Chatsworth House and Greenhouses

Thursday 29th April 2004

Our guide gave a fluent and fascinating commentary as we progressed through the house. From the outset, one is impressed by the vast size, not least than in the Painted Hall where deceptively, an orchestra and large audience can be accommodated easily. The wall and ceiling decoration throughout the house by 17th century artists Laguerre and Verrio are especially notable. Many surfaces have been restored recently and they glowed with the skill of the artists. Progressing through the series of State rooms, the opulence of furnishings, carvings and pictures was evident. During World War 2 these rooms provided some dormitories for Penrhos College which was evacuated here. I thought wryly of the Masonic Hall in Sherwood Nottingham to which I was evacuated as a member of NGHS Junior school!

Notable collections were evident everywhere. Upon entering the Great Dining room part of a wing designed by Wyatville we learnt that this was the very place Princess Victoria first dined with ‘grown –ups’ in 1832.  What a grand experience that must have been! We passed through the special exhibition to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Duchess’sister, the writer Nancy Mitford, who among other thing pioneered fashions in the 20th Century, such as the Dior mini-skirt.  Not usually open to the public, we were shown a guest bedroom decorated with dramatic murals of the pursuit of the Sabine women.  Amongst the many VIP’s to spend a night in the room was the artist Lucian Freud, who as a parting gift to his hosts, painted a rather dramatic but wonderful flower in the adjacent bathroom.

After a pleasant break for lunch in one of the two restaurants, we gathered again by the greenhouses for a tour of the immediate garden area. The Conservative Wall, so called by Paxton because it conserves heat, has a covered glasshouse running 331 feet up the hillside. This area is where fruits such as peach and fig trees ripen. Our guide described their propagation and care. Then we moved onto the Display greenhouse not usually open to the public. It is in three parts, a tropical, temperate and Mediterranean section.  A mango and paw-paw tree grew alongside a banana plant displaying ripening fruits of the “Cavendishii” variety. Stephanotis and jasmine plants tangled among other lush growth. In the other sections we saw kumquats and strange apricot like fruits, which we were invited to sample discretely! The late Duke’s interest in, and horticultural success were evident in the blaze of camellias in the 1st Duke’s greenhouse. Throughout, our young guide was amusing and informative. It was a splendid end to a fascinating day.  

 

Miss Jenny Smith

Nottingham High School for Girls (1943-1952)