Chatsworth estate opens new family-friendly hotel

Published: 14 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Nothing quite prepares you for your first glimpse of Chatsworth. As visitors turn into the drive, the house reveals itself, a handsome limestone edifice framed by wooded hills ablaze with autumn colours, fronted by rolling parkland where sheep graze along the riverbanks. Behind its bucolic appearance lies centuries of careful landscaping and architectural craftsmanship by the Cavendish family, who have called this corner of Derbyshire home for more than 450 years.

Significant changes came in the 19th century under the 6th Duke of Devonshire, known as “the Bachelor Duke,” who even relocated the estate village to preserve the view from the house. Today, Chatsworth is one of the UK’s most popular stately homes, welcoming over 600,000 visitors a year.

The estate has evolved into a sprawling enterprise, featuring the Chatsworth Farm Shop, numerous holiday lets ranging from shepherd’s huts to a 16th-century hunting tower, two pubs, and the Cavendish Hotel. Its latest addition, the Hide hotel, opens as a more affordable, family-friendly option, with rooms starting at £80 per night. Formerly known as the Highwayman hotel, the property reopened in October after refurbishment led by Laura Burlington, daughter-in-law of the current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

The Hide has replaced traditional reception with automated check-in, though staff are available in the adjacent bar and restaurant. The family bunk rooms are simple but cosy, featuring king-size beds, built-in “cabin bunks,” reclaimed wood furniture, soft woollen blankets, and modern artwork from the Cavendish family collection.

Dining at the Hide Grill and Pizzeria focuses on a campfire-inspired menu designed for sharing, with dishes cooked over an open flame. The menu caters to families with options ranging from fish and chips to wood-fired pizzas and barbecued spare ribs, alongside kid-friendly desserts such as s’mores boards. The restaurant also includes a play corner with books, toys, and a miniature kitchen for younger diners. A Sunday roast features rotisserie chicken, Chatsworth-reared beef or lamb, and ginger parkin with custard, all at excellent value.

Guests can enjoy circular walks from the hotel or nearby Baslow, including a five-mile route to Chatsworth House and trails to Curbar Edge. The hotel accommodates walkers, cyclists, and dog owners with bike and boot wash stations, cycle storage, and an outdoor dog shower. Public transport links, including a Chesterfield bus stop outside the hotel, make it a convenient base for exploring the Peak District.

Private tours of Chatsworth House reveal its rich history, from the 17 generations of Cavendishes to the Painted Hall, State Rooms, chapel, library, and Sculpture Gallery, which features Roman and Egyptian pieces alongside old masters. Visitors also learn intriguing everyday details, such as chocolate wrappers from the 1930s found behind cleaned tapestries after the house had served as a girls’ boarding school during the Second World War.

The estate’s gardens include greenhouses, a grotto, maze, and the impressive Emperor Fountain, built in 1844 to be the tallest in the world. While Tsar Nicholas I never visited, Chatsworth has hosted illustrious guests including King Edward VII, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Thomas Hobbes. It is also speculated that Jane Austen modelled Pemberley on Chatsworth, and the house stood in for Mr Darcy’s estate in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

With the opening of the Hide, Chatsworth now offers an accessible, comfortable, and family-friendly base for visitors wishing to explore Derbyshire, combining history, grandeur, and modern amenities in one of England’s most celebrated estates.