Emperor Fountain
Emperor Fountain stands in the grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom. It is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building. In 1843, after Tsar Nicholas I of Russia announced that he might visit Chatsworth the following year, William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, decided to build the “highest fountain in the world” and asked Joseph Paxton to carry out the work. To supply natural water pressure, a 32,000-square-metre lake, the Emperor Lake, was excavated on the moors 110 metres above the house. The fountain was completed in just six months in early 1844, and its water jet reached up to 90 metres high.
October 2008 © Ian Parkes · CC BY 2.0
June 2010 © Phil Sangwell · CC BY 2.0
October 2005 © Robert Neilson · CC BY-SA 2.0
August 2006 © Mick Lobb · CC BY-SA 2.0
August 2008 © James Allan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Identification | |
| Title | Emperor Fountain |
| Type | Fountain |
Historical context | |
| Date | 1844 (19th century) |
| Commissioned for | Anticipated visit by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia |
| Construction goal | To create the world's highest fountain |
Location and ownership | |
| Location | North end of the Canal Pond, Chatsworth House grounds, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Associated estate | Chatsworth House |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed building by English Heritage |
Creator | |
| Patron | William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire |
| Designer and builder | Joseph Paxton |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Construction date | 1844 |
History and restoration | |
| New turbine installed | 1988 |
| Mains connection | The house was connected to the mains supply from 1936 |
| Generator location | An underground chamber approximately 120 m (400 ft) down the hill from Emperor Lake |
| Generator installed by | Gilkes of Kendal |
| Visitor who saw the fountain in 1844 | Prince Wilhelm of Prussia |
| Turbines installed | Three vortex turbines |
| Electricity generation use | Used Chatsworth's water power to generate electricity from 1893 |
| Tsar Nicholas I | Died in 1855 and never saw the fountain |
| Date seen | Thursday 22 August 1844 |
| New turbine output | Produces about a third of the electricity the house needs |
| Canal Pond | Dug in 1703; the fountain stands at its north end |
| Completion date | Early 1844 |
| Construction duration | Six months |
Physical characteristics | |
| Nearby sculptures | Two sandstone reclining figures to the north |
| Surroundings | Surrounded by irregularly placed boulders |
| Water supply size | 8 acres (32,000 m2) |
| Operating height | About half its full height under partial power |
| Water jet height | Up to 90 m (296 ft) |
Technique | |
| Water supply method | Natural water pressure |
| Water supply | Emperor Lake, excavated in the moors 110 m (350 ft) above the house |