Hardwick Hall. Derbyshire, England

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The imposing Elizabethan Hardwick Hall is a stunning house and estate in Derbyshire on top of a hill overlooking valleys, farms and fields in the county of Derbyshire . It was built by Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury who at the time of Elizabeth the 1st was the second most powerful woman in England. She was not particularly wealthy but married and inherited money from her husbands. She lived in Chatsworth house after her husband died leaving her a very wealthy woman. Her final marriage was to the Earl of Shrewsbury. They became custodians of Mary Queen of Scots who lived with them in their palatial house, Chatsworth, as a prisoner for 15 years. Elizabeth and Queen Mary spent time embroidering and making tapestries. Elizabeth had a new House built at Hardwick which is now the present Hardwick hall. The original Hardwick hall fell into ruins only the building remains which is owned by English Heritage whilst Hardwick Hall is run by the National trust. On top of this ornate building her initials can still be seen today E.S. There are three stories to the house but what is different is that the house contains many windows which were bigger as each floor was added. Glass windows was an outward sign of wealth. No matter what the weather was like outside they could live quite comfortably inside the vast house. On one of the upper floors there is a long gallery where people could walk and exercise during the winter months. Along the walls are priceless art works and tapestries some of which Elizabeth made herself. Each story of the house is bigger than the one lower. So wherever you stayed either on the ground middle or top would denoted your social status with the top being the grandest. A lot of the furniture in the house was listed in the inventory of 1601. Hardwick Hall also has large formal gardens which are quite pleasant to walk around on a nice sunny day! The last person to live in the house was the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire widow of the 9th Duke of Devonshire when she passed away in 1960. The house had been handed over to the treasury 1950 in lieu of Death duties. It is well worth a visit should you ever be in the area.