Elvaston is a historic grade II* listed estate on the edge of the city of Derby. At the heart of the estate is a Victorian gothic house, the ‘Castle’ with origins dating back to the medieval period.  

The house is surrounded by nationally significant gardens which form the most complete example of gardener William Barron’s pioneering work. Today the estate comprises some 300 acres woodlands, parkland and formal gardens for the public to explore.

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​The original manor house was built for the latter Sir John Stanhope in 1633 and redesigned and extended in a grand Gothic Revival style by James Wyatt in the early 19th century.

 

The Stanhope family became the Earls of Harrington in the mid-18th century and Elvaston as we know it began to take shape. The 4th Earl of Harrington and his wife, Maria Foote, brough a theatrical flair to the estate, still visible in the interior design and garden features such as the Moorish Temple. William Barron designed the gardens and is, we believe, one of the unsung heroes of British garden design and equal to other famous horticulturists such as Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton. In collaboration with the 4th Earl of Harrington, his ground breaking approach to evergreen planting and tree transplantation made Elvaston a true rose in Britain's gardening crown. The Stanhopes stayed at Elvaston until the onset of World War II.

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​During the War, Elvaston Castle housed a Teachers’ Training College.  In 1964 the estate was first put up for sale.  Ultimately the estate was purchased by an aggregates consortium. ​After a number of failed attempts to gain planning permission to demolish the Castle and extract aggregates from the site, the consortium sold the estate to Derbyshire County Council. Elvaston was opened as the first Country Park in England in 1970.

 

Derbyshire County Council have worked to keep Elvaston open and accessible to the public. The Elvaston Castle & Gardens Trust is proud to be working with Derbyshire County Council to ensure a sustainable future for Elvaston, currently focusing on volunteering, community engagement and heritage events. 

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You can read more about the estate's history in our Guidebook and our book 'William Barron: The Victorian Landscape Gardener' - both available in our Shop. We also run Open House, House Tours and Garden Tours, details of which can be found on our What's On page. 

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We're now home to not only the castle, formal gardens and country park, but also a wonderful Local Nature Reserve. Our recently released Nature Reserve Guide is also available in our Shop - great for kids and adults alike.

 

We run Events throughout the year and work with local communities and organisations to make this space open and engaging for as many as possible. Learn more on our Get Involved page.