Originally for The Water Gardener Jan/Feb 2003. This is not really a review, but like the other Water Gardener pieces, is more honest than most 'garden stories'.

Some of us will know what it's like to inherit a garden where our predecessors have left their mark in various contrasting styles. This is both the history and the current activity at Chatsworth, where for over 300 years the Dukes and Duchesses of Devonshire have been making their different contributions. The result is a lot of interesting and sometimes stunning bits, but not a coherent whole. And this chequered history is probably the reason why one of the most spectacular water features in the country sits stranded in the oddest way at the top of a path.

This is the Chatsworth Cascade, a series of enormous steps where water tumbles down from a delightful little water temple. Two fountains play outside the temple, framing the view down the Cascade. Each of the steps has a different drop, to vary the sound of the water as it runs over, and the result offers the pleasures of a moorland stream playing over rocks together with an architectural gem.

An engraving from 1699 shows the Cascade slotted into one of the axes of an elaborate formal garden. Then straight lines became unfashionable and a colleague of 'Capability' Brown came and turned it all into a landscaped park. So now the Cascade stops in the middle of nowhere. Should the current Duchess fancy taking her cup of tea for a quiet sit while admiring the waterfall, she would have to allow herself half an hour simply for the long plod over what is now an enormous expanse of grass in order to get there.

Not that it would be a quiet five minutes anyway. This is a garden with a very long tradition of opening to the public and people have clearly taken it to their hearts. The Cascade is more like Blackpool pleasure beach than a formal feature in the grounds of a stately home - children swarm about in the water, adults paddle and picnic and everyone has a glorious time. It seems clear that no-one minds or puts up notices.

Nor is this the only fun to be had with a water feature at Chatsworth. Not far from the bottom of the Cascade is a tree with a disconcerting habit of suddenly "squirting" passers by. Queen Victoria was one of those apparently delighted to be squirted. The tree is actually made of metal, but is convincingly realistic, if leafless. All the water features at Chatsworth are powered by the natural fall of water from reservoirs high up above on the moors. It is surprising, really, that since modern pumps have made such tricks so much easier we don't get squirted far more often - though I'm personally relieved.

The most spectacular use of the head of water created by a reservoir at Chatsworth is the Emperor Fountain, which was created in 1843. A drain two and a half miles long was made across the moors to supply water to a lake which is 7ft deep and covers eight acres. A hundred thousand cubic yards of earth were dug out to make the lake. The drop from this reservoir is 350ft and creates a fountain which has been known to reach 296ft in height. This was all achieved by man and horsepower, working day and night (by torchlight) for six months in preparation for a visit by Czar Nicholas, the Emperor of Russia.

He never came. Anyone who has prepared an elaborate meal for a guest who has cried off at the last minute will sympathise with the devastated 6th Duke and the genius behind the work, Sir Joseph Paxton. Paxton was responsible for a great deal of the work and wonders of Chatsworth, as well as the Crystal Palace in London.

The Emperor Fountain rises out of a great rectangular canal to the south of the house and the house is beautifully reflected in the water. Most houses seem to have one good face to present to the world, Chatsworth has three, and this is one of them.

Recent additions

The present Duke and Duchess have, as is clearly the tradition, made their contributions to the garden and have made good use of the abundant water that characterises the garden. The Trough Waterfall was made from 13 surplus watertroughs which were incorporated into the overflow from a pond and tipped slightly so that the water overflows from one to the other down the hill.

The Cottage Garden continues the Chatsworth sense of fun. Part of this garden is a 'cottage', with a table and chairs made of privet, and a golden privet sofa and fireplace - with red perlagoniums representing the flames, artemisia representing the ashes. Up a staircase made of yew is a bedroom, with a fourposter draped in ivy, a bedspread planted with bedding plants, - of course, - and other furniture and fittings made of plants. The garden of this cottage has boxed edged beds filled with tulips in spring and Dahlia 'Coltness Gem' in late summer. It also has its own little vegetable patch. Rather twee?

The proper kitchen garden has an intriguing water feature, made in 1998 from a stream. The stream now runs over and through a variety of surfaces, descends on either side of some steps, then down a waterfall which is a stone wall with stones protruding from the wall for the water to play over. The rotating metal sculpture here is rather less successful, looking out of place and a little meaningless.

The 'Revelation' is another notable recent addition, a sculpture and water feature by Anglea Conner in the Jack Pond. This consists of a giant stainless steel and resin sphere, with petals that open slowly to reveal an enormous golden ball cock, with water fountaining out of it. At Chatsworth you get garden festival as well as stately home.