I’ve been to Hardwick Hall before, to visit the gardens and take in one of the walks around the grounds, but on this occasion we went into the hall itself. Bess of Hardwick created the hall in the 1500s and it was renowned for being more glass than wall, making it at the time a very expensive proposition.
Stainsby Mill is a 19th century flour mill, still in working order, which is in the care of the National Trust and we visited it on our way to Hardwick Hall which is nearby (and which will feature in a later post).
Derby Cathedral, or the Cathedral of All Saints, became a cathedral in 1927 with much of the current building dating from around 1725 and having been designed by James Gibbs, who also designed St Martin-in-the-Fields. There has been a church on the site however dating back to around 943.
On a sunny day last year we headed to Derbyshire and Hardwick Hall, a stunning Elizabethan house built by Elizabeth Shrewsbury, best known as Bess of Hardwick. Rather than explore the house on this visit we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go on some of the walks around the Estate and the gardens, which did however bring us close enough to admire the Hall.
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