Talk Venues

The Painted Hall, Chatsworth House

The Painted Hall is the largest and grandest room in Chatsworth House. It was created for the 1st Duke of Devonshire when he rebuilt Chatsworth between 1687 and 1694, replacing the original Elizabethan home built by Bess of Hardwick and Sir William Cavendish in the 1550s. 

Dominating the room are the painted wall decorations by Louis Laguerre (1663-1721), which depict scenes from the life of the Roman General, Julius Caesar. Learn more.

The Painted Hall will host talks by Samantha Shannon (2.45 pm), and Lady Anne Glenconner in conversation with Rupert Everett (4.15 pm). 

Meeting point and time: Please meet at the house entrance 15 minutes before the start of your talk

Capacity: 100 seats

Accessibility: The Painted Hall is accessed via a short flight of steps from the north entrance. There is a wheelchair friendly lift for those with limited mobility. Please notify a member of our team on arrival.

Nearest toilets: There are no toilet facilities in the house; the nearest toilets are located to the left of the house entrance.

The Chapel, Chatsworth House

The Chapel was built between 1688 and 1693, a year before the 4th Earl of Devonshire was created 1st Duke of Devonshire. It was built in the same location as the Chapel of Bess of Hardwick's Elizabethan house and very few alterations have been made. The altarpiece was carved by Samuel Watson (1662-1715). Learn more

The Chapel will host talks by Sarah Winman with Joanna Cannon (11am), Peter James (12.30pm), Natasha Brown with Reeta Chakrabarti (2.45pm), and Sarah Waters with Hallie Reubenhold (4.15pm). 

Meeting point and time: Please meet at the house entrance 15 minutes before the start of your talk

Capacity: 70 seats

Accessibility: The Chapel is located off the Painted Hall via a short flight of steps from the north entrance. There is a wheelchair friendly lift for those with limited mobility. Please notify a member of our team on arrival.

Nearest toilets: There are no toilet facilities in the house; the nearest toilets are located to the left of the house entrance.

Chatsworth Theatre, Chatsworth Garden

Chatsworth's Theatre was designed in 1832 by Sir Jeffry Wyatville for the 6th Duke of Devonshire. It was originally a ballroom, and the two theatre boxes on either side of the entrance, along with the gallery above, are original to the space, and were used by Queen Victoria when she attended a ball there in 1843.

In 1896, at the request of the 8th Duke and Duchess Louise, it was transformed into a theatre by William Hemsley, a leading London theatre designer. It became known as 'Chatsworth's Theatre Royal' due to the frequent visits made by the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) between 1898 and 1907. Learn more

The Theatre will host talks by Kristin Hannah with Sebastian Faulks (11am), Lizzie Dunford (12.30pm), Robert Harris with Peter Frankopan (2.45pm), and Gyles Brandreth (4.15pm). 

Meeting point and time: Please meet in the garden by Flora's Temple Tearoom 10 minutes before the start of your talk

Capacity: 120 seats

Accessibility: The Chatsworth Theatre is accessed via several flights of steep steps so is not suitable for those with limited mobility.

Nearest toilets: There are no toilet facilities in the theatre; the nearest toilets are located in the garden to the right of the Orangery Shop (female) and to the right of Flora's Temple (male). The nearest accessible toilets are located outside the garden by the Park Shop. 

The Carriage House, The Stables

Chatsworth's Grade I-listed 'Great Stables' was designed for the 4th Duke of Devonshire by the architect James Paine, and built between 1758 and 1763. In the 1840s, the 6th Duke added a double-height extension to create the Carriage House that we see today. Learn more.

The Carriage House will host talks by Richard Osman with Celia Imrie (11am), Julia Quinn with special guests (12.30pm), Helen Fielding with Jojo Moyes (2.45pm), and Jilly Cooper with Lorraine Kelly (4.15pm). 

Meeting point and time: Please meet by the pond in the centre of the Stables Courtyard 10 minutes before the start of your talk.

Capacity: 160 seats

Accessibility: The Carriage House is fully accessible.

Nearest toilets: There are general and accessible toilets inside the Carriage House, and general toilets at the entrance to the Stables courtyard.  

The Hartington Room, The Stables

The Hartington Room is located off the Stables Courtyard and would have once been used to house the family's extensive collection of horses. Today, it is used as an event space for weddings and meetings. The room is named after the courtesy title offered to the heir apparent, the Marquess of Hartington.

The Hartington Room will host a talk by Alan Titchmarsh with Chatsworth's Head of Garden and Landscape, Steve Porter (12pm).  

Meeting point and time: Please meet by the pond in the centre of the Stables Courtyard 10 minutes before the start of your talk.

Capacity: 80 seats

Accessibility: The Hartington Room is fully accessible.

Nearest toilets: There are accessible toilets and general toilets inside the Cavendish Restaurant, located next to the Hartington Room.

The North Wing

The North Wing was created in the 1820s for the 6th Duke of Devonshire by Sir Jeffry Wyatville. At 400 feet long, it doubled the size of the original house and was designed to house a Sculpture Gallery, Great Dining Room, Orangery, Ballroom (now a Theatre) and the Belvedere tower, which means 'beautiful view' in Italian. It is thought that the Duke also considered a similarly sized extension and tower for the south.

View the North Wing, art and literary treasures from the Devonshire Collections, along with Austen artefacts from the Jane Austen's House Museum with Chatsworth's Head of Archive and Library, Fran Baker, and Lizzie Dunford, Director of the Jane Austen's House Museum (2.45pm and 4.15pm). 

Meeting point and time: Please meet by the Orangery Shop in the garden 5 minutes before the start of your talk.

Accessibility: The north wing is fully accessible. 

Nearest toilets: There are no toilet facilities in the house; the nearest toilets are located in the garden to the right of the Orangery Shop (female) and to the right of Flora's Temple (male). The nearest accessible toilets are located outside the garden by the Park Shop.