Bess of Hardwick was the richest woman in England after Queen Elizabeth I, and her house was conceived to be a conspicuous statement of her wealth and power. The windows are exceptionally large and numerous at a time when glass was a luxury, leading to the saying, "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall." The Hall's chimneys are built into the internal walls of the structure, in order to give more scope for huge windows without weakening the exterior walls. The house's design also demonstrated new concepts not only in domestic architecture, but also a more modern way in which life was led within a great house. Hardwick was one of the first English houses where the great hall was built on an axis through the centre of the house rather than at right angles to the entrance. Each of the three main storeys has a higher ceiling than the one below, the ceiling height being indicative of the importance of the rooms' occupants: least noble at the bottom and grandest at the top.
A wide, winding, stone staircase leads up to the state rooms on the second floor; these rooms include one of the largest long galleries in any English house and also a little-altered, tapestry-hung great chamber with a spectacular plaster frieze illustrating hunting scenes. Hardwick was but one of Bess's many houses. Each of her four marriages had brought her greater wealth; she had been born in the now old Hall at Hardwick, which today is a ruin beside the 'new' hall. After Bess's death in 1608, the house passed to her son William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire. His great-grandson, William, was created 1st Duke of Devonshire in 1694. The Devonshires made another of Bess's great houses, Chatsworth, their principal seat. Hardwick thus became relegated to the role of an occasional retreat for hunting and sometime dower house. As a secondary home, it escaped the attention of modernisers and received few alterations after its completion and thus preserved a magnificent Tudor home. From the early 19th century, the antique atmosphere of Hardwick Hall was consciously preserved. A low, 19th-century service wing is fairly inconspicuous at the rear.
Hardwick Hall contains a large collection of embroideries, mostly dating from the late 16th century, many of which are listed in the 1601 inventory. Some of the needlework on display in the house incorporates Bess's monogram "ES", and may have been worked on by Bess herself. There is a large amount of fine tapestry and furniture from the 16th and 17th centuries. A remarkable feature of the house is that much of the present furniture and other contents are listed in an inventory dating from 1601. The Sea Dog Table is an especially important piece from around 1600, and the Eglantine Table has an inlaid top of interest to musical historians. Mobility parking in main car park, 100 yards from visitor reception. Accessible toilets in the Stableyard. Wheelchair access to the ground floor of the hall, the gardens and Lady Spencer's Walk. Stairs to the 2nd and 3rd floors but there is a Virtual tour in the ground floor hall. Sensory experience in the Herb Garden. Map of accessible garden route available at the gatehouse
Location : Doe Lea, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S44 5QJ
Transport: Chesterfield (National Rail) then Pronto bus. Bus Routes : Pronto, alight Glapwell 'Young Vanish' and follow signs.
Opening Times : Wednesday to Sunday + Bank Holidays 11:00 - 17:00
Tickets : Adults £6.55; Children £3.30
Tel: 01246 850430
As with any great manor there were a host of villagers associated with it as well as the means to keep the population self-sufficient. There has been a mill on this site for hundreds of years, providing flour for the local villages and the Hardwick Estate. You can find out more about the lives of the Stainsby millers, past and present as well as learning how the cogs, wheels and other machinery all work together at the mill. The information panels and volunteers will help explain the process from growing wheat in the fields to putting the flour in the bags. You can even have a go at grinding flour or just enjoy a walk in picturesque parkland.
There is a Mobility toilet, located at Hardwick Hall car park. There is both a Braille guide and a large print guide available. There is an induction loop available. The grounds are accessible for wheelchairs although there are some steep slopes and some steps some steps.
Location : Mill Lane, Chesterfield S44 5RW
Transport: Chesterfield (National Rail) then Pronto bus. Bus Routes : Pronto, alight Glapwell 'Young Vanish' and follow signs.
Opening Times : Wednesday to Sunday + Bank Holidays 10:00 - 16:00
Tickets : Adults £4.90; Children £2.45
Tel: 01246 850430
