Elvaston Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Elvaston Castle is a stately home in Derbyshire, south-east of Derby, on the floodplain of the River Derwent. Despite its name, it is not a medieval fortress but a country house transformed in the 19th century into a Gothic Revival castle in the Tudor taste, surrounded by a vast landscaped estate. The house retains a core dated 1633 and elements from the early 18th century. The Stanhopes, owners since the 16th century and later Earls of Harrington, had it remodelled from 1815-1817 to designs by James Wyatt, carried out by Robert Walker, and then enriched in the 1830s with an east front attributed to L. N. Cottingham. The site is above all famous for its gardens, created between 1830 and 1851 by William Barron for the 4th Earl, who lived there in seclusion after his marriage to the actress Maria Foote. Sold by the Stanhopes in the 1960s, the estate was acquired by Derbyshire County Council in 1969 and became a public park in 1970.