Description: Kedleston Hall is a classical Palladian mansion built 1759-65 for Sir Nathaniel Curzon, whose family had lived in the area since the 12th century.
Initially built by Mathew Brettingham, reworks were by James Paine. The construction was then taken over by the Scottish architect and designer, Robert Adam who was responsible for the south facing front and the most complete and least-altered sequence of Robert Adam interiors in England.
The state rooms have retained their great collections of paintings and original furniture. The Eastern Museum houses a range of objects collected by Lord Curzon when Viceroy of India (1899-1905).
The property is now part of the National Trust, although the Scarsdale family (Curzons) still have residence there.
The church is all that is left of the village of Kedleston which was removed a mile down the road to allow for the landscaping of the park. There are 800 acres of open parkland with elegant views of the lakes (the lakes are supplied with water from Cutler Brook), cascades and the classical three-arched Adam bridge which was built in 1770-71. The long drive from the great arched gateway of Adam's north lodge runs through his idealised landscaped parkland.
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.