The Canal Pond's construction involved the removal of Flora’s Garden, shown to the south of the great parterre on Kip and Knyff’s aerial view, below. An ‘earthe house’ – presumably the ice house by the Canal Pond – was built and thatched in 1728, and was used until the 1920s to supply ice, from the Canal Pond to the house kitchens, before the invention of the refrigerator.
There has been a fountain playing at the north end of the Canal since the pond was dug. Named the Great Fountain, it is flanked by two river gods, attributed to Nadauld. It was admired for nearly 150 years for being the highest in the country, reaching 28 metres. It was supplied from what is now called Morton’s Pond. The Emperor Fountain, engineered by Joseph Paxton, replaced the Great Fountain as the main spectacle in the Canal Pond in 1844.
Discover more from the early history of the garden
Salisbury Lawns
The creation of the Salisbury Lawns and the removal of the old formal gardens occurred prior to the arrival of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown at Chatsworth in 1758, most likely in the 1730s.
Cascade
The original cascade, designed Monsieur Grillet, a French hydraulics engineer with experience in decorative waterworks for Louis XIV of France, took two years to build and was completed in 1696.
The First Duke’s Greenhouse
The First Duke’s Greenhouse, built in the 1690s, is a long, low building with ten arched windows and is shown in Kip and Kynff’s 1699 view of the garden.
Flora's Temple
Originally called the Bowling Green House, Flora’s Temple was built between 1693 and 1695.
Grotto House, Grotto Pond and Morton Pond
The Grotto was originally constructed in the late 1790s at the instigation of Duchess Georgiana, but was much altered by the 6th Duke in the 1820s.
South Lawn and Seahorse Fountain
The south parterre began construction in 1694 under the guidance of George London and Henry Wise, who also worked at Hampton Court Palace. The parterre was a pattern of intricate flower beds, hedges and gravel paths.
Willow Tree Fountain
The Willow Tree Fountain was an ‘artificial tree of brass’ originally created by Ibeck in 1695. It was first in the centre of the Ring Pond and has been remade twice.
Discover the 6th Duke's Garden
The 6th Duke, working with renowned gardener Joseph Paxton, made radical and pioneering changes to the Chatsworth Garden and Estate.
Learn about the Modern Garden
In the last 100 years, many of the historic features of the garden have been restored and numerous important new features have been added.
