Hotel of the Week: This Idyllic Getaway Is Rooted in Centuries-old British Heritage

Harding employed that same tried-and-true approach to the Cavendish, whose historic charm “got lost in the course of several uninspired renovations,” she explains to Galerie. “Laura asked us to unravel the discombobulated tangle that it had become—to unlock its true spirit and reveal its very personal connection with the Chatsworth House and the Devonshire family.” That required getting comfortable with the estate and the Burlingtons, whose vision for the Cavendish Hotel largely avoided hewing to tradition and fusty tropes. “She wanted it to feel personal and speak to the fresh-thinking bohemian dynamisms of the family and their visionary stewardship of the Chatsworth Estate,” Harding continues. “[They’ve] articulated a progressive vision for the Estate that chimes wholeheartedly with our own values.”

Nearly every element of the refurbished property draws from the charm of the Derbyshire countryside and Chatsworth House’s grandeur, from the 28 well-appointed bedrooms to the on-site restaurant’s locally sourced cuisine. “The interiors grew out of the personal story of the Devonshire family and their connection to the Chatsworth Estate,” Harding says. “It’s such a privilege to bring these values to life through the interiors, sourcing incredible pieces in the same county from upholsterers, craftspeople, and makers such as locally woven organic cotton and linen fabrics to glazed ceramic bedside lamps made by a member of the family household. Every detail has been developed in close conversation with Laura.”

Given the Burlington family’s immense trove of painting and sculpture, fine art plays a major factor. Harding combed through their vast collection to outfit the entire property with blue-chip pieces like Phyllida Barlow lithographs, technicolor prints by Pop Art pioneer Richard Smith, and landscape paintings by Oliver Comerford. “Some of the pieces are so valuable that we had to be careful about how close they sit to natural light,” Harding says, referring to a collection of the Duke’s portraits taken by his mentor Jorge Lewinski. Others, like an enormous piece of a bull hung in the staircase, required the manpower of seven people to hoist up. Harding’s favorite? A vivid silkscreen by Jeremy Deller that aptly reads “you treat this place like a hotel.” 

The robust collection lends a welcome punch to understated guest rooms outfitted with quaint touches like canopied four-post beds, rotary telephones, and uninterrupted countryside views. Each room abounds with handsome furniture fashioned by local artisans, printmakers, and weavers deeply attuned to Derbyshire’s history and heritage, which commingle with vintage finds and vibrant sky blue accents. “All the new upholstered furniture was made by makers in the same county, as well as the bedside tables,” says Harding, who tapped a member of the Burlington household to glaze pots that eventually became lamps. To that end, she also enlisted one of Lady Burlington’s best friends to create lamp shades for the restaurant. Such personal ties recur throughout—framed family photographs lend lived-in intimacy to the 1950s-style bar, as do piles of timeworn paperbacks containing novels by Enid Blyton, poems by Geoffrey Lehmann, and plays by Arnold Wesker.

The hotel’s culinary offerings follow a similar local approach. Chef Adam Harper collaborates closely with Chatsworth House gardeners as well as Peak District farmers within a ten-mile radius to supply the finest seasonal produce for the conservatory-like Garden Room, which specializes in brasserie staples for afternoon tea. (The menu is even illustrated with a hand-drawn map pointing to the the precise location of each ingredient.) Outfitted with Old Master paintings, sumptuous velvet banquettes, and table lamps repurposed from disused fire hose nozzles, the restaurant makes for an ideal pit stop following a Peak District stroll or exploring the region’s dynamic art destinations, such as the David Mellor Country Shop or the Richard Whittlestone Wildlife Gallery in Bakewell. Many diners choose to linger on the terrace for cocktails and soak in expansive views of the spectacular sunsets—or head across the hall for dinner at The Gallery, a candlelit hideaway serving English fare like Chatsworth farm lamb.

For Burlington, the revamp signifies an exciting next chapter for Chatsworth that also sheds light on the manifold talents that have enshrined the manor as a dynamic incubator of English heritage and creativity. “Nicola has created a hotel that manages to be wonderfully comfortable and full of insights to Chatsworth and its collection,” she says. “Chatsworth is more than a house. It’s a whole ecosystem of makers and growers—and when you stay with us, you can experience the work of all those people.” 

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