Haddon Hall is one of the gems of Derbyshire. Nestled in the
beautiful scenery of the Peak District national park Haddon Hall is built
beside the River Wye just 3 miles from the town of Bakewell.
Haddon Hall. Image copyright Rob Bendall |
The hall is often overshadowed by its larger neighbour
Chatsworth House built by Bess of Hardwick, but to me the mediaeval Haddon Hall
is much the better as it has a much friendlier family feel about it and it has
the magnificent mediaeval and Tudor architecture.
Haddon Hall’s origins date from the Norman Conquest in 1066.
The earliest parts of the hall were built by Sir William Pevril in the late 11th
century. These include some of the chapel and the Pevril Tower. Sir William
Pevril gained much land in Derbyshire and in the village of Castleton some 16
miles away is Pevril Castle which dates from this time. The Avenell family
obtained the hall from the crown in the 1100’s.
The hall passed to the ownership of the Vernon family in the
12th century when Alice Avenall married Sir Richard de Vernon. The
Vernon family added much to the hall over the years. The hall remained with the
Vernon’s until the mid 1500’s when Sir George Vernon, the MP for Derbyshire,
daughter Dorothy married Sir John Manners. Sir John was the second son of the 1st
Earl of Rutland. This branch of the Manners family added the long gallery.
In 1703 the ancestor of Sir John and Dorothy Manners, Sir
John Manners was created the 1st Duke of Rutland and the Marquess of
Granby by Queen Anne. From this point on the family’s main home became Belvoir
castle in Leicestershire and Haddon Hall became a hunting lodge for them.
It wasn't until the 1920's that the family began to use the hall again and the 9th Duke of Rutland began to restore the gardens and make the house habitable again.
Haddon Hall layout
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Haddon Hall is built around 2 main courtyards with the
kitchens and great hall dating from the 1300’s. These can be seen in the
documentary A Tudor Feast at Christmas which can be viewed on YouTube. In this
show the archaeologists Peter Ginn and Alex Langlands and the historian Ruth
Goodman recreate a Tudor feast in the mediaeval kitchens using the techniques
and ingredients of the day.
One of the greatest features of the hall in my opinion is
the long gallery. The room has walls of windows letting in light and has an
ornately plastered celling and stained glass. The room was designed so that the
family could take exercise even on the most inclement of days. When I visited
my first thought was I wonder how fast you could get sliding along the floor in
your socks and my second thought was would a skateboard be more fun. I have to
say though as this would have been difficult as like much of the hall the
floors are uneven due to their great age. Today the long gallery can be hired
as a wedding venue.
The hall although restored has been done sympathetically
with the building retaining the original features. It’s a very much up and down
building with 1 or 2 steps into and out of rooms and uneven stone floors. There
are stained glass windows, tapestries and original furniture. The entire hall
gives a great insight into how the higher ranking families have lived since the
12th century.
Many of us will have seen the hall on TV as it has been used
in many period dramas such as Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. It has also
been the setting for adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays staring the likes of
Dame Judy Dench.
So for most Haddon Hall is a fantastic day out but for those
who have a passion for Mediaeval and Tudor history it is a must.
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