The picture to the left shows an artists impression of what the Hill Great Chamber would have looked like, showing clearly that the room is full of design elements taken from ancient Roman architecture. The pictures below are taken from the roof level and you can just see the remains of the balustrade that allowed the guests to safely take advantage of the roof walk.
The fireplace wall faces west, the direction of Chatsworth, the home Bess created with her husband Sir William Cavendish. The windows to the north are facing towards Bolsover castle which was owned by her son Sir Charles Cavendish and the windows to the South face towards Wingfield manor. The later was a property of her last husband the Earl of Shrewsbury and Bess temporarily lived there whilst she built the Old Hall.
The central panel makes a point about Bess’ long life and her slow, steady rise to the top:
The winged figure is copied from a Flemish engraving, published in 1559, that shows the triumph of Patience, sitting on a carriage, over desire, who is being made to pull the carriage, and over Fortune, who has to follow behind. Like other educated Elizabethan’s Bess was familiar with symbols and signs worked into decorative schemes, and would have expected her guests to understand the reference.
If her guests knew anything about their host, they would have known that Bess had outlived four husbands and had overcome legal debts, legal challenges and political intrigue. She was confidently handing over unthinkable wealth and lands to her sons. Patience had certainly won over life’s many setbacks.
The central panel can be viewed in more detail in this previous post.
Information from the English Heritage guidebook and visitor information board situated at the hall.
Oh I do wish they would put a ‘roof’ or cover over these places. Once the water (damp) gets it, and then a frost – the fabric will crumble. So many interesting sites are open to the elements, and if not protected will not be around in years to come for others to see..
I think they have the property pretty well monitored. The plasterworks have a special coating on them to protect them.
Brilliant photos of Hardwick Hall and the writeup is magic… I wish I had had the photos at hand last year when I was doing my research into the hall for my novel. Hopefully English Heritage may be selling it in their shop, but for your information its title is THE HOUSE OF CAVENDISH~OUTROADS isbn 978-1-60860-307-7 by
Malcolm Brocklehurst
Regards
Malcolm
Thanks Malcolm, I am glad you like the photos
I have just read the write up for your book and it sounds interesting.
How wonderful. I had heard of Hardwick but knew nothing about it until now. What glorious pannelling.
I really was a surprise to see, it is amazing it is still in tact after being left to fall into decline for some years.
Why “Hill” great?
Bess referred to it as ‘Hill’ because it is sitting on the top of an escarpment. Others referred to it as the ‘Giants Chamber’ because of the two giant plaster figures that are dressed as Roman soldiers. It is not known who they represent but they could be Mars and Hercules.
Love the artist’s rendering in juxtaposition to the structure as ‘is’. Very nice description of the place.
It is a lovely place, the artists rendering is a photo I took of the information board minus the accompanying text.
She sounds an amazing woman.
She certainly does Liz, I will be posting more on her soon.
Hi Liz and all fans of Bess of Hardwick, (Elizabeth Cavendish) was a most remarkable woman. Do you know that her daughter Elizabeth, married James Stuart of Scotland? They had a daughter named Arbella who had Tudor and Stuart blood in her and she had a legitimate claim to the english throne? That fact terrified the Elibethan court and Bess of Hardwick was in fear of her life for some time. Arbella’s mother died, she may have well have been poisened at Sheffield castle. Arbella died in the Tower on a ‘hunger strike’. The Elizibethan politics are fascinating. You can read all this and about Bess of Hardwick in my new novel THE HOUSE OF CAVENDISH~OUTROADS isbn 978-1-60860-307-7
Malcolm Brocklehurst
Regards
Malcolm