EMAIL: manager@chatsworthgardencentre.co.uk

Blue Diamond acquired Chatsworth Garden Centre in 2011 and it has several franchises including Lucas Stone manufacturers of stone garden ornaments. This a medium to large sized garden centre selling a range of plants, indoor plants, garden accessories, garden furniture and general gift ware.

Picture courtesy of
Choc Affair who sell at the garden centre

The emphasis seems to be towards satisfying the needs of tourists and visitors to the nearby Chatsworth House rather than run of the mill local gardeners. The prices are on the high side and you can't be guaranteed to find some of the more common plants. The layout of the outside area is clean and functional. There are toilets on site and the car park is free.

If you are visiting the nearby house as a tourist then by all means pop in and browse but if you are looking primarily for a working garden centre then it would not be on our recommended list.   

VINES CAFE

As with the garden centre the Vines Cafe is aimed fairly and squarely at serving the passing tourist trade. Other than slightly high prices there is nothing wrong with this cafe which serves breakfasts, lunches and snacks but neither is there anything positive to say about it. It's clean and reasonably modern with a four (out of five) star food hygiene rating in September 2012.

Other garden centres nearby include Tansley Barn Garden Centre, established 250 years ago, Forest Garden Centre stocking excellent plants and gardening goods which also serves delicious food and Neil Thompson Nurseries which is a family run plants nursery selling home grown plants.