Great Houses

We had a great time visiting some of the beautiful stately homes in Derbyshire with our visitors.

Kedleston Hall, the home of the Curzon family who was once the viceroy of India, was very interesting. Much of the architecture was designed in the neo-classical style by Robert Adam who was influenced by his Italian voyages. The central portion of the home was designed as a showcase for the family’s collections and for lavish entertainment. The family and servants lived in separate wings on either side of the main hall.

One of the nicest parts of visiting these National Trust properties is exploring the grounds. The kids and their cousins enjoyed romping in the fields with the sheep.

In the background you can see the hall and the family chapel. The wall was designed to keep the sheep out of the gardens, but I could imagine revelers emerging from the house for a stroll in the fresh air and dropping precipitously.

We also visited Calke Abbey again. It was particularly interesting to see the decline of Calke in juxtaposition to the elegance of Kedleston.

Sudbury Hall was also very interesting. The house was used for the BBC’s production of Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. I’d like to go back again sometime to see the recently renovated Museum of Childhood which is also located here.

It was great that everyone found something of interest in the exploring these old houses, regardless of age.