Dry weather reveals 17th century garden at Chatsworth House
A 17th century formal garden hidden under a lawn at Chatsworth House has been revealed due to dry weather conditions.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The prolonged dry weather this summer has revealed the outline of a 17th century formal garden hidden beneath the lawn at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. The garden, known as the Great Parterre, was created by the first Duke of Devonshire in 1699. It featured ornate gravel pathways and intricate flower bed patterning. However, it lasted only 30 years before the third Duke of Devonshire had it turfed over in the 18th century, considering it out of fashion.
Now, after nearly 300 years, the ghost of that garden has re-emerged. The dry conditions have caused the grass to die and burn unevenly. The areas covering the old flower beds and pathways have much shallower root systems, which denied the grass nutrients and moisture. This has revealed the intricate geometry of the original design, including a large central path and detailed swirls.
A spokesperson for Chatsworth described it as a wonderful opportunity to see a layer of history that is not normally visible. The phenomenon is not unique to Chatsworth. Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, has also posted pictures of parchmarks revealing an even grander parterre buried since the 1760s. In North Wales, the same dry weather has exposed practice trenches from the First World War, where deeper areas stayed green in the parched landscape. Archaeologists have even discovered an Iron Age farmstead with distinctive double ditches for the first time, providing new data that changes understanding of the ancient landscape.
When rain eventually returns, these traces of history will sink back into the soil. But with droughts becoming more common, such unearthing of secrets is likely to continue without even scratching the surface.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| A garden created in 1699 and covered over after 30 years was revealed by dry weather, but the traces will disappear when it rains. | |
| Dry conditions led to the discovery of an Iron Age farmstead with double ditches. | |
| Dry weather exposed World War I practice trenches in North Wales. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This broadcast focused on the local story at Chatsworth House, presenting it as a charming historical curiosity brought to light by the dry weather. The tone was light and descriptive, with the reporter explaining the science behind the parchmarks and the garden's history. It did not include the wider context of other sites or archaeological discoveries.
- “It is a rare glimpse of what was the Great Parterre, created by the first Duke of Devonshire in 1699, but which lasted just 30 years when his grandson turfed it over.”
- “It's a wonderful opportunity to see a layer of history that we don't normally get to see here.”
- “It's happened because some parts of the lawn have dried out and burned more quickly than others. That's because the areas covering the old flower beds and pathways have much shallower root systems, denying the grass nutrients and moisture.”
This broadcast used the Chatsworth story as a lead-in to a broader report on how dry weather is revealing hidden historical features across the UK. It included additional examples from Blenheim Palace, World War I trenches in North Wales, and an Iron Age farmstead. The tone was more expansive and historical, linking the phenomenon to archaeological research and climate change.
- “Not to be outdone, Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill, has also now posted pictures of parchmarks revealing arguably an even grander patere buried since the 1760s.”
- “It's even allowed archaeologists to discover this Iron Age farmstead with its distinctive double ditches for the first time.”
- “When it does eventually rain, these traces of history will sink back into the soil, but with droughts becoming more common, it is unearthing secrets without us even scratching the surface.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.