Chatsworth is situated in Bakewell, Derbyshire and has been a family home to the Devonshire family for over 450 years.

The site of the present house of Chatsworth was first selected by Bess of Hardwicke and her husband of five years Sir William Cavendish in 1552 when they started to transform a wild Derbyshire valley. The 1st Duke transformed Chatsworth into something more closely resembling what the visitor sees today. Employing William Talman, WILLIAM III’s Comptroller of the Works and the man who completed Wren’s planned alterations to Hampton Court, he initially remodelled the south front. He then turned to the east wing. Between 1687, when he started, and his death in 1707 he transformed almost all the Tudor exterior, though some internal features remained. It was at this time too that the grounds were laid out, in particular the spectacular water features, notably the canal pond and the stepped waterfall issuing from a temple.

Some fifty years after the 1st Duke's death Capability Brown carried out substantial alterations to the grounds, even changing the course of the river facing the south front, over which James Paine built the bridge. In the early 19th century Sir Jeffry Wyatville extended the main house to encompass a new set of state rooms, a theatre, a library and a sculpture gallery. He also carried out alterations to the private apartments. Sir Joseph Paxton undertook similarly extensive remodelling of the grounds.

Chatsworth today is the home of the 11th Duke of Devonshire and his wife, the Duchess of Devonshire who welcome over a million people each year to the 35,000 acre estate.