Catered Cottage

The surrounding park of 1,000 acres, landscaped by Capability Brown, is open to the public and one can walk freely there. The Garden covers over 100 acres and is justly famous for its Cascade Waterfall with 24 groups of steps each a different height, spectacular fountains, tropical greenhouse, herbaceous borders, rose garden and secluded walks among rare shrubs and forest trees.

When Queen Victoria was still a Princess, at the age of 13 she attended her first adult dinner-party at Chatsworth. You can visit during normal opening hours. Guides are not provided and visitors follow a clearly marked route around the House, for which at least one hour should allowed. Guided tours of the House and/or the Greenhouses are available at an extra charge by prior arrangement.

Children and adults love the Farmyard, especially the daily milking demonstration. The Farmyard has various breeds of sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, poultry and other livestock on show, with exhibitions demonstrating how the farms and woods on the Chatsworth Estate are managed.

The Adventure Playground within the Farm is a haven for children, they can scale the commando net, wriggle along the narrow passages, swing down ropes, and, for toddlers, there is a scaled down version. The playground has its own picnic area as well as a restaurant serving home-made food together with three shops selling gifts chosen by the Duchess of Devonshire. Open daily from the end of March through to the end of September and Bank Holidays. Tel: 01246 5831139.

The Elizabethan mansion near Alfreton is well worth a visit - Carnfield Hall contains some curios and furniture and the owner will give a conducted tour. A garden centre is run from the Hall and is open to the public. Carnfield Hall, South Normanton, Derbyshire, DE55 2BE. Tel: 01773 520084.

Eyam Hall was built by the Wright family in 1671 and is still their family home. It is an intimate house packed with fascinating objects. Your visit will include the impressive stoneflagged hall, the Jacobean staircase, tapestry room and the old kitchen, all under the watchful eyes of portraits of previous generations of the Wright family.

Eyam Hall is situated 100 metres West of the Church in the centre of the historic "Plague Village" of Eyam, just off the A623 between Baslow and Chapel-en-le-Frith. It is less than 30 minutes drive from Sheffield, Chesterfield and Bakewell, (park in the village carpark.)

Open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter Sunday through mid October. Tel: 01246 582204.

Haddon Hall is England's most complete and authentic medieval and Tudor house, set in the beautiful countryside near Bakewell, overlooking the River Wye. Its present condition, perfect in every aspect, is thanks to the care and love lavished on it by the 9th Duke of Rutland at the beginning of the century.

The Hall contains a 14th-century Chapel which has impressive frescos, and the medieval kitchens and the Great Hall are seen today as they were 600 years ago. The beautiful Long Gallery is a testimony to the craftsmen of the late 16th century as is a fine collection of tapestries dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Above all, Haddon remains a family home and it is this fact that so many people find appealing. Maintaining their 17th century structure, the gardens were replanted at the beginning of the 20th century with a profusion of scented roses and clematis. Wherever one looks, roses embellish the stonework of the house, which provides the perfect setting for what must be everybody's idea of a typical 'English Country Garden'.

Situated on the A6 between Matlock and Bakewell, the car park is on the left-hand side of the road, traveling North, and, once you have parked your car, you have to cross the road to the entrance to the Hall. Open: from 1st April or Good Friday (whichever is earlier) to 30th September, daily except Mondays. There is no separate admission to the gardens. The Estate Office, Haddon Hall, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1LA. Tel: 01629 812355 Fax: 01629 814379.

Built by Elizabeth, Duchess of Shrewsbury "Bess of Hardwick", this beautiful house is famed for its large windows. The walled gardens are beautifully laid out with flowers and herbs. There is a permanent needlework exhibition which is well worth a visit in itself. It is possible to eat in the kitchens surrounded by copper pans of all sizes - a real treat. Tel: 01246 850430.

Hardwick Old Hall is adjacent to Hardwick Hall. It is Bess of Hardwick's first great house at Hardwick, built just a few years before the 'new' Hall, in the late 16th century. Although now a shell, fine plaster details can be seen in the Hall's Great Chamber. Open 1st April through 31st October on various days - best to check. A joint ticket is available for visits to the 'old' Hall and the 'new' Hal. lTel: 01246 850431.

Just 4 miles from the centre of Derby is this magnificent neo-classical mansion. Completed in 1759, it was designed by Robert Adam. Famed for its vast Marble Hall and domed salon, it is truly a beautiful building. The size of the wine cooler, the fabulous chandelier and the Blue John over the fireplace, gives you an indication of the elegance of living in the 18th century. The grounds are vast and landscaped with lakes, cascades and woodland walks.

Many visitors enjoy the Museum of India which houses Indian and Far Eastern objects which were collected during the period when Lord Curzon was Viceroy of India. The main showpiece is9 the stunning "Peacock Dress" which was made for Lady Curzon and consists of silk chiffon, embroidered with metal threads to look like peacock feathers. The house and the grounds are open to the public. Tel: 01332 841972.

Just 5 minutes - and can be seen -from Catered Cottage in winter Wingfield Manor is a vast, ruined country mansion. The house was built in the mid-15th century by Ralph Lord Cromwell -then treasurer to Henry VI - and between 1569 and 1585 Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned here. Although the huge house was abandoned in the 1770s many parts have survived.

It is also said to be the location where the Babington plot, to free Mary and overthrow Elizabeth I, was said to have been planned.

The striking late-Gothic Great Hall and the High Tower reveal how splendid Wingfield Manor must have been in its heyday. The romantic ruin makes a wonderful film location. Among the productions shot at Wingfield Manor are 'Peak Practice' and Zeffirelli's 'Jane Eyre'.

Today the house is cared for by English Heritage. Wingfield Manor Opening Times Only by pre-booked guided tour on the first Sat of month Apr-Sept only. Closed at all other times. Tel: 01246 856456/857436