Chatsworth House water feature gets £4.6m boost

The cascade was built in the gardens of Chatsworth more than 325 years ago

A historic water feature at Derbyshire's Chatsworth Estate is set to spring back into life after a flow of funding was secured.

Chatsworth House Trust, the charity maintaining the house, garden, parkland and collections at the estate, has been awarded £4.6m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for the restoration of the historic cascade feature, built more than 325 years ago.

It described the award as "a significant milestone" in its campaign to "fully restore a Grade I listed landmark that has both national and international importance".

The grant - which the trust applied for earlier this year - will also fund a new "learning and audience development programme" for the garden.

The feature has proven popular with visitors to the garden

Chatsworth House Trust described the cascade - a feature that sees water running down a series of stone steps in its garden - as "a significant feat of engineering and nature-inspired design that has delighted generations of visitors".

The water has been switched off as it is now urgently in need of repair due to severe water damage and structural decline.

In total the cost of the repair project is estimated to be £7.5m.

The trust says it will raise the remaining funds of about £1m for the project from ticket sales, memberships and support from donors.

The repairs will allow the water to flow down the cascading steps once more

Jane Marriott, director of Chatsworth House Trust, said they were "incredibly grateful" to receive the grant.

"In caring for the house, garden, collections and parkland, we can continue to undertake vital restoration, while delivering on new initiatives for visitors and our communities," she said.

"We have already made meaningful progress, and public fundraising will continue to play a crucial role in enabling the Chatsworth House Trust charity to deliver this important project."

Liz Bates, NLHF area director for the Midlands and East, said: "Chatsworth's cascade is beloved by many, as the strength of public fundraising efforts shows."