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.