Exploring Kedleston Hall and learning more about the Curzon family

Our trusty National Trust membership can certainly introduce new buildings and parks to us, but on a warm summer’s day recently, we decided to return to Kedleston Hall – a stunning English country house in Kedleston, Derbyshire. It’s where our daughter Katy got married seven years ago. So it was great to wander the space and remember her special day.

The seat of the Curzon family, whose name originates in Notre-Dame-de-Courson in Normandy (thank you Wikipedia), the estate has been in their possession since 1297. The current house was commissioned by Sir Nathaniel Curzon in 1759 and designed by Robert Adam.

Our daughter got married in the ballroom where there is an incredible domed ceiling and views out onto the grounds beyond. I was especially proud to walk her up the aisle in the grand Marble Hall, which rises up to 62 feet high and designed to suggest the open courtyard or atrium of a Roman villa.

Although it was nice to reminisce, the highlight of the day was discovering a huge family tree on the wall of a room full of Curzon family portraits. It was fascinating to see the ancestry of this noble line.

If you’re heading there yourself, you should definitely view the many curiosities on display pertaining to Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s quite an unusual collection.

All images: Photography by David Millward