Chatsworth Christmas Market 2024
At the beginning of December, I visited the historic country house in Bakewell, Chatsworth, to wander round the buzzing Christmas market and to take a look at the glittering decorations inside the mansion. I visited on a clear, crisp, winter’s day which made for the perfect condition to have a rich hot chocolate from one of the vendors before heading inside to gawk at the outstanding decorations. Although on a Monday, the market itself was bustling with young families, dog owners, business vendors, and general country house enthusiasts. Browsing the market was a calm and enjoyable experience, with families and dog walkers perusing the stalls.
It is clear that Chatsworth has returning visitors as even before entering the house, Chatsworth branded tote bags adorned people’s shoulders. Unless they had walked all the way to the back of the property to the giftshop before visiting the house itself, which would’ve been its own journey, it was clear to see that the Christmas market attracted hundreds of returning and new visitors. Being a returning visitor myself, it is easy to understand why so many people keep on coming back to this estate. Having already seen the house on a regular day, which is sure to amaze anyone, I was excited to see how it had been decorated for Christmas and was delighted with each individual detail (even the tassels on the curtains had a festive flare).
Twinkling lights, more Christmas trees than I could count, which were of astounding heights, and thousands of baubles filled the rooms which created a magical atmosphere for both children and adults alike. From my previous visit to Chatsworth, I was blown away by the magnificence of the rooms; portraits covered walls from floor to ceiling, statues and books created an imposing air of sophistication, history, and grandeur, and chandeliers glittered in the centre of large rooms. Coupled with the Christmas decorations which complemented the already marvellous house, wandering the halls of Chatsworth became an enchanting experience.
I found that one of the main attractions inside the house was an elaborate banquet. A long dining table filled the room and was covered with all the silver furnishings you would expect to find in such a house, including silver candelabras and dishes with festive fruit and desserts piled high upon them. Two grand Christmas trees were positioned in the corners of the room and were appropriately adorned with a mass of glowing lights and reflective baubles. From this scene you could picture some nineteenth century aristocrats briskly entering the room to fill their plates whilst discussing high society scandal.
Chatsworth is a jewel of the countryside, and during Christmas time it’s light gleams off the hundreds, if not thousands, of ornaments to create a festive experience that will be hard to forget and will be reminisced on by many.
