Chatsworth House has launched a pilot scheme offering free community membership passes through Derbyshire Libraries, allowing groups of up to eight people to visit the house, gardens, and grounds at no cost. The initiative, run by Chatsworth House Trust in partnership with Derbyshire Libraries, aims to widen access to cultural experiences and champion reading for pleasure.
First beneficiaries of the pilot
Kate, a 47-year-old contract worker from Swadlincote, was among the first to benefit. Despite living just 90 minutes from Chatsworth for two decades, the cost of admission had long been a barrier. Through her library membership, she borrowed a free seven-day community membership card, enabling her family to enter the estate for the first time. “We’ve been to Chatsworth before just to have a walk around the grounds, which are beautiful,” she said. “But going into the house and the gardens is something we’ve never done before as a family.”
Scheme details and impact
Each of the 10 participating libraries holds two community membership passes. Since the pilot launched last month, the passes have been borrowed 110 times, making them the most borrowed items in those libraries. The scheme comes amid the cost of living crisis, which has forced many families to prioritize basic necessities over cultural experiences.
Jane Marriott, director of Chatsworth House Trust, said the charity wanted to “share Chatsworth with as many people as possible” and that the partnership would “champion the value of reading for pleasure.”
Visitor experience
During her visit, Kate was particularly moved by an exhibition featuring rare books, manuscripts, and letters, including Charlotte Brontë’s handwriting and a letter from Charles Dickens. “I had a little bit of a moment,” she said. “I just thought: ‘Wow, that was actually Charlotte Brontë’s writing there on that page.’ That was pretty special.” She also enjoyed exploring rooms recognizable from TV and film adaptations, noting that the house itself is “so opulent and beautiful.”
Future potential
Chatsworth House Trust hopes the library pass could become a model for widening access to heritage sites across the country. Kate praised the scheme for avoiding overcrowding: “Rather than saying: ‘It’s a free day, everybody come,’ and then it’s chaos because it’s too busy, a borrow scheme means it’s just an ordinary day. You can pick the day, plan your own visit and go when you like. Everybody who joins the queue gets a turn, which is brilliant.”
Councillor Alan Graves, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said the authority was “extremely proud” to partner with Chatsworth on this “innovative pilot programme” that would help residents who “might not otherwise get the opportunity to enjoy all that Chatsworth has to offer.”
