Chatsworth House to reopen after £32 million restoration

Chatsworth House is set to reopen to visitors following the biggest restoration of the Derbyshire stately home and gardens in almost 200 years.

The £32million project has taken 10 years to complete - rebuilding turrets, replacing vast sections of lead roofing, renewing carvings, replacing masonry and restoring priceless artwork.

It will be officially reopened to visitors on Saturday, with the launch of a special 'Chatsworth Renewed' exhibition detailing the work undertaken. It will run from March to October.

The project was launched after a structural survey in 2004 revealed extensive work was needed to preserve the 300-room building for the next 100 years.

The land was bought by the Cavendish family for £600 in 1549 and the first house on the site was built in 1552.

It has been renovated and expanded through the years, passing through the hands of 16 generations of the Cavendish family.

The Chatsworth House Trust was set up in 1981 to ensure the long-term survival of the house and its collection of artwork.