Kedleston Hall

Kedleston Hall is a stately home near Derby which is the seat of Lord Scarsdale and the Curzon family. They still live in one wing of the house, but the rest is open to the public, as is the huge estate surrounding the hall. The house was commissioned in 1759 and the original village of Kedleston was moved to make way for it. The only surviving bit of the village is the church right next to the hall.

The designer, Robert Adam, was little known when he was employed by Nathanial Curzon, but went on to be one of the most successful and fashionable architects of his time. Kedleston Hall is split into two wings, linked to the main state rooms by curving corridors. At the heart of the central part of the house is the Saloon with its incredible domed roof – make sure you spend some time looking up! This is linked to the stunning Marble Hall (pictured below) and together they made notable entertainment space.

Further rooms connected to the hall allowed for even more entertaining space. The most notable of these is the Drawing Room (pictured below), but we liked the library which is accessed off the Saloon. You can imagine that its function has changed over the years. When the house was used for entertaining, the gentlemen may well have retired here to discuss politics and travel but as the house became more of a family home, the library became the place to research, read and study. It now contains a fascinating reading chair for instance. Other rooms on this floor of Kedleston Hall include the Music Room which is housed in one of the curved corridors.

The lower floor of the house had mixed purposes. The kitchens (now a restaurant) were located here, along with more relaxed rooms for the family to use. There’s a billiards room, which is again well stocked with books, and an entrance hall which has numerous support columns for the heavy marble hall above. The highlight for us on this floor though was the museum. The items in this room were collected by George Nathanial Curzon who inherited the Hall in 1916. He travelled extensively across Asia and in 1899 became the Viceroy of India, making him the highest British representative in colonial India. On display are cultural items from places like Turkey, Japan, Nepal and of course India. Our 8 year old loved the collection of weapons in particular – he was obsessed with the spears!

Outside, the hall is set in a large working estate. You can call into the church before visiting the formal garden with its historic statues and an Orangery. Beyond that are the huge stables and stable yard. Then, there’s a 7 mile circular walk around the perimeter of the woodland to take on with terrific countryside views in places. There’s a shorter version too where you cut across the parkland and dodge the sheep poo to get back to the house. Whichever walk you do, make sure you get to see the ‘hermitage’ which is a sort of thatched ‘fairy house’ not far up the pathway from the hall.

Kedleston Hall estate is open all year round, but the house isn’t always open in the winter months. House opening times also vary depending on the time of year. Adult admission to the house, park and gardens is £18 (2024 prices). You can also pay just to visit the parkland. Admission is free for National Trust members.