Chatsworth House Pilots Free Entry Scheme “Society Membership” | legacy

When Kate, a 47-year-old contract worker, came face to face with Charlotte Brontë’s handwriting during her visit to Chatsworth House, the avid reader, who counts Jane Eyre as her favorite book, struggled to contain her excitement.

“I’ve had some time,” she said. “I just thought: ‘Wow, that was actually what Charlotte Brontë was writing there on that page.’ That was very special.

This was her first visit inside Chatsworth House. Although she has lived just 90 minutes from the stately home for two decades, the cost of entry has long been a barrier.

“We’ve been to Chatsworth before just to walk around the beautiful grounds,” she said. “But going to the house and gardens is something we’ve never done as a family before.”

Kate, her husband and their two children are among the first to benefit from a pilot scheme aimed at expanding access to one of Britain’s most famous country houses. Through her longstanding membership of Swadlincote Library in Derbyshire, she borrowed a free seven-day Chatsworth Community Membership Card which gave her family free entry to the estate.

The initiative, launched by Chatsworth House Trust in collaboration with Derbyshire Libraries, allows groups of up to eight people to visit the house, gardens and grounds at no cost. The pilot program comes amid a rising cost of living crisis that is forcing families to prioritize basic necessities, putting many cultural experiences out of their reach.

Jane Marriott, director of Chatsworth House Trust, said the charity wanted to “share Chatsworth with as many people as possible”, adding that the partnership with Derbyshire Libraries would expand access to the estate and “champion the value of reading for pleasure”.

With two copies issued to each library, community membership passes have been borrowed a total of 110 times from the 10 libraries participating in the scheme since its launch last month, and have quickly become the most frequently borrowed item.

“The house itself is so luxurious and beautiful,” Kate said. “For me, the best part was walking around the places you recognize from TV and movie adaptations. I felt like I’d been there before because I’d seen it on screen. Standing next to the statues and seeing inside the rooms was very special.”

As well as the historic interiors, Kate loved the House of Stories: Tales from Chatsworth Library, an exhibition featuring rare books, manuscripts and letters. “There’s also a letter from Charles Dickens. It was really beautiful,” she said. “I would pull my family back and say, ‘Look, this is really important.’

The Chatsworth House Trust hopes the library permit will become a model for expanding access to heritage sites across the country. “Making this type of place more accessible is a great idea,” she said. “Instead of saying, ‘It’s a free day, everyone comes,’ and then it becomes chaos because it’s so busy, the borrowing system means it’s just a normal day. You can choose the day, plan your own visit, and go when you want.”

“Everyone who joins the waiting list gets a turn, which is great,” she added.

Councilor Alan Greaves, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said the authority was “extremely proud” to partner with Chatsworth in what he described as an “innovative pilot program” that would help residents who “may not get the opportunity to enjoy all that Chatsworth has to offer”.

“My kids are teenagers now and it’s not easy to find an activity that we all want to do together. But we had a great day together,” Kate said.

“We have so many lovely memories and pictures of all of us walking around in the sunshine, in the beautiful gardens, and having little picnics. It’s the kind of thing my children will really remember when they grow up.”