The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
When engaging in the sophisticated, elegant act of indulgence that is afternoon tea, you want the setting and scenery around you to live up to the occasion. The food and selection of teas must ooze luxury, and so must the restaurant. Chatsworth House achieves this effortlessly, with even more to indulge in beyond a sitting at their afternoon tea.
The English tradition of afternoon tea can be even more enjoyable when you immerse yourself into an experience that encompasses English history and culture. Chatsworth House is a stately home that can provide an all-round experience, where you will find beauty and finery everywhere you look.
Chatsworth House is located in the Peak District in England, on a 35,000-acre estate. It is owned by the Cavendish family and has been passed through 16 generations. It currently belongs to the 12th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Peregrine and Amanda Cavendish. Visiting the estate means you can enjoy the beautifully kept gardens, a playground for children, a garden centre, a café, as well as a tour around the house filled with artwork and traditional furnishings. The house was even featured in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley, so if you’re a Jane Austen fan you’ll enjoy the Pride and Prejudice themed products in their gift shop, too.
Visiting Chatsworth House will provide a variety of experiences, with different activities to revel in. If you’re interested in looking around the house, this will not disappoint. It is a member of the Treasure Houses of England, which are 10 of the most outstanding stately homes in England. The artwork around the house goes as far as being 4000 years old, and the tour of the house follows through extravagant rooms such as the chapel, the sculpture gallery, and the painted hall.
The grounds are a key feature to what makes Chatsworth so grand. There are 150 acres of carefully designed gardens with different designs to explore, including a buggy tour and interesting features like the Maze. A favourite amongst visitors is the Cascade, a sizeable waterfall that people enjoy paddling in during summer. If you’re visiting with young children, they have plenty to look forward to. There’s an adventure playground as well as a farmyard, where they can admire animals like horses, goats, and guinea pigs.
held in their restaurant called The Flying Childers, which has a history behind the name. The 2nd Duke of Devonshire owned a racehorse called The Flying Childers in the early part of the 18th century, and it was never beaten in a race. It then came to reside at Chatsworth House and stayed in the stables which are now used as the space for the restaurant.
The food served with the afternoon tea reflects the luxurious experience of the visit. It starts with house canapés followed by freshly made sandwiches from locally sourced breads. They have options like free range Derbyshire egg with cress and then Chatsworth glazed ham with wholegrain mustard mayonnaise as fillings, amongst more. They then have a brief interlude where you are served gin and elderflower granite.
Next to be served is freshly baked plain and fruit scones with Chatsworth recipe jam and clotted cream, and then a selection of puddings including coffee and ginger cheesecake, chocolate, and passionfruit torte, banoffee pie and a duo of Earl grey and strawberry and basil macaron. Of course, served throughout the afternoon tea are a selection of teas and coffees, or even a glass of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé. The experience is made even better with the added touch of carefully designed china and crockery that was chosen due to its colourful and fun pattern.
To really indulge in the experience, you have the option of an overnight stay around the Chatsworth estate. There’s a range of hotels, cottages, and inns. You can really soak up the traditional English environment as well as the vast countryside. The Cavendish Hotel would supply a countryside escape filled with luxury, with the furnishings chosen by the Duchess of Devonshire herself. If you fancy a less extravagant stay, you could opt for The Devonshire Arms at Beeley, a cosy inn with a village setting – and if you’re a literature fan, you’ll be excited to learn that Charles Dickens was a frequent visitor at Beeley.
Coming to Chatsworth House will not disappoint, with so much on offer and so much to see. To make the most of your visit, take a tour of the house and grounds and stay overnight to truly experience a traditional English setting. The cherry on top of your visit, however, would be enjoying an afternoon tea in the picturesque English surroundings and soaking up the sophisticated and luxury setting.
