Hardwick Hall

After seeing Stainsby Mill and Old Hardwick Hall, we moved on to the most opulent Hardwick Hall.

I wouldn't want to be the window washer!

As I said previously, the hall did not open till noon. Even after visiting the mill and the old hall's ruins, we still had some time to kill before we could go inside. The front porch offered some protection from the weather. At 11:40, a docent began a short lecture on the life of Bess of Hardwick, who built the new hall in the 1590s. While we listened along, Jacob did some investigating. He discovered where the drain pipes from the roof lead to!

Or maybe he just wanted to wash his hands

Lucy lost her focus to and wandered around the corner to look at some of the flowers in the gardens.

We had a hard time convincing her not to pick any

Finally, the front doors were open and we were able to go inside and admire the Elizabethan opulence.

Plaster and tapestries!

We had to convince Lucy to stay off the chairs too

Unfortunately, Jacob had a bit of a meltdown at this point and we did not get to see any more of the house. We went back outside and walked across the lawn and out the front gate. We waited for a shuttle to take us back to the parking lot. As we waited, we discovered a random set of stairs out front. Can you guess what they are for?

Jacob fights his way to the top

The docent at the front gate let us know that these steps were used to mount horses when going for rides or on hunts! Soon the little bus came by and we were happily riding back to our car for a little lunch before continuing our journey.

Last view of the big house

Riding might have been the most fun the kids had

Someday we will go back and do more of a tour of the house and the gardens, hopefully with warmer weather, more flowers, and less tired children!