At the heart of the estate lies Elvaston Castle, a gothic revival masterpiece (not open to the public) designed by James Wyatt in the early 1800s based on the original house dating back to 1633. Wyatt's design, built for the third Earl of Harrington, became home to the Stanhope family until the estate was sold by the then Earl of Harrington to us in 1968. In 1970 the estate was opened as one of the first country parks in England and today both the buildings and gardens are registered (Grade 2 and Grade 2*) as being of special architectural and historical interest. In addition, within the estate, structures such as the recently renovated golden gates, Moorish temple and ha ha wall provide a fascinating glimpse of the past. The gardens are locally renowned for their rockwork structures and fine examples of topiary, originally introduced and designed by William Barron in the 19th Century. Whatever the season there is always lots to see and do in and around the park − walking, cycling, horse riding, bird watching, picnicking, kite flying, photography, exploring the park and nature reserve and much more.
