Stately Homes

 
Waiting to welcome you are some of the most fascinating houses in the world.
 
England has more than its fair share of stately homes and great houses, from the Elizabethan Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire to majestic Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. And what really sets them apart, according to Simon Howard, owner of Castle Howard in North Yorkshire, “is the diversity of the architecture and the presence of the contents of our houses.”

 
Take your pick of contemporary architecture or a house steeped in centuries of history.
 
In Derbyshire, Swiss Cottage is the prettiest house you can rent on the Chatsworth Estate. Overlooking its own lake, it was designed around 1840 as an ‘eye-catcher’, something for Chatsworth’s visitors to admire as they passed by in their carriages. Staying here means unique access to Chatsworth Fishery’s four miles of River Derwent where you can fish for brown and rainbow trout – the Fishery is only open to a select few and there’s a waiting list of several years to join.