Elvaston

Elvaston Castle Country Park opened to the public in 1970. It was the first of its kind in Britain and spans more than 200 acres of woodland, parkland and fascinating formal gardens. At the heart of the park is the Elvaston Castle which, despite its name, is really a country house. Today, due to its need for restoration, the castle is only occasionally open to the public. The magnificent Gothic castle seen today was designed by James Wyatt and built about 1817 for the 3rd Earl of Harrington. It is now owned by Derbyshire County Council, who are considering turning it into a hotel and golf complex, though there is a campaign to stop this happening and keep the castle in public hands.

Though the building itself is strikingly handsome, it is, perhaps, the grounds which make Elvaston Castle famous. They were originally laid out and designed for the 4th Earl by William Barron. Barron, who was born in Berwickshire in 1805, started work in 1830 on what, at first, appeared to be an impossible task. The 4th Earl wanted a garden ‘second to none’, but the land available, which had never been landscaped, was flat, water-logged and uninspiring with just two avenues of trees and a walled kitchen garden (but no greenhouses or hot houses). First draining the land, Barron then planted trees to offer shelter to more tender plants. From there the project grew.

In order to stock the gardens, Barron began a programme of propagation of rarer tree species and, along with the tree-planting methods he developed specially to deal with Elvaston’s problems, his fame spread. The gardens became a showcase of rare and interesting trees, many to be found nowhere else in Britain. Barron continued to work for the 5th Earl, but resigned in 1865 to live in nearby Borrowash and set up his own nursery.

As well as fine formal gardens and the walled kitchen garden, there are gentle woodland walks and, of course, the man-made lake. However, no visit to Elvaston would be complete without a walk down to the Golden Gates. Erected in 1819 at the southern end of the formal gardens, the gates were brought from the Palace of Versailles by the 3rd Earl of Harrington. Little is known of the gates’ history, but they remain a fine monument and are the symbol of Elvaston. Around the courtyard of the castle can be found a restaurant as well as an information centre and well-stocked gift shop. All manner of activities take place from the castle, which can provide details. Elvaston Country Park is at present open to the public from dawn to dusk. Admission is free though a small car parking fee applies.