Chatsworth
A new, elevated walkway built into the scaffolding on the south front of Chatsworth house is giving visitors spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime views of the garden, parkland and surrounding Peak District countryside.
At more than 50ft in height, 68 steps take visitors to the walkway which runs across the top-floor of house. Made possible by the £14m ‘masterplan’ restoration work currently taking place, Chatsworth decided to build the walkway into the scaffolding as the stonework is cleaned for the first time in 300 years.
Visitors with a head for heights pay £4 per person for a preview of the restoration work before the scaffolding and walkway come down in 2012 and the restored stonework is unveiled. Centuries of grime are being removed to reveal the gleaming sandstone beneath while improvements to the visitor route and facilities take place inside the house.
"The views are quite fabulous," says the Duke of Devonshire. "It really is a one-off opportunity to see the house and surroundings in this way because the restoration work moves on to other parts of the house so the walkway will close at the end of the season in December."
This year Chatsworth is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the accession of the 6th Duke of Devonshire in a new, purpose built gallery with a special exhibition opening 27 May to tell his story and display many of the treasures he collected.
The exhibition is one highlight from a busy programme of events through the year including fun for families throughout the summer culminating in the ever popular Country Fair while the Beyond Limits monumental sculpture exhibition opens in early autumn ahead of the glittering Christmas displays.
Chatsworth recently (April 2011) won Gold in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011 'Large Visitor Attraction' category organised by Visit England, the national tourism body. Chatsworth underwent a rigorous independent assessment before being chosen by a board of tourism industry experts including previous Small Visitor Attraction winner Victoria Emmanuel of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and experienced travel journalists Alison Rice and Sally Shallam.