The estate was granted to Sir Thomas Danyers in 1346 and passed to the Leghs of Lyme by marriage in 1388. It remained in the possession of the Legh family until 1946 when it was given to the National Trust - once again as payment of death duties. In the instance of this family, unlike the Cavendish family of Chatsworth, while having large deposits of coal under their land, it was perhaps not as extensive, or the family managed to spend it as quickly as they earned it - I believe it may have been something of a mixture of the two.
The house dates from the latter part of the 16th century. Modifications were made to it in the 1720s by Giacomo Leoni, who retained some of the Elizabethan features and added others. The National Trust volunteers were delightful, and only too happy to provide extensive information whenever we asked. If at all possible, this property actually felt more homely than Chatsworth House.