PRINCE HUMPERDINCK AND MR. DARCY

 

Yes, everyone, we're back to our not-so-regularly scheduled Petie Goes to England travel posts. Aren't you excited???

While Jess and I took several extended trips to stunning places like London and York, some of our favourite places and best memories were on spontaneous day-trips and afternoon excursions to local sites. So it was on a particularly rainy (completely stereotypical) English morning when we found ourselves piling into a car and off to Haddon Hall and Chatsworth House. Thankfully by the time we arrived at Haddon (after a quick stop in the adorable town of Bakewell for coffee because why not, of course), the rain vanished and the sun came out. Haddon Hall was one of our favourite places during my whole trip. It was so beautiful and imposing and old (from what I remember, it dates back to the 12th century!), but what drew us to it in the first place was that it was used as Prince Humperdinck's castle in The Princess Bride. Yes, I know. We were so excited and couldn't resist spouting Prince Humperdinck quotes about every five seconds. We explored each room of that house and as much of the grounds as we were allowed. Which, by the way, the grounds were stunning. My pictures certainly don't do it justice. Honestly, we could have stayed at Haddon for days, just looking and marveling at the beauty there. And as we went through it, Jess and I couldn't help but notice that several of the rooms looked like they had come straight out of a Jane Eyre film. We both recognized the entrance, the garden was familiar, and I pointed out a staircase where I knew I had seen Mr. Rochester talking to Jane. Finally, when we reached the chapel and could practically act out Rochester and Jane's almost-wedding, we knew for certain. We asked one of the employees, and surprise surprise, Haddon Hall had been used in three different Jane Eyre films. Nailed it.

Our next stop was Chatsworth House, a massive estate nestled in the gorgeous English countryside. Guys. Chatsworth is grand and gold and gorgeous (yay for alliteration). It's the home of the Duke of Devonshire, but you might know it better as Pemberley. Yup, that's right. Chatsworth was used for Pemberley in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the grounds and exploring the little neighboring village the Duke owns. (He owns a village? Guys, I want a village.) Let me tell you, that village is enormously cute. All the houses and buildings are trimmed in blue, and we had tea and scones at a little tea room. That was just one of those moments in England where I had to sit back and think, Is this really my life right now?? Sipping tea with three friends in an English village tea room with great golden Chatsworth looming in the distance. Pretty magical.