Visiting the Chatsworth House was a dream come true for this Jane Austen fan. The estate is used in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice as Mr. Darcy’s estate, Pemberley. The moment the house came within view I was mesmerized. The property is simply stunning. In one afternoon I had afternoon tea, frolicked with sheep in the rain, and found my beloved Mr. Darcy.
As a lover of the 2005 film adaptation, the view I was eager to see for myself was the shot when Lizzy first sees Pemberley after she has rejected Darcy’s marriage proposal. The estate was preparing for an event so part of the view was obstructed; however, it still took my breath away.
My friend and I made reservations to have afternoon tea at one of the estate’s restaurants. Reservations must be made as they do not accept walk-ins for afternoon tea. The tea was tasty and we munched on an assortment of freshly baked pastries, finger sandwiches, and scones.
After tea, we headed to the house to tour the inside of this massive estate. It’s difficult to put into words just how magnificent the house is. During our visit, the house was showing ‘House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion’. It was a glamorous exhibition of some of the most beautiful dresses I’ve ever seen. On top of all the stunning fashion on display, it was great to see areas of the house that were used in the film as well as finding my beloved Mr. Darcy in the gift shop!
My afternoon at the Chatsworth Estate was the perfect way to end my trip in the countryside. I left with a new appreciation for England, fell more in love with all things Jane Austen and genuinely longed to find myself an English cottage to live out life with my Mr. Darcy.
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