Hardwick Hall, Elizabethan country house in Derbyshire, England
Hardwick Hall is an Elizabethan country house in Derbyshire known for its extraordinarily large windows that stretch across multiple floors of the stone facade. The building rises as a rectangular block with six towers and displays the initials ES (Elizabeth Shrewsbury) carved in stone on the roofline parapet.
The estate was built between 1590 and 1597 for Bess of Hardwick after she was widowed for the fourth time and had become one of the wealthiest women in England. She commissioned the house on the site of her birthplace to mark her rise from modest beginnings to one of the most powerful households in the country.
The enormous windows on every facade earned the estate the nickname "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall", reflecting the owner's desire to display her wealth through expensive glazed openings. Tapestries hanging in the grand rooms show scenes from mythology and everyday Tudor life, illustrating how people dressed and lived at the end of the 1500s.
The visit covers several floors with winding staircases between rooms, so visitors with limited mobility should check accessibility options beforehand. Gardens surrounding the house offer flatter paths and resting spots for those who prefer a break from touring the main building.
The Long Gallery on the top floor stretches over 50 meters and is one of the longest rooms of its kind in an English house. During the war, the estate served as a training base for airborne troops before becoming a resettlement camp for Polish refugees.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
