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On the outskirts of the village lies the home of the Dukes of Devonshire.
Chatsworth House, known as the "Palace of the Peak'', is without doubt
one of the finest of the great houses in Britain. The origins of the House as a
great showpiece must be attributable to the redoubtable Bess of Hardwick, whose
marriage into the Cavendish family helped to secure the future of the palace.
Bess's husband, Sir William Cavendish, bought the estate
for £600 in 1549. It was Bess who completed the new House
after his death. Over the years, the Cavendish fortune continued
to pour into Chatsworth, making it an almost
unparalleled showcase for art treasures. Every aspect of the fine arts is
here, ranging from old masterpieces, furniture, tapestries,
porcelain and some magnificent alabaster carvings.
The gardens of this stately home also have some
marvellous features, including the Emperor Fountain, which dominates the Canal Pond and is
said to reach a height of 290 feet. There is a maze and a
Laburnum Tunnel and, behind the house, the famous Cascades. The
overall appearance of the park as it is seen today is chiefly due to
the talents of "Capability'' Brown, who was first consulted in
1761. However, the name perhaps most strongly associated
with Chatsworth is Joseph Paxton. His experiments in
glasshouse design led him eventually to his masterpiece, the Crystal
Palace, built to house the Great Exhibition of 1851.
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