Take a direct train from London St Pancras to Chesterfield — just 1 hour 45 minutes. We recommend departing at 7:30am or 8am to make the most of your day. Your guide will meet you at Chesterfield station, drive you to Chatsworth or Hardwick, and return you to the station at the end of the tour. We can advise you on the best train to book — but please note train tickets are not included and must be purchased directly through National Rail. Please also note that both houses are closed during the winter months.

Chatsworth House — nestled in the heart of the Peak District

Option 2

Hardwick Hall — built for Bess, one of the most remarkable women in Elizabethan England

Hardwick Hall was the extraordinary home of Elizabeth Shrewsbury — known as Bess of Hardwick — one of the most powerful and fascinating women in Elizabethan England. Second only to Queen Elizabeth I herself in wealth and ambition, Bess built this magnificent hall as a statement of her extraordinary life.

The house is famous for its enormous windows — Elizabethan glass was precious and expensive, and Hardwick Hall is so full of it that locals coined the rhyme “Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall.” The embroideries, tapestries and original furnishings inside are among the finest surviving examples in England.

Optional Addition

Eyam — the plague village that chose to quarantine itself

Just a few miles from Chatsworth lies Eyam — one of the most extraordinary and moving villages in England. In 1665, when plague arrived in the village, the people of Eyam made the remarkable decision to quarantine themselves voluntarily to prevent the disease from spreading to surrounding communities.

Over half the village died. The story of their courage and sacrifice is one of the most remarkable in English history — and the village itself, with its plague cottages, stocks and church, remains hauntingly unchanged. If time permits, we are very happy to include a visit here.