Set within around an acre of private grounds, the gardens at Darley House are a peaceful and characterful part of the experience of staying here.
Originally landscaped by Sir Joseph Paxton — Head Gardener at Chatsworth and later designer of the Crystal Palace — the gardens still reflect his vision through their terraces, stone balustrades, sweeping lawns and mature trees. Among the garden’s most treasured features are its magnificent copper beeches, giant redwood and historic ginkgo biloba trees, believed to be among the oldest in Derbyshire.
Today, they are a place for guests to gather, play croquet, enjoy drinks on the terrace, or simply pause beneath the trees with a book or morning coffee..
The garden’s connection with Sir Joseph Paxton is recorded by Kate Colquhoun in A Thing in Disguise: The Visionary Life of Joseph Paxton. She notes that Paxton and his wife, Sarah, bought Darley House in 1845 following his railway success, and that:
“Paxton laid out the gardens there and, a couple of years later, built a small conservatory attached to the house.”
The small conservatory referred to by Colquhoun can just be seen on the far left of the 1923 photograph above. Although it was sadly damaged beyond repair during the bitter winter of 1947, traces of it remain visible today: the zig-zag outline of its ridge-and-furrow roof, together with the supporting corbels, can still be seen on the outside wall of the entrance hall.
This modest conservatory is thought to have been an early prototype for the glasshouse ideas Paxton later developed so famously in the Crystal Palace — making Darley House a quietly remarkable part of his wider story.
The gardens were one of the things that first drew us to Darley House when we viewed the property in 2009. While the early years were focused on restoring the house itself, the gardens are now receiving the care and attention they deserve.
Much of this work is guided by our gardener, David Beard, whose knowledge, patience and passion for plants have brought new life to many parts of the garden. His first connection with Darley House was through our two historic ginkgo biloba trees — remarkable ancient trees that pre-date the dinosaurs and are among the garden’s most treasured features.
Since then, David has helped us gently restore, replant and nurture the grounds, creating a peaceful, nature-friendly space for guests to enjoy throughout their stay.
Darley House’s connection with Chatsworth did not start or end with Joseph Paxton. Before Paxton purchased the house in 1845, it was owned by Thomas and Sarah Knowlton. Thomas was Estate Agent to the 6th Duke of Devonshire and came from a distinguished horticultural family descended from the botanist and gardener Thomas Knowlton Senior.
The connection continued in more recent times when Chatsworth’s arboricultural team visited Darley House to collect seeds and cuttings from our historic ginkgo biloba trees, planted by Paxton himself, as no ginkgos from Paxton’s era survive at Chatsworth today.
Today, we are proud supporters of Chatsworth House Trust’s Celebrating the Cascade campaign, helping restore one of the best-loved features in the Chatsworth gardens. Darley House can also be seen on the Cascade itself, on Step 12, stone 18 — a small but special reminder of this continuing link.
We care for the gardens at Darley House with biodiversity and sustainability in mind, balancing their historic character with a gentler, more nature-friendly approach.Mature trees, layered borders, woodland edges and the pond create a rich, peaceful habitat for wildlife, with the garden changing beautifully through the seasons.
As custodians of this historic landscape, we want the gardens to feel loved, alive and carefully nurtured — not only for our guests today, but for future generations to enjoy.
