A couple of years ago I walked around Hardwick Hall. I'd just gone part time and now I could explore places like this without having to take other people into consideration. This was a novelty. Here are some of the photographs I took that day ...
Very late 16th century plasterwork towards the beginning of the tour ...
The Muniment Room ~ "This unique and fascinating room contained 'muniments' relating to the Hardwick estates. Legally, muniments are the title deeds and other documentary evidence relating to who owns land." The room is small and rather dark and the use of flash is forbidden. The walls are made up of these boxes from floor to ceiling ...
The High Great Chamber ... again no flash can be used so the images could have been sharper ...
The frieze is late 16th century and impressive in detail. Are these three men putting on pattens over their indoor shoes ?
The Long Gallery with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I at the far end ...
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth I is dated 1592 and is over five feet by seven feet. There is more information here and you should be able to click on the image of the portrait for an enlarged version and see all the flowers and creatures embroidered on the Queen's dress. In the meantime here's my photograph ...
Next up was the Green Velvet Room, described as the Best Bedchamber in a 1601 inventory. The bed is 18th century and the tapestries are late 16th century ...
I moved from room to room, sometimes forgetting to note the name of the room, as here ...
I didn't need any signage for the next few rooms ...
The Dining Room, with "the Elizabethan overmantel of 1597" ...
... an Elizabethan overmantel which contains these words ...
In a room nearby one piece of furniture had this notice on it ...
After wandering around for an hour or more I adjourned to the old kitchen and partook of some good food ...
The restaurant is now in the old stableyard ~ this meal was in the original kitchen with pewter plates and dishes on the walls.
Outside I walked through the garden and took a number of views of the hall ...
In the garden the hellebores were in flower ...
In the photo below you can pick out the initials 'ES' on the roof of the hall. 'ES' standing for Elizabeth Shrewsbury [otherwise Bess of Hardwick] ...
On the green near the old stableyard, a couple of carved benches ...
Before heading back to the car I grabbed a few final shots of the hall [as if you haven't seen enough] and garden ...
This year the car park has been moved from one side of Hardwick Hall to the other. I wonder whether they will move the memorial in respect of the British Airborne Forces from the old car park ?
We have a number of National Trust properties in Derbyshire but Hardwick Hall is the one I enjoy going back to time after time.
