Derbyshire holds many secrets, but few places speak as clearly across the centuries as Hardwick. Tucked in the rolling countryside near Chesterfield, two halls sit side by side—one in ruin, the other a glittering statement of Elizabethan ambition.
Both were the work of one formidable woman: Elizabeth Talbot, better known to history as Bess of Hardwick.
The Woman Behind the Stone
Bess was born here on this very land in 1527, and she rose—through strategic marriages and sharp political instinct—to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in England. Four husbands, endless titles, and influence that rivalled even the Queen’s. Her initials, ES for Elizabeth Shrewsbury, still crown the stonework of the new Hall—repeated boldly across the rooftop as if to make sure no one forgot who built it. And no one has.
The Old Hall
The story begins with Hardwick Old Hall, which Bess began building in the early 1580s on the site of her childhood home. It was grand, with high towers and tall windows—a statement of arrival. But ambition outpaced it quickly. By 1590 Bess had turned her focus to something even greater a new Hardwick hall just across from the old hall.
The old hall was left to ruin, the sky is now its ceiling. But it is not silent.
Spirits Of The old hall
Visitors have reported a ghostly monk, wandering the grounds and the local area. He’s been seen more than. A woman in blue glimpsed in the towers, gazing out from shattered windows. A white cat has been seen, but it was having a day off on my visit.
It is said that, Thomas Hobbes has been seen among the ruins, (not the famous philosopher of Leviathan ). He once tutored the Cavendish children at Hardwick. His one wish was to be buried on the grounds. It was denied,for reasons unknown. Is this why he still wanders? And in the shadows, some claim Bess herself lingers.
Hardwick Hall, “It is more glass than wall.”
Just a short walk away rises Hardwick New Hall: all light, height, and glass. Completed in the 1590s, it was unlike anything else in England. Built as much for legacy as for living, the windows alone were a declaration of wealth—glass being one of the most expensive materials of the time. William Cecil, Lord Burghley — Queen Elizabeth I’s most trusted advisor — is recorded as making a notable remark about Hardwick New Hall after visiting it during or shortly after its construction, he commented,”It is more glass than wall.”
The Myth of Mary’s Room
We can’t get through a blog post about Hardwick without tipping our hat to the Victorians — master storytellers and enthusiastic myth-makers. One of their more enduring inventions? The so-called Mary, Queen of Scots Room at Hardwick New Hall.
It makes for a romantic tale — a doomed queen, a silent chamber, threads of lost royalty lingering in the air. But let’s be clear: Mary never stayed at Hardwick New Hall. The house wasn’t even finished until the 1590s, and Mary was executed in 1587. The story of her sleeping here was likely added during the 19th century, part of a broader trend of turning historic houses into attractions for curious Victorian tourists.
I have to say the room is beautiful, and I love the style of it.
But the real connection between Mary and Hardwick lies not in that room — but in her long, uncomfortable 15-year custody under Bess’s fourth husband, George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury. During that time, Mary did reside at several of their homes, including Chatsworth House, Wingfield Manor, and Sheffield Castle.
Bess and Mary shared years under the same roofs, and their relationship, though complicated, seems to have found a quiet expression in embroidery. Several needlework panels, now housed in places like Oxburgh Hall, bear imagery and inscriptions attributed to Mary and are believed to have been created with or in the company of Bess. While not every stitch can be claimed, their symbolic thread remains.
Whispers in the New Hall
In the chapel, a woman has been seen kneeling at the altar in silent prayer. The landing known as Chapel Landing—has its own energy. A man was spotted descending the stairs, when the building was closed to visitors.
The Blue Room has its secrets too. A woman has been heard crying. No one is ever found and her identity seems unknown.
Not surprisingly, Bess is said to still walk here. If she does I feel it is because she wants to keep an eye on her creation, and who can blame her really?
Closing Thoughts
Bess of Hardwick wasn’t just building homes — she was building a legacy. The Old and New Halls weren’t just nods to her wealth and power; they were declarations of ambition, intellect, and sheer determination. Look closely at the tapestries she chose: many depict powerful women from classical mythology and biblical stories — Penelope, Lucretia, Artemisia. These weren’t passive figures. They were clever, courageous, and complex. Whether Bess meant it as a feminist statement in the way we’d use the term today, we can’t know — but her walls speak volumes.
On my visit, there was simply too much to take in. The details — in the stone, the needlework, the paintings — all deserve deeper study. I’ll need to return, if only to linger longer in front of the tapestries and let them whisper their stories.
The Old Hall is run by English Heritage, The New Hall National Trust. I am a member of English Heritage,. Right now you can get into both halls as they are working together which is brilliant.
Bess Of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth By Mary S. Lovell – I read this book a long while ago. But since my visit I have purchesed it again.
