Chatsworth

A dull, grey but magnificently autumnal day in Derbyshire's Peak District. This is the river Derwent . . .

. . . here running placidly by Chatsworth House, home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Chatsworth is one of England's finest stately homes. On the right you can see the Emperor Fountain, designed by Joseph Paxton in 1844. This was a massive construction project, and involved the creation of a lake on high ground behind the garden to supply the water pressure. It was finished in only six months. It was built for the impending visit of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, but in the end he never came. In its day this was the world's highest fountain; in the photo it's only at minimal flow.

Chatsworth House between two oak trees in seasonal foliage.

Behind these splendid copper-leaved trees lies James Paine's Three Arch Bridge . . . 

. . . based on a Roman design.

Looking back at the river Derwent and the Chatsworth estate . . .

Leaving Chatsworth through Stand Wood, we approached a gate leading to a moorland access path . . .

. . . from where we admired this superb view across the Derwent valley . . .