Although historically but wrongly attributed to Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the creation of the Salisbury Lawns and the removal of the old formal gardens occurred prior to his arrival at Chatsworth in 1758, most likely in the 1730s during the time of the 3rd Duke, possibly under advice from William Kent. Kent advocated laying out gardens in a less formal, more natural way.
In recent years, we have had various ecological studies carried out on these lawns which have highlighted the rich variety of grasses, mosses, sedges, wildflowers, fungi and mycorrhiza growing there. In light of these findings, there are no weedkillers or fertilisers used, and the only maintenance that is carried out on these 280 year-old lawns is mowing.
Daily fluctuations in the weather have been noted at Chatsworth more or less continuously since the 18th century. To indulge this interest in the weather, there has been a ‘weather station’ on the Salisbury Lawns for many years. The rain gauge is measured and emptied every day and the hours of sunshine are recorded by a Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder. A small glass sphere focusses the rays from the sun onto a card mounted at the back and set on a stand. The burn marks on the card allows you to read when and for how long the sun has been shining. The Stevenson Screen holds thermometers which record daily minimum, maximum and ambient temperatures.
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.
Canal Pond and Great Fountain
The Canal Pond was dug between 1702 and 1703. It is set a few inches higher than the South Lawn, so when it is viewed from the south end of the pond, the house appears to rise from the water.
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 Old Glasshouse
The Old Glasshouse, 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.
Ring Pond
The Ring Pond is a survivor from the 17th century gardens. It originally lay in the middle of a formal plantation of trees, with the Willow Tree Fountain at its centre.
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.
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.
