Pemberley

Chatsworth House
Derbyshire, England

It took all day to drive from Perthshire back to London, but to break up the drive we stopped in the Peak District, at Chatsworth House. This is one of those grand British houses leftover from another time. The house is still owned by the 12th Duke of Devonshire, a peer of the realm. This is the kind of house in which girls dreaming of being Mrs. Darcy want to live. It’s fitting then that the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie used Chatsworth at the set for Pemberley—Mr. Darcy’s home. There is also rumor that Jane Austen modeled Pemberley on Chatsworth when she was writing Pride and Prejudice.

The library at Chatsworth House
Derbyshire, England

I’ve seen the 2005 movie a lot, so I knew the house would be big, but standing before it, I was still amazed at its size. I couldn’t believe that it all belonged to one family—and I’ve been to several castles and palaces. Maybe that’s the problem; this building was palatial, but it was referred to as a house. At least with all the servants and generations living there, it can’t be called a single family home.

Bust of Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Darcy
Chatsworth House
Derbyshire, England

We were walking through my imagination; wandering the house, grounds, and gardens. It was a welcome break from the car. I particularly enjoyed seeing vistas from the movie, and there was a prop—a bust of Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Darcy—in the gift shop. The staff around the property was all very friendly and helpful; they were well educated on their surroundings and they could answer questions or participate in discussions about the artifacts or their owners with ease. Furthermore, the Peak district is a beautiful area and driving through it was a pleasure.

Useful Links!

Pictures from Our Trip!

Chatsworth House Visitor Information

Pride and Prejudice at Chatsworth House

Chawton Cottage

Winchester Cathedral
Winchester, England

Our journey back to London from the beach took us by Winchester, and we stopped for a quick visit. This was a very cute town, and it reminded me of home. Chagrin Falls with a cathedral and some ruined castles.

Winchester Cathedral is a typical British cathedral from the outside, and probably inside too, but we weren’t willing to pay £8 each to find out. That’s approximately $12 a person to visit a church, and we felt that was a bit steep, so we admired it from the outside only. Inside is the burial place of Jane Austen, a very itinerant writer; many English places have a Jane claim to fame. Winchester is her final resting place, and it was here she spent the final weeks of her life.

King Arthur's Round Table

Winchester seems to house many remains, including the remains of King Arthur’s legendary round table. While the identity and reality of King Arthur are sometimes questioned, this round table is real and round, though it is no longer a table. The table was carbon dated, and is from the 13th or 14th century, so it is not actually a relic of the mythical king. The legs have been removed, and it is hanging in the Castle Winchester Great Hall overlooking all of Winchester. The Great Hall is all that remains of the Castle Winchester and it was originally used for legal purposes. King Henry VIII had it painted in its current colors. At the other end of the hall is a giant, vining mural of royalty and Hampshire members of Parliament since the 1200s.

Ancient plumbing isn't pretty.
Wolvesey Castle
Winchester, England

Back at the bottom of the hill were the remains of Wolvesey Castle, a Bishop’s castle from the 1100s. The rooms were quite spacious, and the ruined walls stood out against the sky. Bishop Henry of Blois also had indoor plumbing—a marvel in his day, but a bit of a cesspool now.

Wolvesey Castle Ruins
Winchester, England

When we finished imagining what was once a beautiful castle, we returned to Main Street for dinner. My sister and Joe wanted to check out a restaurant we walked by earlier that smelled good. The previous night we had eaten at a pub near Temple Tube Station that had the best onion rings. We were on an onion kick. The two were shocked when the menu didn’t have onion rings. I should explain . . . they had onions on the brain and thought the place was called Onion Jack’s. It was actually called Union Jack’s, like slang term for the British flag. Since they didn’t have any rings, we moved onto the next destination: Chawton.

Winchester was where Jane Austen died, and Chawton was where she lived and where she wrote. While Austen was living in Chawton Cottage, Sense and Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma were all published. Her former home has been converted into a museum and gift shop, but these were closed when arrived. But for me, it was enough just to see the place where she wrote. I’ve read some of her letters and the village and houses were exactly as she described. I also liked thinking that the town provided her with people to study and helped her create her own characters that continue to inspire and captivate.

Chawton Cottage
Now the Jane Austen House Museum
Chawton, England

The onion twins were also satisfied. Across the street was the village pub The Greyfriar. They each ordered a side of onion rings with their meal. When my turn to order came, I asked about the soup of the day since I was feeling sick. The soup was potato and leek, and being unsure about what exactly leeks were, I asked, “Those are like onions, right?” At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but Joe pointed out that since all 3 of us ordered onion rings, it looked like we wanted onions on everything, and the waitress probably thought we were all crazy. My favorite part of being in the UK though, besides the onions, was all the cider! On tap! In bottles! Flavored! Subtle! LOVED IT!

We were seated right next to the fireplace, and we got to observe the people of Chawton in their local pub. Our waitress owned the place with her husband, and they had a giant dog. This guy was about 3 feet tall and very shaggy; he reminded me of a Muppet. When we finished, we reluctantly returned to the hustle and bustle of London.

Useful Links!

Pictures from Our Trip!

Winchester Cathedral

Castle Winchester Great Hall

Wolvesey Castle

Union Jack’s Pub Menu

History of the Union Jack (The British Flag)

Jane Austen House Museum

Jane Austen House Museum Online Shop - Where You Can Buy a Facsimile of the 1st Edition of Sense and Sensibility

The Greyfriar Pub in the Village of Chawton