Friday's Flashback: Inside Chatsworth House

The long awaited day had come:  I was going to Pemberley.  I had dreamed of this moment, seeing the impressive Chatsworth House and taking my own amazing picture from the front drive.  Imagine how I felt when the house came into view, and my eyes met with this:

As Lady Catherine deBurgh would say, I was "quite put out!"  Sadly, our visit fell at the end of a period of restoration, and the entire front and right side of the house was covered with a tarp and scaffolding.  I tried to reconcile myself to the disappointment.

It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on 

rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills;

and in front, a stream of some natural importance was

swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance.

-Elizabeth's description of Pemberley 

in Pride and Prejudice

It really is astounding how much Austen's descriptions match Chatsworth House, even to the winding of the road through Pemberley Woods and crossing the bridge to drive up to the house. I also never noticed her reference to the building being stone.  There are many beautiful stone rooms inside Chatsworth.

We did make a brief stop between our hotel and Chatsworth to photograph some grazing sheep, little realizing just how many would be waiting for us at Chatsworth House, too. 

They dotted the lawn, and as Austen wrote, we found Pemberley most "happily situated."

 Seriously...how happy is the owner of this estate?

  

Big points are awarded to Chatsworth for the hosts encouraging us to walk at our leisure, take all the pictures we wanted, and even use the flash, assuring us that modern flashes on digital cameras did no harm.  It was a big change from all the other great houses we visited.  Sadly, at first, I didn't find the inside of Chatsworth much to my liking.

I realized this was an impressive ceiling, but it seemed like every single room had the same ceiling, and it felt kind of dark and cold, and not very cozy.  KJ reminded me that this was owing in part to the tarp draped over the front windows.

As I was editing pictures tonight, however, I realized that this really was the perfect house for Mr. Darcy, who on first meeting, like his house, also seemed cold and aloof.  It's a very stately house, with dark paneling, and broad stone stairs.

 I liked this music room.

Perhaps where Georgiana practiced?

 If he were dressed in the right clothing, he could be

Mr. Darcy himself.

This was one of two "twin" staircases, rising up to look down on this:

 I think Elizabeth walks through this gallery in the

newest version of Pride and Prejudice.

I remember that floor.

My favorite staircase

There was something so imposing and enduring about it.

 Taking advantage of a floor to ceiling mirror

 This hallway was so much more warm and inviting

than all the dark stone passages.

 Beautiful Chandelier 

We were invited to sit and play this beautiful instrument.  The hostess pressed us to if we could, so I complied.  It was wonderful.  The library is so perfect that no words are needed to describe it.

 And then we come to this easily recognizable room...at least, if you are a fan of the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice.  

Oops...I almost forgot the dining room, probably only one of the dining rooms...

 I went to Pemberley, you guys.