Yes, I realize that it’s been four months since I went to England, but that’s the beauty of having a travel blog. You can re-experience the joys of travelling all over again, while hoping to inspire others to do the same.
“Completely and perfectly and incandescently happy.”
Those famous words from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the perfect description of what it felt like as we walked through the Chatsworth House gardens. The scattered sheep across Derbyshire’s rolling green hills appeared as though we had stepped straight into a Thomas Kinkade painting. And, the misty rain that rolled past the golden estate’s arches felt like you had been transported to a different century in time.
As magical as it all was, it was quite a journey to get to Chatsworth House (also known as Pemberly House, Mr.Darcy’s home in the 2005 movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice). In planning our trip to England, there were many articles that said the one day journey to Chatsworth wasn’t really possible. However, Samantha and I knew that we had to make this happen, for we didn’t know when would be the next time we would ever make it to this beautiful country. Well, we proved all of those articles wrong, and I am here to say to anyone who is visiting London and has high hopes to see this magnificent estate, it is very possible to make the day’s trip.
Our day began at King’s Cross Station, where unfortunately, we missed our train. As we ran through the train station, I couldn’t help but feel like we were on an episode of The Amazing Race. Fortunately for us, there was another train going to Sheffield only 30 minutes after our missed train. The journey to Sheffield was only a two hour trip, and let me tell you, it was truly wonderful to sit there with no cell service, drink our cups of coffee, and watch the world go by beside us. It felt like we had gone back in time, and to be quite honest, I think that’s what makes England so magical, the ability to travel back in time.
When we arrived in Sheffield, we then took a bus to Bakewell. The bus was supposed to take us straight to the estate, but due to an accident blocking the roads, we were dropped off a few miles from the estate, and instructed to make the “short” walk through the countryside.
Although the walk was MUCH longer than we had expected, we were able to see parts of the countryside that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. The cobblestone cottages were fairytale like, the flowers were bursting with colour, the only sound was the bird’s song, and the air was so refreshingly crisp. It really did feel as though I was Kiera Knightley walking through the opening scene of Pride and Prejudice.
Upon arriving at the estate, we took a tour through the grandiose rooms and dazzling ballrooms, enjoyed lunch in the estate’s stables, toured the gardens, and ended the day with tea and scones, of course.
Chatsworth House is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has been run by the Cavendish family through 16 generations! The house itself includes paintings that date back to over 4,000 years ago. And, with a house of 126 rooms, you can imagine that there is an innumerable amount of fine art found throughout the estate.
All that to say, if you are fan of Pride and Prejudice or would just really love to experience the true English experience by transporting yourself back to the late 1700’s, the journey to Chatsworth House is one that I highly recommend!
To book your tickets, visit here.
Until next time, cheers, friends!
JM Books Co. 