Chatsworth

Photographer's Note

This is Chatsworth House, one of the most famous stately homes in England, located in Derbyshire in the northern Midlands.

I took this photo the day after my trip to Chesterfield, which I described in my last post. This day I had planned to hitchhike to Sheffield, but I was stopped by heavy rain even before I had got out of the village where I was staying at a farm offering bed and breakfast. I was very disappointed to be stuck in the village most of the day, but late in the afternoon it cleared up and a young couple in their thirties, who were also guests at the farm, offered me to join them for a visit to Chatsworth.

In my diary I only described Chatsworth as a "magnificent castle", but there is nothing to say whether we were inside or just saw it from the gardens. Probably we were just outside. I imagine it was suggested I should take a photo from this point. It looks like a classic view, probably used for many postcards, and hardly a place I would have found on my own.

Chatsworth, as it looks today, was built in the 1550's and has been the home of the Cavendish family ever since.

It is not surprising that Chatsworth has been used in a number of films. Among others it has featured in Pride and Prejudice (2005), featuring Keira Knightley, Barry Lyndon (1975), directed by Stanley Kubrick and the recipient of four Oscars, and Jane Eyre (2011), featuring Mia Wasikowski and Michael Fassbender.

What the movie sites don't mention is that Chatsworth was also the location for a soft porno film (very soft) in the 1960's. I know. I saw it!

It so happened that on my way home from England in 1966 I travelled by train, stopping in a few places including Bremen in West Germany. But leaving Bremen my train to Copenhagen wasn't due until about 2AM, so to kill time while waiting I went to a cinema at the railway station. I think there was a collection of news reels, cartoons and other short films � and a story about a nudist camp at Chatsworth!

Even for a teenage boy (well, young man) it was a ridiculous film, where everyone just happened to be standing behind hedges and all women just happened to be holding a newspaper slightly below their heads. I can't believe there was actually a story, and the film was badly dubbed into German, but it was fun to revisit the gardens of Chatsworth. Maybe I was disappointed that I didn't see any nudists that evening a few weeks earlier.

Here is a larger version. It was scanned from a Kodak Plus-X negative.

papagolf21, pierrefonds, jhm, alvaraalto, alvaraalto, PaulVDV, Energysavingelk, macjake, ikeharel, PiotrF, ChrisJ, jean113, paura, COSTANTINO, worldcitizen has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Fis2 (170669) 2019-09-18 0:40

Witaj Gert!
Such black and white photographs from the archive allow you to go back in time, memories come back.
Curious view.
The footprints on the tree make impressive :(
Good framing and composition.
Well done.
Good morning my friend.
Krzysztof

lousat (139198) 2019-09-18 0:50

Hi Gert.Another beautiful postcard from one of your first trips, in fact they had advised you well, from this point of view the scenery is truly magnificent. I like to read your adventures, this afternoon visit after a rainy morning was certainly interesting, I dare not think instead about how it was the almost porn movie you saw..ehehe .. Regarding my photo, in the park there are two couples of swans, one white and one black, and they are always there, so it is not difficult to photograph them. Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

pajaran (115805) 2019-09-18 1:09

Pozdrav.
Interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lepa reka i drvece, lepa arhitektura u pozadini.
Lep Chatsworth House.
Lepo pokzano u crno beloj tehnici, lepa fotografdija dobijena skeniranjem.
Zelim vam sve najbolje.
Paja.

Greeting.
Interesting and good text ...
Beautiful river and trees, beautiful architecture in the background.
Nice Chatsworth House.
Beautifully displayed in black and white, beautiful photo taken by scanning.
I wish you all the best.

Nicou (193806) 2019-09-18 2:12

Hello

avec ce mur � droit et les inscriptions quelle compo et vue quel bruissement sur le plan d'eau et effet ces branches quelle maison et architecture en fonds qui appara羡 dans ce cadrage profond avec de la perspective superbe compo
Bravo et amiti�
Nicou

rychem (72187) 2019-09-18 2:35

I admire the quality of this analog photo. A very nice composition with branches as a frame, and the the inscriptions on the tree are certainly older than this photo, it only means that people have not became smarter until today :)
regards Ryszard

papagolf21 (152607) 2019-09-18 2:38

Bonjour, cher Gert,
Il est parfois bon de regarder dans le r騁roviseur du pass�, cela ne traduit pas de la nostalgie, mais de premiers 駑ois d'un voyage et de la d馗ouverte.
J'aime cette prise de vue montrant ce tr鑚 beau ch穰eau et cet arbre o� des 黎res ont voulu marquer leurs empreintes de leur passage.
Amiti駸.
Philippe

Silvio1953 (221493) 2019-09-18 3:55

Ciao Gert, fascinating B&W, excellent clarity, and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

mesutilgim (0) 2019-09-18 3:57

Hello dear Gert,
Another topclass "oldie" in your gallery.
A capture/entry with all positive characteristics of the analogue photography.
Enriched with many good and usefull notes.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

pierrefonds (114371) 2019-09-18 4:45

Hi Gert

The length of the river is giving depth to the composition. The point of view is showing some details of the castle. The trees are framing well the catsle. Have a nice day.

Pierre

jhm (211736) 2019-09-18 5:29

Hello Gert,

Also a wonderful mountain panorama, together with the river.
Nice depth and perspective.
Pleasant to look at with the castle very far in background.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

Tue (92312) 2019-09-18 8:25

Hej Gert,
Et smukt billede fra det engelske land, jeg tror ikke at meget vil have 誅dret sig i de sidste 50 蚌 og at det stadig ser stort set det samme ud. Slottet ser ud som et ordentligt engelsk slot b se ud og som man kender fra netop ber (og film, men jeg har kun l誑t berne) som "Stolhed og fordom" of "Jane Eyre". Men det var selvfgelig pudsigt at du skulle se Chatsworth s� snart igen efter beset i 60'erne.
Lars

Gerrit (62042) 2019-09-18 10:03

Hello Gert,
Black and white from the sixtees, marvelous. Did you also worked in your own Dark room?
The tree with the signes carved out is a great foreground and the landscape and castle are beautiful.
Thanks and regards,
Gerrit

Miguel82 (47110) 2019-09-18 11:38

Hello Gert, i m impressed by the photo quality dating from 1966. Chatsworth castle dates from the 16th century, it is surrounded by a vast domain containing a lake, forest and meadows. That countryside setting was used in several films because of its beauty. Excellent pov from a distance, captivating photo note, regards.

GyurMaster (24818) 2019-09-18 11:40

Dear Gert,

Even without naked women, this castle is very spectacular! Not to mention the graved in letter on the tree, which are well-seen due to the graphic elaboration. I'm disappointed however, since you offered bad/ugly BW shots and I got this instead! What comes next?

Best Wishes,
Gy.

emka (158058) 2019-09-18 12:37

Hello Gert, Another splendid note about your adventures in England. This viewpoint is fantastic, the manor looks all in its glory here. I am against writing on the trees, but these signs on the right sight look eyecatching.
Magnificent monument and the garden. I love such places and I saw a few similar ones in England. I have never heard about Chatsworth. It is incredible that such castles have been the home of one family for centuries. But for me another thing is interesting. I checked, that Henry Cavendish, who discovered hydrogen and measured the Earth's density in the famous experiment was from this family.
A place worth visiting.

Kind regards MAlgo

ifege (47993) 2019-09-18 23:03

Hi Gert
Your photos from 1966 in England have lasted better than mine from 1971. I am jealous!
Another good scan of of this distant castle.
Cheers
Ian

alvaraalto (42804) 2019-09-19 3:11

Hello Gert,
Thanks again for a lovely story and a beautiful nostalgic illustration.
Interesting how the small diary notes force you to fill the more than 50 year old past with your memories and imagination.
Did you also carve your initials in that tree because I remember that one usually had a pocket knife with you at the days.
excellent presentation.
Have a nice day, groet Rob

PaulVDV (62846) 2019-09-19 3:25

Hello Gert,
A very good spot to take a picture of Chatsworth House. The picture gives us the impression that you found an opening between trees from where you could catch a glimpse of the house ... although this place was supposedly attended much seen the many notches in the tree trunk.
The weather is indeed a factor that makes traveling in England unpredictable.
Your description of the movie you saw in Bremen reminds me of the pictures of Adam and Eve that I saw as a child in a cathechism book :)
Best regards, Paul

Energysavingelk (7830) 2019-09-19 12:02

Hej Gert!

While looking at this beautiful gem from your archive, I ponder upon the question if today's girls and boys are still capable to carve their initials into some tree as a living memory of what is now or what might have been?

Hilsner fra Tyskland
Sven

macjake (98408) 2019-09-19 13:22

Hi Gert
first of all, let me clarify the location of my post today of the Great Wall in India. Sorry, its not Jaipur, its just outside the city of Udaipur. Udaipur/Jaipur...I got them mixed up. The Wall was constructed to basically protect the Fortress. Still...regardless of its location, its a wall that most people don't know about and its a shame. As for your note and story here, that sounds like a pretty bad movie haha. I know it sounds silly to say, but I'd love to see this view today, wondering if it has changed at all, if there are additional buildings on the landscape there. I'd like to see more of this Chatsworth House if you have more photos. looks very interesting, even from back here. cheers
Craig

mcmtanyel (68421) 2019-09-19 21:02

Hello Gert,
I like your inclusion of the tree trunk with carved initials. Do you remember what camera you were using? 👍🏻👍🏻
Regards,
MT

PiotrF (54572) 2019-09-20 22:58

Hello Gert
Ineresting picture from your archive.
Thank you for informative and interesting note.
Good work, fine presentation
Regards
Piotr

ikeharel (113273) 2019-09-21 2:41

Hello Gert,
The B&W picture added special ambiance to the English countryside, with the large manor near the river.
can only imagine this place on a colors version, and on a contemporary scenery.
Good addition with the tree carved messages on side's.
Wish you a nice weekend,
Ike

Royaldevon (85862) 2019-09-21 4:17

Hello Gert,

This is a very well judged viewpoint.
The carvings add a romantic tinge , whilst the tree anchors the f/g very well and the lake links it to the stately home, strongly situated in the the b/g.

I thumbed a lift to this beautiful, stately home when I was at college!
I know I didn't enter, I was too strapped for cash, but I did explore the grounds where a very attractive village was situated and I remember huge weeping willow trees!

Thanks for the memories,
Bev :-)

ChrisJ (171818) 2019-09-22 2:12

Hi Gert

I like the neatly carved initials in the tree from a bygone era contrasting with the more amateurish scrawls above them. The bg manor provides a good focal point. Tfs!

jean113 (27819) 2019-09-22 4:53

Hello Gert, Chatsworth is one of my very favourite places, although these days we do not live as close as we used to. I have visited it many times.
This is a wonderful shot, you had an excellent 'eye' even then.
The carved initials on the tree, although I do not approve, nevertheless adds to the scene.
I like the black and white, I know you had no choice, but it concentrates our eyes on all the features.
Kind regards, Jean.

carlo62 (81265) 2019-09-25 6:26

Ciao Gert
forse tra le scritte sull'albero c'� anche qualcosa di quelle signorine nude!!!
La vista � sicuramente classica, probabilmente ti hanno suggerito dove fare la foto, in ogni caso ai realizzato bene la foto.
Saluti

paura (25802) 2019-09-26 4:40

Gert,
Gostei de sua composi鈬o tirando bom proveito dos detalhes no primeiro plano e a eficiente profundidade de campo para mostrar o castelo ao fundo. As 疊uas parecem conduzir nossa vis縊 para o todo da foto.

Abra輟

Paulo

jemaflor (147046) 2019-09-26 23:50

Hi Gert,
Interesting old photo,well framed and balanced with perspective and FG on the right side, good focal point with this castle, tfs.

saxo042 (38078) 2019-09-27 5:45

Hej Gert,
ocks� denna blats beste vi v蚌 v蚌 resa 蚌et fe, dock utan egen kamera. Den h舐 bilden skulle jag ha tagit sj舁v, i s� fall
H舁sningar
Gunnar

COSTANTINO (116405) 2019-09-27 22:21

Hello dear Gert
when I see photos from the past
I am feeling very sad
Unfortunately the time passed
but we are still alive
and this is very important
interesting capture as always
regards
Costantino

worldcitizen (16048) 2019-09-29 16:28

Hello Gert,
I always enjoy reading your notes. :-) Sorry the film about the nudist camp was a bit too dull for you. ;-) I like this view, and the tree in the foreground really grabs my attention. Of course the countryside and castle are also very nice. :-)

kasianowak (17676) 2019-10-02 4:37

It does look like a famous viewpoint indeed, with the composition including the river in the foreground and the frame of trees and leafy branches.
It must have been fun (regardless of the quality of the movie here mentioned) to unexpectedly see the place you had recently visited on a silver screen in Germany on the way home. :-)

jmdias (115072) 2019-10-02 16:35

gert
curious as you included the letters in the bark of a tree in foreground. we can see the distant shapes of the castle ahead.

take care
jorge