
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| The library! It was actually very cosy. |
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Library Part 2.
Claire - how does this do on Library Lust? |
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| Not, as June (I think) whispered, for a TV dinner... |
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| The most wonderful baked cheesecake, which I ate in the cafe. |
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| Into the garden - the spraying willow. |
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The gardens are a great mix of formal and unusual
- and I love steps anywhere. |
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| From the highest point, looking across... |
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| Just one of many separate sections, all with different characters |
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| The house which supposedly made Elizabeth love Darcy(!) |
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| Can't say I was wholly enamoured with the art in the grounds... |
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No escape! While waiting for my train at Chesterfield,
I saw that the Duke of Devonshire had donated
various pictures to the train station. |
