DARCY’S DELIGHT

One of the most famous Regency-style properties is Chatsworth (below), the country estate of the Devonshire family in Derbyshire. A passionate builder, gardener and collector, the 6th Duke, William Cavendish, who inherited the title in 1811, set about turning Chatsworth into a house-party heaven and gave the property a Regency makeover. The dining room, where banquets were held, and three guest bedrooms, decorated with handpainted Chinese wallpapers and fabrics typical of Regency interiors, can still be seen today. It’s believed the house inspired novelist Jane Austen – she’s known to have stayed at nearby Bakewell and used Chatsworth as the fictional setting for Pemberley, Mr Darcy’s home, in her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. It’s fitting then that the house stood in for Pemberley in the 2005 film adaptation of the book, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen.