Recent record-breaking temperatures and prolonged dry weather have dramatically revealed the hidden outline of a spectacular 17th-century formal garden beneath the South Lawn at Chatsworth House, England, offering a rare glimpse into one of the estate’s earliest landscape designs.
Known as ‘The Great Parterre’, the elaborate ornamental garden was created around 1699 for the 1st Duke of Devonshire to complement the newly completed South Front of Chatsworth House. Measuring approximately 473 feet by 227 feet, the formal arrangement of flower beds, gravel paths and intricate swirling patterns reflected the grand garden style that dominated late 17th-century Europe.
The historic layout was removed around 1730 during a redesign commissioned by the 3rd Duke of Devonshire, when the parterre was covered over and replaced with a new landscape design.
This summer’s exceptionally hot and dry conditions have temporarily brought the lost garden back into view. The contrast has appeared because the grass covering the former flower beds and pathways has shallower root systems than the surrounding areas, causing it to dry out and brown more rapidly during periods of intense heat and drought. The resulting crop marks have revealed the intricate geometry of the original garden beneath the lawn.
An engraving of Chatsworth produced by Leonard Knyff and Johannes Kip in 1709 depicts the Great Parterre in its original form, providing a striking comparison with the patterns now emerging naturally on the estate.
Climate Trends Behind the Discovery
Weather monitoring equipment within the Chatsworth Garden recorded temperatures exceeding 30°C during May, June and July, following an unusually warm and dry spring.
Compared with long-term climate averages for Derbyshire and the East Midlands, Chatsworth experienced 33% more sunshine, totalling 530.8 hours, while rainfall fell to 108.2mm—around 32% below average.
The estate’s highest recorded temperature remains 38.1°C, measured on 26 July 2022 on the Salisbury Lawn during the UK’s record-breaking heatwave. Before that, the previous highest temperature at Chatsworth had been 34.4°C, recorded in 1911.
Although the 2022 heatwave remains the most extreme event on record, weather data collected since then points to a broader climatic trend characterised by increasingly sunny springs, extended dry spells and occasional periods of intense rainfall.
Adapting to a Changing Climate
As climate patterns change in Britain, Chatsworth’s garden team is making efforts to increase the resilience of the historic landscape. This means increasing organic matter in the soil to improve the soil structure, water infiltration, and the ground’s moisture retention during long dry periods while reducing surface runoff during heavy rainfall.
The unexpected reappearance of the Great Parterre not only lays bare the rich archaeological record beneath Chatsworth’s lawns but also shows how changing climate conditions are revealing what is hidden in Britain’s historic landscapes.
Sources : Chatsworth House
