The Peak District

The next morning, I didn't want to get out of bed, and I certainly wasn't eager to leave our incredible room. It was the first morning that we allowed ourselves to sleep in a bit which meant we didn't head out until 11. Bliss!

As a huge Pride and Prejudice fan, I really wanted to visit "Pemberley," Mr. Darcy's estate, which, yes, I realize, is fictional. The first stately home we visited was Chatsworth, which was used as Pemberley in the 2005 Keira Knightley version. Chatsworth is actually mentioned in Pride and Prejudice as one of the homes Elizabeth Bennet visits with her aunt and uncle while they are visiting Derbyshire prior to their stop at Pemberley.

Unfortunately, the front was covered with scaffolding because it was being restored/repaired. Bummer.

This is what the front exterior is supposed to look like:

This is what it looked like when we were there--disappointing.

The inside, however, was amazing. This is the foyer. The Duchess of Devonshire claims that the house is so big that the family still gets lost sometimes.

My favorite spot was the library, and I also recognized the sculpture room from the film.

After touring the interior, we walked around the extensive gardens. We really could've spent all day there, they were so huge. It was beautiful.

I kind of had an obsession with sheep and cows. You'd have thought I wasn't from Lancaster County.

After spending a couple hours there, we headed out to Lyme Hall, which was about an hour away. As far as I'm concerned, Lyme Hall is the "real" Pemberley since it was used in the BBC version, and I was praying hard that it, too, wasn't being cleaned or renovated. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry. It was there in all it's amazing glory. I LOVED being there, walking where Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy walked. (Yes, I do know they're not real people.) Due to time constraints, we didn't bother going through the house, but rather opted to roam around the grounds instead. Once again, the gardens were beautiful--especially the roses, which smelled amazing!

This was a hunting tower on the property outside Lyme Hall. 

Lyme Hall

I couldn't resist reading a little Pride and Prejudice while I was there.

When Lyme Hall closed for the day, we decided it was time to find Ged and Vicky's house outside of Manchester. We arrived around 6:30 or so--just in time to visit with some of their friends in their allotment, or plot of land that they use as a garden. They were very friendly, and we had a nice visit before we headed back to Ged and Vicky's for raclette. We were exhausted by the time we rolled into bed around midnight, but it was great to catch up.