Chatsworth
There was an interesting article about the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire in the 11/6/10 New York Times. The article describes how the death tax impacted the estate, and the Duchess’s notable efforts to make the upkeep of the modern country house estate sustainable.
Of particular interest is that the Duchess now lives in the former vicarage in Edensor village on the 35,000 acre Chatsworth estate. Much of the original village was demolished over successive garden renovations to improve the view from Chatsworth house and entry drive. Around 1840, Joseph Paxton pulled down the portion of the village east of the park drive and created a model village in its place. The removal or relocation of settlements to improve a view from the country house was not uncommon. More anon.
