Austen in Bakewell
It is believed that Jane Austen may have based her idea of Pemberley on Chatsworth House and written the novel while in Bakewell.
"The eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of the valley into which the road into some abruptness wound."
"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. Its banks were neither formal, nor falsely adorned."
Chatsworth was also mentioned in the novel as one of the estates Elizabeth Bennet visits before arriving at Pemberley.
Locations
On your visit, you may recognise the grand staircase and ceiling of the Painted Hall where Lizzie and the Gardiners start their tour of Pemberley. The Sculpture Gallery was used in the scene where Lizzie Bennet sees the bust of Mr Darcy, and his housekeeper describes his many good qualities.
On your visit you will also recognise the beautiful veiled Vestal Virgin sculpture from the same scene. The scene in the Sculpture Gallery was originally set to be in a gallery of paintings, but the scene was changed to make use of Chatsworth's collection.
Mr Darcy at Chatsworth
As a souvenir from the filming, we still have the bust of Mr Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen. The bust is made of resin mixed with marble dust and was created by Nick Dutton in 2004 as a prop for the film. It can be found in the Orangery shop, through the Sculpture Gallery. You can also order your own Darcy bust in our online shop.
