Hardwick hall

• Hardiwck Hall was built in 1590-9 for Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (aka Bess of Hardwick) by Robert Symthson. Its main purpose was to show her high status in society.
• Huge grids of glass are used to great effect in this rectangular, turreted building, leading observers to rhyme 'Hardwick Hall, more window than wall'.
• Each tower is crowned with a balustrade incorporating an 'E.S' moftif (for elizabeth shrewsbury), and each of the three main storeys has a ceiling higher than the one below, which is an important feature to show of its granduer.
• The design is symmetrical and there were four rectangular walled courtyards. One included a substainable herb garden.
• The reason that Hardwick Hall is in its location, is that Bess wanted to see everything, and survey most of the land that she owned. Its position allowed people to look up and marvel at the turrets and initials on her rooftop. Bess owned quarries, lead mines, iron smelting works and more.
• The Entrance Hall is situated in the centre of the house, running from front to back, rather than lying across the width of the house. It had brightly coloured tapestries, the coat of arms and decorative furnishings on display.
• When Bess lived here the decorative tapestries were shown off on both sides of the Long Gallery, marvelling her guests by the sheer size of the room. It would not have been typical to find this room on the top floor.
• Queen Elizabeth's Coat of Arms' are above the chimneypiece. This was important because Bess wanted to show her loyalty to the Queen and court her progresses.
• Bess broke tradition by building her grandest rooms on the upper floors.
• Hardwick is renowned for its collections, most notably its textile collection, largely sourced and collect by Bess of Hardwick in the late 1500s.
• Bess' collection of portraits consisted of family members, royalty, foreign leaders and churchmen which were predominantly displayed in the Long Gallery.