Chatsworth - Christmas market and Illuminated garden trail

As a sort of early Christmas treat to ourselves, we decided to re-join the Chatsworth 'Friends' scheme, and our first visit was timed to catch the Christmas Market and visit the Illuminated Trail round the garden.

We were fortunate to have missed all the snow and ice, and stumbled on a wonderfully sunny day. The food and drink stalls were, as always, the main attraction for me - trying samples as diverse as White Peak gin and Casa Mia amaretti biscuits - and, of course, we came away with more treats for ourselves than presents for family or friends.

As the sun set, the day turned colder so we headed inside to the cafe in the old stable block for tea and cake before our visit to the gardens. With an illuminated 'tree' in the central courtyard and decorations around the ceilings, I doubt any previous occupants would have recognised their former stables.

On then into the gardens as the sun sank completely and twinkling lights appeared. No matter how well you know a place (and we've been frequent visitors to Chatsworth for years) it takes an a different appearance after dark, especially when illuminated. It was like following a path through an enchanted woodland.

 

There were small flickering lights which swayed and danced, huge static ones to light the tallest trees, searchlights moving across the maze area, all in all an enchanted wonderland.

And as a grand finale, a light-show transformed the front of the house.