Chatsworth house, garden and farmyard opens 25 March 2017 with highlights including the first ever RHS Chatsworth Flower Show; House Style, a fashion-led exhibition which will showcase the captivating lives of the Cavendish family, and the completion of the £32.7 million Masterplan restoration project.

House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth
25 March – 22 October 2017

In what will be its largest and most ambitious exhibition to date, House Style will explore the history of fashion and adornment by showcasing the lives of the captivating individuals from the Cavendish family. Highlights of the exhibition will include personal family collections, including items belonging to the current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, demonstrating the varying breadth of fashion and adornment from the Devonshire Collection throughout the generations. The show will also include exceptional couture designed by Jean Philippe Worth and Christian Dior, together with influential contemporary garments from designers such as Gucci, Helmut Lang, Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, Erdem, Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Vetements.

Easter Eggstravaganza
8 – 23 April 2017

The hugely popular Easter Eggstravaganza is back with its annual Easter Egg hunts, crafts, and rides just some of the activities in store for visitors this season.

The Dodson & Horrell International Horse Trials
12 – 14 May 2017

The Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials is three days of thrilling equestrian sport, combined with entertainment for all the family in the beautiful surroundings of Chatsworth. Visitors will enjoy world class competition, from elegant dressage, to exciting show jumping and thrilling cross country. There will also be entertainment and activities for the whole family, and the shopping village with more than 100 high quality trade stands.

RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
7 – 11 June 2017

Green-fingered visitors are in for a treat this summer as the highly anticipated RHS Chatsworth Flower Show will take place for the very first time. Visitors will be invited to explore a horticultural wonderland featuring a range of inspirational gardens, displays and features from hotly-tipped designers. There will also be a series of fascinating talks and demonstrations throughout the week for any and all gardening enquiries. Additionally, the show will bring together a selection of the finest independent companies and specialist nurseries, offering a wide-range of design-led products and quality plants.

VitalityMove with Jessica Ennis-Hill
9 July 2017

Following her appearance as Chatsworth Country Fair President last year, Olympic gold medallist Jessica-Ennis Hill will be returning this summer with her brand-new event, VitalityMove. Aimed at runners of all ages and fitness levels, there will be a range of activities to get involved in from one mile fun-runs and family relays to the more traditional 5k and 10k distances. Keeping the energy high with music throughout the day will be DJ Trevor Nelson.

Chatsworth Country Fair
1 – 3 September 2017

Following a record-breaking number of visitors last year, Chatsworth Country Fair is back this September and will once again be jam-packed with fun and entertainment for all the family across the stunning estate grounds.

Beyond Limits
September 2017 onwards

The annual contemporary sculpture exhibition Beyond Limits returns to Chatsworth this autumn featuring work from several of the world’s leading artists. With last year’s exhibition celebrating the late visionary architect Zaha Hadid, whose sculpturally striking Lilas made for the most architecturally ambitious installation presented at Chatsworth to date, visitors are sure to be treated to another spectacular exhibition this September. Look out for future updates over the coming months.

The Chatsworth Festival: Art Out Loud
22 – 24 September 2017

Art lovers can immerse themselves further during The Chatsworth Festival: Art Out Loud, which will run from 22-24 September 2017 and feature an exciting line-up of artists, curators and writers. Look out for announcements of the festival line-up which will be revealed in Spring 2017.

Oh Dickens it’s Christmas
Nov-Jan 2018

Chatsworth house, garden and farmyard will once again be transformed into a winter wonderland this Christmas in what will promise to be an enchanting day out. As well as the main event in the house, there will be a whole host of festive themed activity from Christmas markets (17 November to 5 December) with stalls for the whole family to wreath demonstrations and nativity performances in the Chatsworth Farmyard.

Masterplan Project Phase Four
Current to November 2017

The final phase of the Masterplan, the monumental renovation and restoration project launched in 2005 with a total value of £32.7million, is now underway with completion scheduled for November 2017. One of the largest projects undertaken by Chatsworth since the 6th Duke built his great North Wing in the 1820s, this fourth phase focuses on the East side of the house which faces towards the Cascade in the garden, with scaffolding now in place to enable the stone to be cleaned, repointed and repaired. Rotten stones will be removed and replaced with new stone taken from Burntwood Quarry, the location of the stone used to build the North Wing. Once the work is completed, all the facades of the house will appear newly rejuvenated. Other work includes replacing coverings on 23 roofs; installing hundreds of roof vents and thermal insulation; joinery repairs and rebuilding chimney stacks. The Orangery rooflight will be restored and solar and UV film will be applied to the glass to keep the building cool in hot summer months.

Children will be transported to a Wild West themed adventure at Chatsworth Farmyard and Adventure Playground this half term, with a variety of rootin’ tootin’ activities on offer for young explorers.

It will also be the first chance to use the new Bird Hide which looks out from the paddock to specially created naturalistic feeding areas in Stand Wood. Designed by local architects and built by local craftsman, it will also include interpretation boards to help visitors identify the birds. Over the last year, farmyard staff have been feeding wild birds to attract them to the area, with 18 species identified so far, including pheasants.

The bravest cowboys and cowgirls will be able to venture through Tin Can Alley and get up close with some famous Wild West critters including snakes and spiders, before hopping on a trailer ride through the park. Subject to weather conditions, the trailer ride will operate between 11am and 3pm every day.

After taking on the creatures and bandits of the Wild Wild West, children will be able to let off steam in the adventure playground and explore the farmyard to meet ponies, lambs and piglets among all the farmyard favourites.

When it’s time to head back to the saloon, there will be hot food and drinks available for purchase in the cafe on site; or take advantage of the dedicated picnic room.

Youngsters will have the opportunity to get their creative juices flowing in drawing workshops at Chesterfield Museum.

There will be two workshops run by local artists: one for 14 to 18 year olds on Saturday 11 February from 1pm to 3.30pm, and one for seven to 13 year olds on Monday 13 February from 10.30am to 1pm.

This is part of the Drawing Connections exhibition by the National Society of Graphic Fine Art that will be running at the popular Chesterfield Borough Council-run attraction until Saturday 1 April.

The workshops will include:

• Viewing the exhibition
• Introductory activities creating quick sketches
• Receiving guidance on using colour and tone
• Producing a self-portrait in a hat (for the younger group)
• Taking it in turns to pose and sketch from the figure (for the older group)
• Advice on how to develop this work further at home

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said:-

“This is a unique opportunity for creative children to develop their drawing skills.

“It’s nice to be able to offer children of such a wide range of ages the chance to get taught by some of the best in the country, while also learning about the history of art and artists in a more hands on approach.”

The workshops are free but places need to be booked in advance, spaces are limited to eight per session.

Runners, walkers and cyclists raised £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support by taking part in the last years first ever Bolsover Hill Race – this year they are hoping to raise even more.

The race, set up to raise funds for the NGS Macmillan Unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, involves a series of 1 mile races where people can walk, run or cycle up a one mile course starting at Villas Road and finishing at Castle Street. There are prizes for the fastest male and female, and for the best fancy dress – with a special children’s race for those who want to walk up the Hill.

Great Bear Distribition returns as headline sponsor for the running race and Chesterfield Cycling Centre for the cycle time trial.

Mark Dixey, organiser of the event said:-

“The community all pulled together and did us proud last year. This was the first race and we raised £5,000 which was a great success. The goal for this years event is to beat that and all the proceeds will be put towards the NGS Macmillan Unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.”

The next Bolsover Hill Race which will be held on 21 May and costs £10.

Rob Turner, Fundraising Manager for Macmillan in Sheffield and Chesterfield, said:-

“It was great to see everyone out in force supporting the event last year.

“We hope this years event will be bigger and that the people of North Derbyshire get behind this new, annual community event. Whether you want to take it less seriously and do it in fancy dress with the family or to be the fastest up the Hill on foot or by bike – we hope as many people as possible register now and join what will be a very fun day.”

This year’s Chesterfield Half Marathon will now take place on Sunday 22^nd of October, incorporating the individual half marathon, two team relays (2 X 10K and 4 X 5K) and fun run.

Originally scheduled for the 24^th of September the event has been put back to the 22^nd of October following feedback from a number of runners disappointed that they wanted to take part but couldn’t because of the clash of date with the Sheffield 10K and the Robin Hood Marathon and Half Marathon.

With such positive feedback from the 2016 Chesterfield Half Marathon, organisers of the event didn’t want to disappoint those wanting to run again in 2017, so have taken the decision to re-schedule.

As Andrea Hooley, Operations Manager at The Chesterfield Marathon, explained:-

“We had such a fantastic response from runners to the new improved half marathon course in 2016 that it seemed a shame when a number of runners contacted us concerned about the clash of dates. Therefore, while the route will remain exactly the same as in 2016, the date of the event for 2017 has been put back until later in October.

“We have also taken the decision to freeze the price of the event until the end of February at the early bird price of £25 for the individual half marathon (plus £3.50 postage of running number), £20 per runner for the 2 X 10K relay and £10 per runner for the 4 X 5K relay.”

All races will once again start and finish in Queens Park, with the half marathon route taking in Chesterfield Town Centre, and the popular stretches of Hasland and Chatsworth Road. Individual runners raising a minimum of £50 in sponsorship for Kids n Cancer are able to run for free, as are teams of 2 raising £100 and teams of 4 raising £200.

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire will share some of their favourite treasures and places around their home, Chatsworth, as part of a series of Winter Talks.  Among the subjects covered are some of the more unusual objects and places included in the Chatsworth Estate, as well as the history and stories behind them.

Running from 12 January to 10 March, the Winter Talks also feature a fresh selection of expert speakers covering a diverse range of interests, from the challenges of managing the garden and waterways, to an insider’s view of working at Chatsworth as a housekeeper and a look at 250 years of life below stairs.

12 January: Dave Spencer, Domain Senior Supervisor, ‘Lakes and waterways’

Chatsworth’s famous Cascade, Canal Pond and spectacular Emperor Fountain are all fed from lakes situated in Stand Wood above the house, and the river Derwent flows through the parkland in front of the house. The care and maintenance of the miles of waterways that supply the lakes, as well as the streams and pipes taking water to the fountains, is of the upmost importance. David will explain how it all works and how the domain team maintain it.

19 January: John Everitt, Head of Forestry, ‘Modern forestry on a historic estate’

The Chatsworth Estate’s 37,000 acres contain hundreds of thousands of trees. John Everitt talks about the role of a modern estate forester and the day-to-day management of 1600 hectares of mixed woodland.   He will also outline plans for the development of the estate, including plans for diversification of the woodlands in terms of species and age structure to create a sustainable resource for future generations.

26 January: Steve Porter, Head of Gardens and Landscape, ‘Managing a modern garden’

With Capability Brown and Joseph Paxton as his predecessors, Steve Porter has a tough act to follow. He’s also got to deal with the impact of more than 500,000 visitors every year while managing and expanding the plant collection, working with external consultants to develop new areas, using contractors to maintain and improve the fabric and historic features, as well as guiding an expanding team of gardeners, trainees and volunteers.  This talk is an opportunity to learn more about how it all works and find out about plans to develop the garden.

27 January: the Collections Team, ‘250 years of stories from the servants hall’

The Collections Team at Chatsworth, in conjunction with Sheffield University, will give an illuminating talk about life below stairs for servants and staff who helped to keep the house and estate running during the years from 1700 to 1950. This talk will tell the stories of servants that have been found in the archives –  from butlers, housekeepers, cooks, cleaners, footmen, gardeners, and many more.

2 February: Lord Burlington, ‘Shaping a greener Chatsworth’

Lord Burlington founded the Devonshire Group Environmental Committee (DGEC) in 2010 to drive forward his vision for ‘A Greener Chatsworth’. In 2013, Chatsworth received recognition for its sustainability work through a Green Tourism Gold Award and in 2016 was awarded the Peak District Environmental Quality Mark. Here, Lord Burlington talks about future projects and his vision for a greener Chatsworth.

10 February: Shenagh Firth, Head Guide, ‘Duchess Georgiana’

Gambler, collector, activist, style icon, socialite and duchess, Georgiana was notorious in her day as wife of the 5^th Duke of Devonshire. The celebrated subject of a Gainsborough portrait, Duchess Georgiana has fascinated generations since her death and has been the subject of major books and films.

2 March: Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, ‘Our home at Chatsworth’

The Duke and Duchess will share some of their favourite treasures and places both inside the house and out, as well as in the garden and park. They will be talking about some things visitors may be familiar with, as well as some of the more unusual objects and places at Chatsworth and the history and stories behind them.

10 March: Christine Robinson, Head Housekeeper (retired), ‘The Housekeeper’s tips, tales and tipples’

Following on from her first book, “Chatsworth, The Housekeeper’s Tale”, Christine Robinson (former Head Housekeeper), will publish her next book, “Chatsworth, The Housekeeper’s Tips, Tales and Tipples” in March 2017. During her talk, Christine will invite the audience to join her on a journey through an ordinary house, but with particular reference to Chatsworth. In this illustrated talk, she will explore the history surrounding everyday objects, the care required for Chatsworth’s precious objects, and reveal more hidden stories from her forty years’ experience working at the house.

All the talks can be booked online and are taking place in the Hartington Room or the historic theatre. Throughout winter, the Stables shop and restaurant are open daily from 10.30am to 4.30pm.