Travel along the M1 Motorway through Derbyshire and to the east you will spot the ruins of a very large Elizabethan House. In fact there are two house each bearing the same name Hardwick Hall. Elizabeth Hardwick was born in 1527 in the family Manor Farm House and if that sounds like a grand beginning, it proved to be anything but. Her farther died, leaving only a very modest inheritance, before she was one year old and the family faced tough times. The site of the old Manor Farm was to be redeveloped and the first Hardwick Hall (now known as Hardwick Old Hall) was built, a Hall that Elizabeth was to purchase many years later.
Hardwick Old Hall.
Elizabeth Shrewsbury, as she was then known, died in 1609 only a few yards from where she was born 80 very eventful years earlier, in her new very grand home Hardwick Hall.
Hardwick Hall
The design of the ‘new’ Hall was to break new ground in Elizabethan architecture. Dramatic it certainly is with its sculptured roof line proudly portraying her initials ES carved in stone. The house is often called the house of windows, making full use of that new invention glass, which Elizabeth had made on one of her other Derbyshire estates at Wingfield. The stone was quarried on the Hardwick estate where even to-day there is a commercial Stone Centre. Apart from the roof balustrades the stone masons added many details to the frontage
Nor were they alone in adding detail, some wag or other added their own ‘graffiti’ to one of the columns at the entrance.
Incidentally the Old Hall was not abandoned when Elizabeth moved into her new home but was used as Guest accommodation and for some servants. Much to the credit of architect and builders Hardwick Hall still stands solid, a major Derbyshire Estate.
Elizabeth’s humble beginnings must have given her the impetus to become one of the most powerful and ultimately wealthy women in England. Some say she married well…four times in fact but that would be to do her a big injustice. Time and time again she used her natural business skills to develop each husbands estate. One other big building achievement was Chatsworth House, the home of the Cavendish Family, but of course that has been much rebuilt and bears little if any resemblance to Bess’s Chatsworth. Elizabethan times were tough and there was a need to have a political head if one wanted to keep your own on its shoulders. Thankfully she did enjoy the friendship and confidence of Queen Elizabeth 1st.
Hardwick Hall is part of a large farming estate but also boasts several gardens attached to the house. Orchard, Herb Garden, Formal Yew topiary gardens and of course lavish herbaceous walled gardens. All can be explored on a day visit. But here is a taster for you….
Hardwick Hall is in the care of the National Trust so you are assured of a cake and coffee to refresh you…plus of course the obligatory Gift Shop and Plant Sales to tempt you
Not Quite the Last Word for Bess of Hardwick.
Bess would appear not to leave anything to chance and left detailed arrangements for her Funeral. It was to take place some miles away in Derby . Her cortege wended its way across the county allowing locals to pay their respects. Nor was there any rush as prominent guests had to travel great distances to be present. There was also the not so small matter of manufacturing enough Black cloth to drape All Saints Church not to mention clothing the mourners. So eventually Bess of Hardwick was laid to rest and a very ornate tomb was erected in the main body of the Church.
The Inscription on the tomb was added some time later….the eagle eyed will spot that her date of death is wrong, one year earlier. I bet Bess would have turned in her grave. Incidentally All Saints Church is now Derby Cathedral.
25th JULY
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 