Attractions like the world-famous Winter Wonderland dominate the UK’s Christmas market scene, but they are often expensive to visit and very crowded. Nestled in the scenic Peak District and a short drive from Sheffield and Manchester is a magnificent stately home that holds a smaller, free Christmas market every year.

Popular tour agency Shearings reccomends this “sparkling Christmas Market”, and suggests visitors also check out the “wonderfully decorated” stately home, which boasts “lavishly decorated state rooms” prepared to a different theme every year.

Chatsworth House hosts 100 stalls with seasonal food and drink and live music. The market runs from the 4th to the 8th December, and offers a range of stocking fillers including bespoke decorations, handmade crafts.

One tripadvisor user praised the house’s easy parking, and said visiting the market was “a good day out, nestled in beautiful countryside and a delight to see deer roaming the grounds.”

Chatsworth House is a day trip away from many major cities – just over two hours by train from London, and 1.5 hours from Manchester.

While the Christmas market is free, parking does cost up to £10 per vehicle, and entrance to the house during Christmas is £36 for adults and £10 for children. Garden entry for an adult is £24, and £12 for a child. Parking might seem steep, but this could still be a far cheaper trip than visiting any of the UK’s big city Christmas markets. In Manchester Christmas Market, one stall sold plastic wine glasses for £29 each.

Chatsworth House is still lived in by the Devonshire family, and has been handed down through 17 generations. It boasts a huge array of impressive rooms filled with rare art, and currently has an “Enchanted Garden” with light trails to celebrate the Christmas period. Enchanted Garden is this year’s theme for the house, to celebrate “the beauty and resilience of the natural world.”

The nearby villages of Baslow and Edensor are hidden gems with independent shops and charming accomodation options in cottages and pubs. Baslow is a good option for those looking to soak up the festive atmosphere for longer – buses run between Sheffield and Baslow everyday.

Chatsworth House is no stranger to seasonal events. Queen Camilla visited in September to celebrate‘The Queen’s Reading Room Festival’, where money was raised for literacy charities, and a special screening of Pride and Prejudice took place on the house’s lawn.