Derbyshire

Chatsworth Garden » A seventeenth century house, plus additions, with an eighteenth century park and a mainly nineteenth century garden. Only Queen Mary's Bower survives from the sixteenth century. From the late seventeenth century design, by London and Wise, one can see: the Cascade (designed by Grillet in 1694), the Sea Horse Fountain (designed by Cibber) and Flora's Temple (which has been moved). From the eighteenth century, one can see the great landscape park by Lancelot Brown. He altered the course of the River Derwent, carried out extensive tree planting and swept away the old formal gardens. In the nineeteenth century, a close partnership developed between the Sixth Duke of Devonshire and his gardener, ..... Read more on Chatsworth Garden »

Haddon Hall Garden » A medieval castle with the framework of a seventeenth century garden, of which there are few in England. The design, with balustraded terracaes and steps, is best understood as an English interpretation of a sixteenth century Italian garden. The rose plantings are twentieth century and good. Read more on Haddon Hall Garden »

Renishaw Hall Garden » Sir George Sitwell designed an Italian garden for the family seat c1890. He later wrote a book On the Making of Gardens. Sitwell admired Reginald Blomfield and hoped to improve English gardens by learning from his visits to over 200 Italian gardens. He was the father of Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell. The Renishaw design has steps, terraces and pools. It is good by the standard of Italian gardens in England but does not match the gardens of Italy in quality. Sir George did not have enough experience of design or sufficiently skilled craftsmen to call upon. Read more on Renishaw Hall Garden »