Ravine and Azalea Dell
In the early 1930s, the 9th Duke’s wife, Evelyn, in collaboration with the head gardener, J. G. Weston, created the Ravine and the Azalea Dell in the south of the garden.
Rose Garden
Originally the French Garden, in 1939 Duchess Mary, wife of the 10th Duke, remodelled this area and it became known as the Rose Garden.
Serpentine Hedges
The Serpentine Hedges were created from an idea of Duchess Deborah's.
Display Greenhouse
This greenhouse is sited to the north of the First Duke's Greenhouse and has three climate zones: tropical, Mediterranean and temperate.
The Maze
Originally the site for Paxton's Great Conservatory, this garden is now home to a large yew maze.
Kitchen Garden
Chatsworth has grown its own food for centuries and all manner of fruit, salad, cut flowers and vegetables are grown in the kitchen gardens.
Snake Terrace
In 1974, the Snake Terrace was constructed in the space between the First Duke's Greenhouse and the Display House.
Sensory Garden
The Sensory Garden was an idea instigated by Lord Burlington, the 12th Duke's son.
Quebec
In 2008, the 12th Duke and Duchess re-established Quebec, a long-over-grown area below the Canal Pond.
Summer House and Golden Grove
Near the Summer House is a plot planted in gold and yellow – the Golden Grove. All the shrubs and small trees here were given by friends and neighbours of the 11th Duke and Duchess to mark their golden wedding in 1991.
Cottage Garden
The Cottage Garden was created in 1989 with topiary 'rooms' and 'furniture' created out of box, privet and yew hedges.
Arcadia
The 12th Duke and Duchess, working with the Chatsworth Garden team and three celebrated garden designers, oversaw the biggest transformation of the garden for 200 years, including a brand new landscape project: Arcadia.
The 7th and 8th Dukes (1808–1891 and 1893–1908, respectively) made few changes, tending to maintain rather than develop the garden. The 6th Duke had created something extraordinary, but at immense cost, and so the subsequent Dukes were left to pay his debts.
The two world wars of the early 20th century had a drastic effect on the garden. The 9th (1868–1939) and 10th (1895–1950) Dukes both witnessed deterioration in the garden as men joined up to fight and coal became rationed. One of the most obvious casualties in the garden during this period of austerity was the Great Conservatory. The costs of maintenance and restoration of this glasshouse were considered too high and it had to be destroyed.
The 11th Duke (1920–2004) and Duchess were both keen gardeners and oversaw a revival in its fortunes. This has continued with the 12th Duke (b.1944). Many of the historic features have been restored and, in the last 60 years, numerous important new features have been added.
