“Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall” goes the Elizabethan saying about this architectural marvel built between 1590 and 1597 for Bess of Hardwick, the richest woman in England after Queen Elizabeth I. This revolutionary country house, designed by Robert Smythson, broke with medieval traditions by featuring enormous windows (revolutionary for its time) that flood the interior with natural light.
The symmetrical sandstone façade, topped with Bess’s initials and coronet emblazoned across the roofline, makes a bold statement about its owner’s wealth and status. Inside, six enormous state rooms rise in a sophisticated piano nobile arrangement, with ceilings growing taller as visitors ascend through the house. The rooms display one of Europe’s most significant collections of 16th and 17th-century textiles, including rare tapestries, embroideries, and furnishings.
Now managed by the National Trust, Hardwick offers visitors both the “new” hall and the ruins of the Old Hall where Bess lived while her grander residence was being built. The estate features Elizabethan gardens, restored to reflect their original design, and extensive parkland with way-marked walking trails and magnificent views across the Derbyshire countryside.
The hall’s remarkable preservation provides an unparalleled window into Elizabethan architecture and interior design. Approximately 60 minutes’ drive from Buxton, Hardwick makes a fascinating day trip.
