Exploring Derbyshire

Sharon Lathan

Sharon Lathan is the best-selling author of The Darcy Saga, a ten-volume sequel series to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.

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Geo Swan

I’ve noticed that many Jane Austen inspired novels seem to misinterpret what P&P said about Pemberley’s size. Paraphrasing from memory… P&P says the path around Pemberley’s Park is 10 miles long. I am sure that “Park”, in this context, refers to the decorative and recreational portion of the estate, forests and gardens, and so on. Outside of this I believe would lie the acres put to agricultural use.

Okay, looking below, one of your correspondents found that Chatsworth was once 83,000 acres. If Chatsworth’s Park was of similar size to Pemberley’s the ratio of the decorative and recreational part of the estate, to the working agricultural part, would be about 1 to 15.

Jane Austen’s brother Edward inherited Chawton, and one or two other estates from childless Aunt and Uncle Knight. I’ve seen pictures of Chawton, from those pictures it seems considerably more modest than the estates the movies used to stand in for Pemberley. I find that odd, because I read that Jane Austen’s brother Edward’s income was 15,000 pounds a year — ie 1.5 times Darcy’s income.

Maybe it takes generations to make a mansion as beautiful was Chatworth?

Jane may not have known Edward was more wealthy than Darcy. Maybe he never shared his actual income with his relatives?

Beate Dobbratz

Like the Photo of Elizabeth at Stanage Edge. It’s the only angle to take this shot. If you’re standing there, there’s a huge and ugly Gravel plant or something like that in direct view. Hope Valley is my favorite in the Peak District, but I like Castleton and Mam Tor or Bakewell, Haddon Hall, Chatsworth, Bolsover Castle etc very much. Hope to read soon a new book, Sharon!

Sharon Legg

Fascinating!! I’m always amazed at the amount of research that goes into these books. And I love reading about it. Love the photos you have provided. What a lovely area.

Jennie Ball-Foster

Derbyshire is a beautiful county. We live just outside in the neighbouring county and my daughter lives in Glossop so I am familiar with many of the place names you mention in your books. It’s fun trying to work out exactly where you have located Pemberley!! Anyway, good luck with the writing which I understand you have started again.

Gianna Thomas

If the stats from Wikipedia are correct, Chatsworth once had about 83,000 acres. Death duties in 1950 created a problem with an 80% death duty: either turn the estate over to the English government or sell off acreage and some artwork which is what the Duke of Devonshire did. Last figures I have are 35,000 acres total after Inland Revenue was satisfied, but that may have been cut more in the intervening years

Gianna Thomas

You’re welcome, Sharon. Yes, it is a good percentage. I don’t have my Darcys that wealthy but have given my current one 50,000+ acres in my latest book. As to Charlotte’s comment, possibly Jane Austen had her exaggerating a little. 🙂

Gianna Thomas

And, thank you, for the info on Derbyshire. I’ll be using some of it for future books.

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