GREAT HALL, HADDON.
Our first impression of romantic Derbyshire vividly recalled one of the
opening chapters of Adam Bede. Having secured lodgings at a pretty
village not many miles from Haddon, we were somewhat disturbed
with nocturnal hammerings issuing from an adjacent wheelwright's.
Somebody had had the misfortune to fall into the river and was
drowned, so we learned in the morning, and the rest we could guess.
Somewhat depressed, we were on the point of sallying forth when the
local policeman arrived and demanded our presence at the inquest,
as one of the jurymen had failed to put in an appearance. A cheerful
beginning to a holiday!
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GREAT HALL, HADDON.
There is something about dear old Haddon Hall that makes it quite
unique, and few ancient baronial dwellings are so rich in the poetry of
association. In the first place, though a show house, one is not
admitted by one door and ejected from another with a jumbled idea of
what we have seen and an undigested store of historical information.
One forgets it is a show place at all. It is more like the enchanted castle of the fairy story, where the occupants have been asleep for
centuries; and in passing through the grand old rooms one would
scarcely be surprised to encounter people in mediæval costume, or
knights in clanking armour. The lovers of historical romance for once
will find pictures of their imagination realised. They can fit in favourite
scenes and characters with no fear of stumbling across modern
"improvements" to destroy the illusion and bring them back to the twentieth century. Compare the time-worn grey old walls of this
baronial house with those of Windsor Castle, and one will see the
havoc that has been done to the latter by centuries of restoration.
Events that have happened at Haddon appear to us real; but at
Windsor, so full of historic memories, there is but little to assist the imagination.
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COURTYARD, HADDON.
The picturesqueness of Haddon is enhanced by its lack of uniformity.
The rooms and courtyards and gardens are all on different levels, and
we are continually climbing up or down stairs. The first ascent to the
great entrance gate is precipitous, and some of the stone steps are
almost worn away with use. Entering the first courtyard (there are
two, with buildings around each) there is another ascent, with a
quaint external staircase beyond, leading to the State apartments,
and to the left again there are steps by which the entrance of the
banqueting-hall is reached.
Opposite is the chapel, with its panelled, balustraded pews and two-
decker Jacobean pulpit, which is very picturesque; and the second
courtyard beyond, to the south of which is the Long Gallery or
ballroom, with bay-windows looking upon the upper garden, from
which ascend those well-known and much photographed balustraded
stone steps to the shaded terrace-walk and winter garden, above
which, and approached by another flight of steps, is Dorothy Vernon's
Walk, a romantic avenue of lime and sycamore. Facing the steps and
screened by a great yew tree is yet another flight, with ball-
surmounted pillars, leading to the "Lord's Parlour," or Orange Parlour
as it was formerly called; and from this picturesque exit the Haddon
heiress eloped with the gallant John Manners, and by so doing
brought the noble estate into
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the possession of the Dukes of Rutland.
DRAWING-ROOM, HADDON.
An elaborately carved Elizabethan doorway leads here from the
ballroom, which is rich in carved oak panelling and has a coved
ceiling bearing the arms and crest of the Manners and Vernons. By
repute, all the woodwork, including the circular oak steps leading to
the apartment, was cut from a single tree in the park. The ash-grey
colour of the wood is caused by a light coat of distemper, which it has
been surmised was added at some time to give it the appearance of
cedar. Not many years ago there was a controversy upon this
subject, which resulted in some ill-advised person obtaining leave to
anoint a portion of the panelling with boiled oil. The result was
disastrous, and led to an indignant outcry from artists and architects;
but fortunately the act of vandalism was stopped in time, and the
muddy substance removed. The wainscoting consists of a series of
semicircular arches divided by fluted and ornamental pillars of
different heights and sizes, the smaller panels being surmounted by
the shields of arms and crests of the ancient owners of the Hall,
above which is a bold turreted and battlemented cornice.
WITHDRAWING ROOM, HADDON.
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The old banqueting-hall is rather cosier looking than the famous hall
of Penshurst. The narrow, long oak table with its rustic settle is
somewhat similar, but later in character than those at Penshurst, and
has a grotesque arrangement of projecting feet. The hall is all nooks
and corners. Below a projecting gallery is a recess for the wide well-
staircase, with its little gates to keep the dogs downstairs, and a
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lattice-paned window lighting up the uneven lines of the floor. The
walls are panelled, and there is a wide open fireplace, and the screen
has Gothic carvings. Attached to the framework is an iron bracelet, to
enforce the duty of a man drinking his due portion in the good old
days. The penalty was before him, so should he fail, he knew his lot,
namely, to have the contents of the capacious black jack emptied
down his sleeve. The withdrawing-room to the south of the hall is
richly wainscoted in carved oak, with a recessed window containing a
fixed settle and a step leading down to a genuine cosy-corner. There
are some who believe our ancestors had no idea of comfort; but
picture this fine old room in the winter, with blazing logs upon the
fantastic fire-dogs, the warm red light playing upon the various
armorial carvings of the frieze, and the quaint little oriel window half-
cast in shadow. The apartment immediately above has a still more
elaborate frieze of ornamental plaster above the rich tapestry
hangings, and the bay-window in the wainscoted recess, like that
beneath, looks upon the gardens, with the graceful terrace on the left
and the winding Wye and venerable bridge below. The circular brass
fire-dogs are remarkable.[29] The "Earl's Bedchamber" and "Dressing-Room" and the "Lady's Dressing-Room" have tapestried walls and snug recessed windows. The "State Bedroom" was formerly the "Blue
Drawing-room." This also is hung with tapestry, and the recessed
window has a heavy ornamental frieze above. Near the lofty plumed
bedstead, with green silk-velvet hangings, is a queer old cradle,
which formerly was in the chaplain's room on the right-hand side of
the entrance gate. But to describe the numerous rooms in detail
would be tedious. Everything is on a huge and ponderous scale in the
kitchens and offices; one is almost reminded of the giant's kitchen in
the pantomime. Among the curious and obsolete instruments one
encounters here and there, there is a wooden instrument like a
colossal boot-jack for stringing bows. It stands against the wall as if it
were in daily use. Though there is some good old furniture, one would
wish to see the rooms less bare. But let us turn to the famous Belvoir
manuscripts, which not so very long
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ago were discovered much rat-eaten in a loft of that historic seat of the Earls of Rutland. It is interesting after a visit to Haddon to dip into
these papers and get some idea of what the old Hall was like in its most flourishing days. The great bare ballroom must have looked
very grand in the days of Charles I., with the coved ceiling brilliant with paint and gilt. In addition to a "gilded organ," were two
"harpsicalls" and a "viall chest with a bandora and vialls; a shovel-board table on tressels; a large looking-glass of seventy-two glasses,
and four pictures of shepherds and shepherdesses." Sixteen suits of
armour adorned the screen of the great hall. The massive oaken
tables and cabinets displayed a wealth of silver and gilt plate,
including a "greate quilte doble sault with a peacock" (the crest of the Manners) "on the top"; silver basins, ewers, and drinking bowls; a warming-pan, two little boats; four porringers with spoons for the
children, a "maudlin" cup and cover, etc.
WITHDRAWING ROOM, HADDON.
Among the rooms were the "Green Chamber," the "Rose Chamber,"
the "Great Chamber," the "Best Lodging," the "Hunters' Chamber,"
the "School-house Chamber," the "Nursery," the "Smoothing Chamber," the "Partridge Chamber," "Windsor," the "Little Gallery,"
etc. "The uppermost chamber in the nether tower" is almost
suggestive of something gruesome, while "my mistress's sweetmeat
closet" sounds tempting; and a list of contents included things to make the juvenile palate water—"Glasses of apricots, ma
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rmalett, and currants, cherry marmalett, dried pears and plums and
apricots, preserved and grated oranges, raspberry and currant cakes,
conserved roses, syrup of violets," etc. These things perhaps are
trivial, but there is a domesticity about them by which we may think of
Haddon as a country home as well as a historic building.
DOORWAY, HADDON.
Haddon ceased to be a residence of the Dukes of Rutland more than
a century ago. In the days of the Merry Monarch the ninth earl kept
open house in a very lavish style. It is said the servants alone
amounted to one hundred and forty; and capacious as are the ancient
walls, it is a marvel how they all were housed. The romantic Dorothy,
who a century before ran away upon the evening of a great ball, was
the daughter of the "King of the Peak," Sir George Vernon, thus nicknamed for his lordly and open-handed way of living. She died in
1584, and Sir George Manners, the eldest of her four children, sided
with the Parliament during the Civil Wars. But his mode of living was
by no means puritanical, and Haddon was kept up in its traditional
lavish style. In Bakewell church there is a fine marble tomb
representing him and his wife and
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children, as well as the tomb of the famous Dorothy and her husband,
Sir John Manners. The family crest, a Peacock in his pride, that is,
with his tail displayed, so conspicuous with the Vernon boar's head in
the panelling and parqueting of Haddon, gives its name to the most
delightful of ancient hostelries at Rowsley. The proximity of the
mansion must have made its fortune over and over again, apart from
its piscatorial attractions. The gable ends and latticed windows, and
the ivy-grown battlemented porch and trim gardens, are irresistible,
and no one could wish for quarters more in harmony with the old
baronial Hall.
INTERIOR COURTYARD, HADDON.
In striking contrast to the sturdy ruggedness of hoary Haddon is
princely Chatsworth. The comparison may be likened to that between
a mediæval knight and a gorgeous cavalier. The art treasures and
sumptuous magnificence of Chatsworth, the elaborate and graceful
carvings (which by the way are not nearly all by the hand of Gibbons,
but by a local man named Samuel Watson), and the beauty of the
gardens, make it rightly named the "Palace of the Peak." But it is its association with the luckless Mary Queen of Scots which adds
romantic interest to the mansion,—not that the existing classical
structure can claim that honour, for nothing now remains of the older
building, a battlemen
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ted Tudor structure with an entrance like the gatehouse of Kenilworth
Castle, and a "gazebo" on either side of the western front. It is odd, however, that Lord Burleigh should have selected it as "a mete house
for good preservation" of a prisoner "having no toure of resort wher any ambushes might lye," for there were no less than eight towers, but presumably not the kind the Lord High Treasurer meant. During
her twelve years' captivity in Sheffield (where, by the way, "Queen Mary's Chamber," with its curious heraldic ceiling, may still be seen in
the manor-house), she was frequently at Chatsworth and Wingfield
Manor under the guardianship of George Talbot, sixth Earl of
Shrewsbury, the fourth husband of that remarkable woman, Bess of
Hardwick, who was not a little jealous of her husband's fascinating
captive, and circulated various scandalous stories, about which the
Earl thought fit to justify himself in his own epitaph in St Peter's
church, Sheffield. When the important prisoner was under his custody
in that town, she was not permitted to go beyond the courtyard, and
usually took her exercise upon the leads. But at Chatsworth her
surveillance was less strict, although truly John Beaton, the master of
her household (who predeceased his mistress, and was buried at
Edensor close by, where a brass to his memory remains), had strict
instructions regarding her. Her attendants, thirty-n
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ine in all, were none of them allowed to go beyond the precincts of
the grounds without special permission, nor was anybody allowed to
wait upon the queen between nine o'clock at night and six in the
morning. None were sanctioned to carry arms; and when the fair
prisoner wished to take the air, Lord Shrewsbury had to be informed
an hour beforehand, that he and his staff might be upon the alert.
One can picture Mary and her maids of honour engaged in
needlework upon the picturesque moated and balustraded stone
"Bower" near the river, with guards around ever on the watch. This and the old Hunting-tower high up among the trees, a massive
structure with round Elizabethan towers, are the only remains to take
us back to the days of the Scots queen's captivity.
GREAT HALL, HADDON.
To see Chatsworth to perfection it should be visited when the wooded
heights in the background are rich in their autumnal colouring. The
approach from Beeley village through the park and along the bank of
the Derwent at this season of the year, and the view from the house
and avenues of the river and park, are particularly beautiful. The
elaborate waterworks recall the days of the grand monarque, and an
al fresco shower-bath may be enjoyed beneath a copper willow tree,
the kind of practical joke that was popular in the old Spring Gardens
in London in Charles II.'s time. In addition to the splendid paintings, are numerous sketches by Raphael, Michael Angelo, Titian, etc.,
which came from the famous forty d
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ays' sale of 1682, when the works collected by Sir Peter Lely were
dispersed.
Of the stately mansions erected by Bess of Hardwick, the building
Countess
of
Shrewsbury,—Chatsworth,
Oldcotes,
Hardwick,
Bolsover, and Worksop,—Hardwick is the most untouched and
perfect. The last remaining bit of the older Chatsworth House was
removed just a century after Bess's death, so the present building
must not be associated with her name, nor indeed can any rooms at
Hardwick have been occupied by Mary Queen of Scots, as is
sometimes stated, for the house was not begun until after her death.
If the queen was ever at Hardwick, it was in the older mansion, of
which very considerable ruins remain. The error, of course, arises
from one of the rooms at Hardwick being named "Mary Queen of
Scots' room," which contains the bed and furniture from the room she
occupied at Chatsworth; and the velvet hangings of the bed bearing
her monogram, and the rich coverlet, are indeed in her own
needlework.
Bess of Hardwick in many respects was like her namesake the
strong-minded queen; and when her fourth better-half had gained his
experience and sought sympathy from the Bishop of Lichfield, he
received the following consoling reply: "Some will say in yor L. behalfe
tho' the Countesse is a sharpe and bitter
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shrewe, and, therefore, licke enough to shorten yr life, if shee shulde
kepe you company. Indede, my good Lo. I have heard some say so;
but if shrewdnesse or sharpnesse may be a just cause of sep[ar]acon
betweene a man and wiefe, I thinke fewe men in Englande woulde
keepe their wiefes longe; for it is a common jeste, yet treue in some
sense, that there is but one shrewe in all the worlde, and evy man
bathe her; and so evy man might be rydd of his wife, that wolde be
rydd of a shrewe." But with all her faults the existence of Hardwick and Bolsover alone will cover a multitude of sins. A fortune-teller
predicted that so long as she kept building she would never die; and
had not the severity of the winter of 1607 thrown her masons out of
employment, her ladyship might have survived to show us what she
could do with the vacant space at Aldwych.