| Product: |
Hardwick Hall (Chesterfield) |
| Date: |
25.03.08 (119 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: A fascinating and magnificent building.
Disadvantages: Expensive!
When most people think of stately homes in Derbyshire, they generally think of Chatsworth House. In my quest to put some of the others on the map I am working my way through some of the Castles and houses that you will find in my local area. I have done Bolsover Castle and Haddon Hall and the next on my list is Hardwick Hall.
~~~WHERE IS HARDWICK HALL?
Hardwick is located around 6.5 miles west of Mansfield and 9.5 miles south east of Chesterfield, in Derbyshire. To get there via the M1 you need to leave at junction 29 and head onto the A6175 - the Hall is signposted via brown tourist signs. Unfortunately the public transport links to Hardwick aren't great at all - the nearest railway stop is at Chesterfield and the nearest bus (the Pronto service between Chesterfield and Nottingham) stops at nearby Glapwell, but you still have 1.5 miles or so to go to get to the Hall and grounds.
There is a car park to the side of the Hall, but this does cost £1.50 - on top of paying to get in the place! It's worth noting that it is free for members of English Heritage and National Trust to park (the property is owned by the National Trust).
~~~A BIT OF HISTORY
Hardwick was commissioned by Bess of Hardwick; the second richest lady in the country during the Elizabethan period. The Hall has remained pretty much unaltered since the 16th Century and has an amazing collection of tapestry and embroidery. A visit this year is particularly worthwhile because it is the 400th anniversary of Bess of Hardwick's death, so you will get more for your money - there are a series of special events and exhibitions to look out for! Bess (Elizabeth) was Countess of Shrewsbury and, to make a statement of her wealth and position, she employed Robert Smythson (a famous architect) to draw up plans for this impressive stately home. Work started on the Hall in 1590 and Bess moved in during 1597, where she lived until she dies in 1608.
The House is very impressive and dominates the hillside on which it is built (you can see it from the roads nearby too). The layout comprises of six towers (each with the crest ES for Elizabeth of Shrewsbury on the top) on the ends of rectangle and the walls are made up of many panes of glass. Inside the Hall you will find an interior that is largely unaltered since Bess first moved in. Most of the carvings, furniture, plasterwork and fireplaces are original and the place is elaborately decorated with tapestries and massive staircases.
The grounds, which contain Hardwick Old Hall (the original manor house and birthplace of Bess) and magnificent gardens, are also a good example of the period.
~~~HOW MUCH & WHEN DOES IT OPEN?
Please check before you set off because the prices and opening times change each season. It's gone up already on the website since I went in 2007!
Opening hours are April to October - Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun, Bank Holiday Mondays 12:30- 16:30. Prices vary depending on which bits of the property you wish to visit too and on the size of your group - at the moment it is £12.15 for adults for a joint ticket to see the Old and New Halls and the Gardens. It's £9.50 for the Hall and £4.75 for the Gardens if you want to do it separately. There are special prices for concessions, family groups and larger parties. You can also get day or season fishing passes.
In with the price you will get an audio tour, which is very informative and well worth listening to. You can pay for guided tours of some of the areas if you wish, but we found the audio tour to be sufficient for us.
The place opens up form 10am, although please note that some areas open later (especially in the winter months). It stays open until 6pm in summer and dusk in winter - also the different attractions close at slightly different times and the last entry to the Park is half an hour before closing. As there is a lot to see it's best to plan your route before you set off (or get the leaflet and have a good sit down when you arrive to check out your plan of action) because it would be a shame to miss anything!
~~~WHAT DOES A VISIT ENTAIL?
In the park you have the Hardwick Inn - a pretty 17th century pub that is also owned by the NT. It can be found on the edge of the estate and is a good place to go for a drink on the way home. In the grounds you will also find Stainsby Mill - a restored flour mill. This is located near the main entrance to the parkland and is a very interesting place to visit, with a water wheel and working machinery. The Old Hall (now an English Heritage maintained property) is also within easy reach of the main house, but is now virtually a ruin. It is still worth a look at and is covered by the audio tour. The other notable place to visit in the grounds is the Stone Centre and Stonemasons Yard. This is a good place to go if you have children with you because it is pretty educational, as well as giving useful information about the traditional craft of stonemasonry - a skill that is ongoing in keeping Hardwick from crumbling over the years.
You will also find two holiday cottages available for rent on the estate - a good thing to check out if you want to spend more time exploring the estate and surrounding area than one day's visit will allow. Also while in the grounds head to the South Gazebo to see the gardening exhibition and, my particular favourite, carry on around to the Herb Garden - a beautifully restored herb garden, full of smells, textures and colours! This, and the gardens as a whole, mirror the symmetrical feel of the Hall and have something to see whatever season you happen to time your visit with.
The Hall itself is a beautiful place to visit, although it should be noted that there are lots of stairs to contend with. The ground floor (with the shop, restaurant, Threads of Time exhibition and Entrance Hall) is completely wheelchair friendly, but the same cannot be said of the rest of the property. A friend of mine who is visually impaired was really pleased to find that there were tactile items to handle on request throughout and I noted that large print and Braille guide books are also available. Other things to note is that there is no photography allowed inside the Hall and, although walking in the grounds is encouraged, muddy boots (or sharp heeled shoes) are not permitted. You can hire slippers and leave your other footwear at the entrance if you wish - I thought that was a good touch! You can also check heavy bags, coats and pushchairs in at the entrance and get a receipt - another good idea!
As well as all the amazing examples of Elizabethan décor you can look at the Threads of Time exhibition in the nursery on the ground floor of the Hall. This provides a fascinating insight into the techniques and ideas behind the wonderful tapestries and needlework you will see all around Hardwick - some of which was probably done by the infamous Bess. I learned a great deal about the symbolism in the pictures and patterns! You can continue from here to explore the Evidence Room; full of artifacts and documents about the life and world of Bess and her contemporaries.
The whole building is a twisting, turning treat of staircases, corridors and rooms full of wonder, but the jewel in the Hardwick crown is the High Chamber. This is the showpiece of the Hall and has a magnificent frieze around the walls with Diana the Huntress as its theme. Here would be the place where Bess would receive her visitors and hoped to entertain the great and the good of Elizabethan society. As with everything in the Hall the High Chamber, and the Great Hall that it leads to, are a symbol of Bess of Hardwick's social standing and money. The Great Hall is lined with paintings of the Tudor, Jacobean and Elizabethan greats; some family, some just the highest of the nobles of England.
It doesn't stop there! I could explore Hardwick for hours and still marvel at the little things I missed the time before. I cannot recommend a visit highly enough and would advise that you allow yourself a whole day to do the place justice. As I said before, plan your route around prior to entering to give yourself the best chance of seeing all there is to see.
It isn't a cheap day out by many means, but it is a great way to experience the world of the Elizabethans and to walk in their footsteps for just a little while....
~~~PROPERTY DETAILS
Hardwick Hall
Doe Lea
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
England
S44 5QJ
01246 850 430
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-v isits/w- findaplace/w-hardwickhall.htm
***this review will appear on other websites***
Summary: A must see stately home!
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