We have just come back from a break in northern England and Wales. The fist visit was to Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. This was the ancestral home of Bess of Hardwick, a contemporary of Elizabeth I and at the time the second richest person in there land. As well as Chatsworth House she owner Hardwick Hall, a grand property known to have "more glass than wall". As glass was very expensive this was an ostentatious show of wealth.
The house was about 2 hours drive away and we got there just after opening time. After a very good sausage, bacon and egg bap in the cafe we walked the grounds and the house.
It's not a large property by the standard of some National Trust places but there were outbuildings which have been turned into staff offices and accommodation which look later than the main building.
The great hall is now closed to visitors as it is only a shell but still looks impressive, especially for the time.
The main house is set behind an imposing open gate-house and hedge-lined drive. The Hall itself is surrounded by semi-formal gardens many of which have been allowed to go wild as is the modern custom.
This is the great lady herself, entitled as the Countess of Shrewsbury. She had three husbands, all richer than her who died early in the marriages leaving all their wealth to her!! She was a canny investor with her wealth and built it through her life as well.
This is her family crest of two stags, which you saw all over the place in the hall.
This table is termed the sea-dog table as it has one at each of the corners. Elaborate, fantastical and exquisitely carved, this eye-catching table is one of the best surviving examples of Elizabethan furniture in the National Trust collections. It was commissioned from one of Europe’s top craftspeople working in Paris. The highly unusual design features four carved ‘sea dogs’ – fantasy creatures with a dog’s head, scaly breasts, wings and dolphin tails. It was purchased for display at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the home of George Talbot (c.1522–90), 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife Elizabeth (known as Bess of Hardwick) in the 1570s.
The hall is known for its many wall hangings and tapestries, many of which are now quite faded but still show the skill and workmanship needed to construct them.
The rooms themselves were interesting especially the "throne" room, with the larger one for the man and the smaller for the woman!
Being one of the richest people in the land and managing it well meant a lot or organisation. This is the room where they kept and organised all of the deeds and ledgers for the properties in her portfolio. Impressive organisation even for now and shows hoe ahead of her time she was.
All in all a very good start to our mid-summer break. I'll leave you with a couple of thoughts from the house. This is something which has rather gone out of fashion but previous generations did like a good proverb!
