Hardwick Hall
Hardwick Hall is
one of Britain's finest Elizabethan houses built for Elizabeth, Dowager
Countess of Shrewsbury, who moved in to her latest creation in October 1597.
Bess of Hardwick, as history recalls her, rose from humble origins to become
on of the most powerful people in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. She
married four times, each time gaining more wealth and her fourth husband was
the Earl of Shrewsbury, one of the richest and most powerful of the English
nobles of the time.
For many years the Shrewsburys were responsible for the guardianship of that
unhappy Queen Mary Queen of Scots. The dynasty created by Bess included many
powerful descendants including the Dukes of Devonshire, Newcastle, Portland
and Kingston.
The house itself stands in a commanding position overlooking the surrounding
countryside next to the ruins of Hardwick Old Hall. The original Old Hall
may have dated from the 14th century, but the ruins you can now see were,
curiously, built only a few years before the 'New' Hall alongside.
The story is that Bess had a furious dispute with her husband, the Earl of
Shrewsbury, and in 1584 had to leave their home at Chatsworth. She came to
the Old Hall at Hardwick and largely rebuilt it as a place for herself to
live. However, when the Earl died in 1590 her finances became much more
secure and she immediately began the construction of the 'New' Hall. The Old
Hall was abandoned and gradually became a ruin.
With its massive windows and fine proportions it is an impressive statement
of the power and wealth of its creator who made sure the statement was made
quite clear by having her initials ES carved on stone letters at the head of
the towers! The hall was notable for the size of its windows and the amount
of glass used, which was far more than in similar houses of the period.
Hardwick contains a remarkable collection of 16th Century furniture and
paintings and the visited part of the hall is fully furnished. Perhaps the
most notable items on view are the large collection of huge tapestries and
of needlework that cover many of the walls of the rooms and staircases. Many
of the tapestries are original to the hall and were probably chosen by Bess
herself.
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