Travel & Tourism

Chatsworth House – The Peak District stately home that’s been transformed into a Christmas wonderland

One of the UK's greatest gems, now even more magical.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 23rd November 2024

Chatsworth House is one of the great gems of the UK, and now that winter is rolling around this stately home in the Peak District has been made even more magical.

For this year’s festive transformation, the grand manor house has been filled with twinkling lights, enormous Christmas trees, and light projections.

Around every corner you’ll find another magnificent hall or corridor dressed up to the nines for the season.

There are more than 20 different rooms that you can explore at Chatsworth House this Christmas, and you’ll feel a million miles away from the city.

The house even SMELLS like Christmas, with Chatsworth collaborating with fragrance experts creating scents like chocolate, gingerbread, and the smells of a kitchen on Christmas Day.

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There’s even a Christmas Market in the grounds, with more than 100 exhibitors offering themed gifts, food and drink – you can even toast marshmallows or grab a bratwurst.

Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The Sheff
Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The Sheff
The banquet at Chatsworth House. Credit: The Sheff
The banquet at Chatsworth House. Credit: The Sheff
Every corner is magical. Credit: The Sheff
Every corner is magical. Credit: The Sheff

This year, the Christmas event has been themed around an original new story written exclusively for Chatsworth House by former children’s laureate, Joseph Coelho OBE.

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Henry and the Lion’s Christmas Feast is inspired by the house itself and the life of Henry Cavendish, and follows young Henry and his accomplice, a little lion (inspired by the statues in the Sculpture Gallery).

You’ll spot the book’s illustrations in the scenery and decorations all around Chatsworth House, and see a banquet laid out in the Great Dining Room.

Other events this season will include pop-up theatres, and an illuminated light trail embracing its best-loved garden landmarks.

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Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The Sheff
Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The Sheff
Chatsworth House Christmas Markets. Credit: The Sheff
Chatsworth House Christmas Markets. Credit: The Sheff
Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The Sheff
Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The Sheff

Joseph Coelho, author of ‘Henry and the Lion’s Christmas Feast’ said: “It was such a wonderful challenge to be invited to write a new book that would inspire the Christmas decorations at Chatsworth this year.

“I was really captivated by the life of Henry Cavendish and his amazing scientific experiments, and I got great ideas from visiting the house and grounds, especially going through the Sculpture Gallery when I saw the two great lions. I thought how interesting it would be to put the Chatsworth lion and Henry Cavendish face to face and give them a little adventure together. 

“I hope that visitors come to Chatsworth and, seeing the decorations, are inspired by all the Christmassy mischief that Henry and the lion get up to and leave with that excited bubbly feeling you get when you know that Christmas is around the corner.”

If anything is going to get you in the festive spirit, it’s a wander around Chatsworth House.

Find out more and book your tickets HERE.

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Featured image: The Sheff

Travel & Tourism

In pictures – A rare Bornean baby orangutan has been born at Chester Zoo

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo

A tiny Bornean orangutan has been born at Chester Zoo, with heartwarming new pictures showing the baby with its mum Leia.

The arrival of the critically-endangered infant has been hailed as an ‘important step forward’ in the efforts to safeguard the species.

Photos shared today Chester Zoo show the new arrival clinging to its experienced mum Leia, looking – if we’re being honest – quite furious to be here.

But the infants adorably grumpy face is a huge moment for the zoo and the species, which is highly threatened due to deforestation, illegal hunting and conflict with people.

This ranks them as a species requiring the highest conservation priority, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Chris Yarwood, Assistant Team Manager of Primates at Chester Zoo, said: “Leia is a wonderful mum. She’s extremely attentive and has spent the first few days holding her baby close, feeding regularly and forming a really strong maternal bond. It’s a huge privilege to witness.

“The baby is still tiny and we haven’t yet been able to determine the sex – but what really matters is that it’s healthy and that Leia is doing a brilliant job, as we knew she would.

“Any birth of a Bornean orangutan is incredibly special given how threatened the species is. It’s an important step forward for the international conservation breeding efforts that are working to prevent this iconic animal from disappearing forever.”

The tropical forests of Borneo – the only place on Earth where Bornean orangutans are found in the wild – have suffered devastating losses in recent decades, with more than 40% lost since the year 2000 due to unsustainable palm oil production, logging, agricultural expansion, poaching and illegal hunting.

A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo
A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo
A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo

Bornean orangutans are one of three orangutan species, all of which are critically endangered. Chester Zoo is the only zoo in the UK to care for two of them – the Sumatran and Bornean orangutan.

As one of the planet’s closest living relatives to humans, they play a vital role in maintaining the health of their rainforest ecosystems.

Cat Barton, Policy Lead on Deforestation-free Commodities at Chester Zoo, added: “Chester Zoo has worked with partners in Borneo for more than 20 years to safeguard wild orangutan populations, restore rainforest habitats and tackle the root causes of deforestation.

“Through long-term initiatives like wildlife corridors, community engagement and reducing human-wildlife conflict, we’ve supported efforts that have now helped the area where we work – the Kinabatangan – earn recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This is a huge milestone for our partners at HUTAN and for global conservation.

“Closer to home, we continue to champion the use of sustainably sourced palm oil, encouraging individuals and businesses to make better choices that protect rainforests and the countless species that depend on them.

“With palm oil found in so many everyday products – from biscuits to shampoo – choosing certified sustainable options is one of the simplest, most powerful actions people can take to help wildlife, including orangutans like Leia’s baby.”

Featured image: Chester Zoo

Travel & Tourism

Hardcastle Crags – the prettiest autumn walk in the North West with a great restaurant at the end

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group

This is the time of year where it’s particularly difficult to drag yourself off the sofa and into the great outdoors.

The weather isn’t quite crisp enough to feel festive and most of us (even the pumpkin spice latte, cardigan-clad crew) are missing the more reliable warmth of the summer months.

But autumn is here, like it or not, and it definitely has its perks.

One of which is the undeniable beauty the season brings.

It’s not just the blazing red, orange, yellow and brown leaves that suddenly take over the green spaces around the UK.

It’s also in the sunsets and sunrises that become so much easier to catch while the days are shorter (you have to admit, the commutes are prettier when they coincide with sunrise).

The riverside walk at Hardcastle Crags. Credit: Unsplash

And there aren’t many places better to soak in all the autumn beauty than Hardcastle Crags, just across the border in West Yorkshire.

The National Trust site sits between Leeds and Manchester and is a popular day trip destination for Mancs, given the trains that run regularly to Hebden Bridge.

A walking route around Hardcastle Crags at this time of year will take you through a landscape of blazing orange trees, babbling streams, and dappled sunlight.

When you catch a golden autumnal day the leaves will crunch underfoot, but even on a soggy day the leaf mulch has its own special kind of beauty here.

There are two walking routes between the main car park and Gibson Mill, a former 19th century cotton mill which is now home to a lovely cafe.

One will take you down to the river, where wooden boardwalks weave right along the water’s edge.

There are even stepping stones you can use to scamper across the river – a great Instagram pic, or just a way to keep the kids entertained for a few minutes.

A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group
A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group

The other route goes up through the upper woodland, where pine trees loom and you get a great view of the valley below.

For an easy loop, you can do both – a stroll through the trees, a stop for coffee and cake, then return along the river (or vice versa).

But with 15 miles of footpaths, you can explore way beyond that.

The National Trust’s list of walks includes everything from a wheelchair and pram-accessible estate track to peaceful woodland loops, to rocky scrambles and former railway lines.

And when you’re done with Hardcastle Crags itself, there’s a world-class restaurant in the gorgeous town centre itself.

Coin sits in the shell of the former Lloyd’s bank, with exposed brick and massive period windows, and specialises in natural wine and small plates.

When The Manc Eats visited, we found plates of freshly-cut meat and cheese served alongside ice-cold batched classic cocktails, where ‘quality is key, and it shines through on the plate’.

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Our reviewer said: “With its higgledy-piggledy stone mill houses, surrounding woodland, hidden waterfalls and treasure-trove charity shops, Hebden Bridge is a popular attraction all of its own for those wanting to venture beyond the city. Coin is simply the cherry on top.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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