Hardwick Hall, maintained by The National Trust, is one of the most impressive Tudor houses in all England, well this is what the guidebooks say, and I have to agree. Although I have only visited once and it was raining or dull for most of the day, the place sparked my imagination and captured ... Read review
Each print is one of a strictly limited edition, individually numbered out of 850 and ... more
signed. The original watercolours are used only for one edition and no other reproduction is made. The high quality of printing and the material used sets these prints apart. They are difficult to distinguish from the originals as they retain so much of the feel and delicacy of watercolour. The artists themselves are very involved in the printing process. They work with a talented craftsman who has developed a way of printing on real watercolour paper. This paper is produced especially for them by an English mill. It is made from 100% cotton and is completely acid free. The pricture is supplied mounted and framed. Frame dimensions 340x300mm. Image size : 175x140mm
Information: :Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Amazing Hall, beautiful gardens, whole day visit. Disadvantages: Do not trust Sat Nav to take you to the right entrance!
Hardwick Hall, maintained by The National Trust, is one of the most impressive Tudor houses in all England, well this is what the guidebooks say, and I have to agree. Although I have only visited once and it was raining or dull for most of the day, the place sparked my imagination and captured my history-loving heart.
Built in the late 16th Century, it is one of the earliest examples of the renaissance style. The architect, Robert ... ...Hardwick sits at the end of a long driveway, high on a hill, looking out over the stunning Derbyshire countryside. The first view of the house is from the car park at the side, yet even from this position there is a sense of the dramatic history about to be discovered. At the front, from the gates, can be seen Hardwick Old Hall, now a ruin and managed by English Heritage, which can also be visited and is free to National Trust members. Two for the ... more
Hardwick Hall, maintained by The National Trust, is one of the most impressive Tudor houses in all England, well this is what the guidebooks say, and I have to agree. Although I have only visited once and it was raining or dull for most of the day, the place sparked my imagination and captured my history-loving heart.
Built in the late 16th Century, it is one of the earliest examples of the renaissance style. The architect, Robert Smythson also designed the wonderful Longleat House in Wiltshire. Hardwick sits at the end of a long driveway, high on a hill, looking out over the stunning Derbyshire countryside. The first view of the house is from the car park at the side, yet even from this position there is a sense of the dramatic history about to be discovered. At the front, from the gates, can be seen Hardwick Old Hall, now a ruin and managed by English Heritage, which can also be visited and is free to National Trust members. Two for the price of one, always a great combination. Through the gate leads to a lovely walled formal garden, this is where the detail and the beauty of the architecture really presents itself, the house draws its visitors in, eager to share all that it has witnessed throughout the years.
Smythson used exceptionally large windows, as can be seen from the picture, at the time this was a sign of wealth, though unusual, it is not much of a surprise as the house was created for Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury. The extravagant window design led to the saying "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall", I think that just about sums up the house perfectly, as it really demonstrates the social changes occuring, more stability in England, making it no longer necessary to fortify a place of residence. Bess was the second richest woman in England next to Queen Elizabeth I, herself, and was by all accounts, a fascinating and very resilient lady, for her personal history tells of much injustice and tragedy.
Inside the house, much of the furniture and other items can be dated right back to the 16th and 17th Centuries, making most of the items you see absolutely original. The great Hall, which was one of the first to be placed in the middle of the house rather than off to one side, is in my opinion, extraordinary enough to warrant a visit in itself. The room is on a huge scale for a Tudor building and the way the windows tower above is quite remarkable, I don't think I've ever felt so small in a house from this era. Hardwick also has an impressive stone staircase and some very fine state rooms, one of which is the Long Gallery, the largest in any English house. I find the charm of many Tudor buildings lies in their darkened, shadowy ambience and deep sense of lived-in mustiness created by small rooms, low ceilings and uneven floorboards, to my delight, despite its scale and opulence, somehow this atmosphere still lingers throughout Hardwick Hall.
Outside, the gardens and surrounding countryside is fantastic, somehow Derbyshire shines no matter what the weather. Surrounding the house are lovely herbacious borders, as well as a herb garden, a vegetable garden and an orchard. Further down the road is Hardwick farm, which can also be visited and enjoyed, children especially will enjoy that part of the visit with there being rare breeds of cattle and sheep. On the practical side, there is good wheelchair access and the whole place is family friendly, although I only discovered one set of toilets by the car park, which I find a little inadequate considering the size and extent of the property. Hopefully, they have done something about that in the time since my visit. Hardwick Old Hall is quite interesting as ruins go, certainly in that there is the opportunity to climb up three floors, using newly made wooden steps, providing amazing views over the rolling hills.
Hardwick Hall will provide a whole days worth of enjoyment for all those who enjoy looking round properties like this, if you've not been to somewhere like this before, then Hardwick Hall is a great place to start and well worth the visit.
OPENING TIMES
Hall 14 Mar-01 Nov 09 12-4:30 Wed-Sun 05 Dec-20 Dec 09 11-3:00 Sat-Sun
Garden 14 Mar-01 Nov 09 11-5:00 Wed-Sun 05 Dec-20 Nov 09 11-3:00 Sat-Sun
Parkland All year 8:30-5:30 Mon-Sun
PRICES
National Trust members: FREE Standard Admission prices in brackets: £10 (£9.09), child £5 (£4.54), family £25 (£22.72). Groups (£8.50). Garden only: £5 (£4.54), child £2.50 (£2.27), family £12.50 (£11.36). Joint ticket prices, Old and New Halls: £12.75 (£11.59). Fishing day tickets: £5. Season fishing ticket: £50 (including NT members)
Advantages: Lots of history, wonderful view Disadvantages: Only a ruin, admission charges
In my ignorance I didn't even realise that there was an Old HardwickHall and I only discovered it when I visited the other HardwickHall during a National Heritage Open Day in September 2008. The two places are obviously linked but they are not to be confused. The other HardwickHall being in the care of The National Trust and its older neighbour, Old HardwickHall being in the hands of English Heritage.
Many people will know of HardwickHall as the grand country house that Bess of Hardwick had built for herself during the latter part of the 16th century. By the time the "new" HardwickHall was built in 1597 Bess was the second wealthiest woman in Britain, after Queen Elizabeth 1.
The Old Hall is perhaps surprisingly not all that much older than the other house. It was built around 1580 and was Bess's first attempt at building ...
Advantages: Historical, interesting, great views Disadvantages: Not a huge amount to see
A couple of weeks ago Mr Tart and I headed for the Peak District to visit his family. As a big fan of all things old I wanted to visit some sort of historical site as my part of the weekend (don?t worry, her got a 7 mile walk out of me for his part!). I?d always wanted to visit HardwickHall, especially as the Tudors is one of my favourite historical periods and was very happy to hear it was so close to where we were staying.
SOME HISTORY:
I doubt if many people will have heard of Hardwick Old Hall. I certainly hadn?t and I like to think I?m quite a bore when it comes to these sorts of things! The Hall was built by Bess of Hardwick (Elizabeth, Countess Shrewsbury) between 1587 and 1596. Bess was one of the foremost women of the Elizabethan age and managed to get through four husbands on her way up the social ladder. Bess was ...
Advantages: A fascinating and magnificent building. Disadvantages: An expensive day out!
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 HardwickHall.
WHERE IS HARDWICKHALL?
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 ...
