The pioneering traveller Celia Fiennes (1662-1741) wrote in 1696, ‘all of a sudden by turning a sluce it raines from each leafe and from the branches like a shower, it being made of brass and pipes to each leafe but in appearance is exactly like willow’.
The present-day fountain is an early 19th century copy to replace the original which had become decayed. It was made by Bowers of Chesterfield who undertook the work for the 6th Duke.
In 1844, the Willow Tree Fountain was given a new lease of life and moved to the northern edge of the Rockery, in a small glade behind a collection of Paxton’s rocks.
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.
