Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall is about two miles from Bakewell and we were visiting it for the second time. It is a fortified manor house with Medieval and Tudor architecture and is quite special in that the last building and improvements made to it were done at the end of the 16th century. The family moved to Belvoir Castle (pronounced ‘beaver’) in Grantham, Leicestershire in 1703, the main home of the Manners family, and left Haddon Hall empty for 200 years. The 9th Duke and Duchess of Rutland decided at the start of the 20th century to restore the Hall and this work is continuing to this day. It is now the home of Lord Edward Manners who is the younger brother of the current Duke of Rutland. He lives in a part of the Hall which is not open to the public.
Haddon Hall from the bridge over the R. Wye
A view of the R. Wye from the bridge. These little triangular areas at the side of the bridge are safe places to stand when there is traffic on the bridge. If you look at Bakewell Bridge in my previous post you’ll see the same thing there.
The Hall has been used many times by film companies so some of you will have seen it already. A couple of the most famous films in which it is featured are ‘Jane Eyre’ with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender (2011) and Franco Zefferelli’s version of ‘Jane Eyre’ with Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt (1994). It had a cameo role in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ with Keira Knightley (2004) and also ‘Elizabeth’ with Cate Blanchett (1998). The BBC’s most recent version of ‘Jane Eyre’ with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens (2006) was also filmed here.
The River Wye
Looking back at the Gate House through which we had just passed
A wildflower meadow on the approach to the Hall
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Topiary in the garden next to the old stables
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More topiary
These topiary yew trees are clipped into the shapes of a boar’s head and a peacock, the arms of the Vernon and Manners families to whom the Hall still belongs. The Hall passed to the Manners family in the 16th century as the heir to the estate, Dorothy Vernon, had married Sir John Manners. There is a story that Dorothy and John eloped in 1563 which may be true but Sir John Manners came of a rich and noble local family and I cannot think that Dorothy’s father would have objected to him.
The North-West Tower
The path ascends to the North-West Tower which became the main entrance to the hall in the 16th century. Going through the entrance we found ourselves in the Lower Courtyard.
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Looking back to the entrance through the NW Tower
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Rooms off the Courtyard
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Octagonal bell tower next to the chapel
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Stairs up to the oldest part of the Hall – King John’s Wall
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Rooms off the Courtyard
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Entrance to the Hall from the Courtyard
Richard de Vernon, in 1193, was granted a licence to build a wall of not more than 12 feet in height to enclose the Chapel, the Watch Tower and some timber buildings. 12 foot walls were only sufficient to deter marauders and would have proved no barrier to a full-blown attack. The man granting the licence was John, Count of Mortain who was to become King John four years later on the death of his brother, Richard I ‘the Lionheart’. This wall is still standing and has been incorporated into the Hall buildings.
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17th century doorway
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Gargoyle and lead drain pipes
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Gargoyle and lead drain pipes
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Battlements were only for show and added in the 14th century
The Courtyard slopes upwards, from the entrance under the tower, to the main buildings. The Hall evolved over a few hundred years with little or no planning but as it is all built using the same type of material, grey limestone and yellow gritstone, it somehow looks just right.
Entrance to the Chapel
The Chapel was one of the first parts of the Hall to be built. It is dedicated to St Nicholas and is decorated inside with fresco seccoes depicting the life of St Nicholas and of St Anne. There is a large image of St Christopher the patron saint of travellers and also a picture of three skeletons which were part of a larger painting illustrating a medieval Morality of earthly vanity.
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Fresco secco
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Fresco secco
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St Christopher
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Three Skeletons
The frescoes were probably commissioned in the early 15th century when other changes were being carried out. Fresco seccoes do not last as long as buon frescoes as they are painted onto dry plaster not wet. They were also damaged during the Reformation.
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Stained glass window
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Stained glass window
As I mentioned, the Hall was left empty for 200 years and in 1828 the faces of the saints in the glass were stolen. A reward of one hundred guineas was offered for their return but to no avail.
The chapel is filled with wonderful things – a musician’s gallery, lots of box-pews, a beautiful marble effigy of the 9 year old Lord Haddon who died in 1894, an alabaster reredos. I found it difficult to photograph the chapel as a whole with my small camera as it was so full of furniture. There were also a number of people like us wandering about and admiring and they always seemed to be standing in the wrong place!
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Alabaster reredos
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Stairs to musician’s gallery
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Six sided pulpit with box pew in front
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Box pew with effigy to Lord Haddon in front
We then crossed the Courtyard and entered through the porch to the Banqueting Hall.
A Roman altar found in the fields of the estate is displayed just inside the porch.
Passageway to kitchen
The Kitchen is a fine example of a Tudor kitchen. Originally it was a separate building to reduce the risk of fire spreading to the main house and the passageway was added much later. The kitchen is in fact a set of rooms all with different uses. The main room has a fire heated water boiler and a stone trough fed by the one and only water system to the Hall. The trough is divided into three to hold water of varying degrees of cleanliness.
Stone trough
Kitchen fireplace with a log box on the left and in front of that is a wood block for chopping firewood
Looking through to the bakery from the kitchen
Bakery
A collection of paddles used for putting bread etc into the ovens
Pastry ovens
Carving table
Food preparation table
Another carving table
Butchery. The odd object in the foreground is a 15th century oak block on three short legs that was used for jointing meat. The object behind is a salting trough.
A collection of ‘dole’ cupboards and hutches or meal arks are in the original Milk Larder
‘Dole’ cupboards were put outside houses like Haddon Hall for passing traders or Estate workers and filled with food and left-overs from the kitchen. Most ‘dole’ cupboards haven’t survived as they were exposed to the elements so these are very rare. The ‘dole’ cupboards have ornate panels in their doors. Hutches or meal arks were used for the storage of grain or bread. These are the smaller chest-shaped boxes. The table (centre back) is a 15th century oak side-table or buffet.
Scorch marks on the timber of the wall show where candles were placed for illumination.
The high table and bench in the Banqueting Hall.
When the hall was built in the 14th century this room would have been the communal living space with a central hearth and vents in the roof to let the smoke out. It was then known as the Great Hall. By the beginning of the next century the family would have started to eat, sleep and spend leisure time in their private apartments so the Great Hall became a place for entertaining guests and was re-named the Banqueting Hall. The walls are panelled which not only helped to insulate the room but was also a status symbol too. The long table has a top made of two elm planks resting on three square pillars with splayed feet. The bench is the same age as the table (c.1400) and is one plank on square legs. The table top is not attached to the base which meant that it could be turned over and both sides used. The bench and table are on a raised platform at one end of the room. The tapestry behind the table is French and was made during King Edward IV’s reign (1461-1483). It shows the Royal Arms of England and is supposed to have been presented to the Vernon family by King Henry VIII whose older brother Prince Arthur spent some time at Haddon Hall.
The fireplace. The chimney was added in the mid 15th century.
On entering the Hall you can smell wood smoke even when there is no fire.
The Minstrel’s Gallery is opposite the High Table
The screen which can be seen at the bottom of the photo is 14th century and is a fine example of Gothic tracery. Attached to the screen is an iron manacle and lock. If a guest ‘did not drink fayre’ – either too little or too much – he was punished by having his wrist locked in the manacle and the rest of his drink poured down his sleeve. The antlers are mid 17th century and the tapestry which hangs above the Minstrel’s Gallery was produced at the beginning of the 17th century.
Steps to the upper floor
Steps showing the 17th century dog gates.
We then went through a door off the Banqueting Hall and entered the Parlour or Dining Room. This was the room the family used as private quarters and it is still used as a dining room.
Carved oaken panelling. This is just a part of a frieze around the room showing the armorial shields of the Vernons and the families with whom they had intermarried.
I apologise for the poor quality of this photo but I didn’t wish to leave it out. It is believed that these two figures are those of King Henry VII and his wife Queen Elizabeth of York
This carving over the fireplace says ‘Drede God and Honour the Kyng’. The text is based on Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible (c.1395) of 1 Peter 2 v.17.
Attractive window in the Parlour
Plaster ceiling installed in the early 1500s. This is a Tudor rose.
And this is a Talbot dog. Sir Henry Vernon (who installed the ceiling) married Anne Talbot daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury
We then went up the stairs to the first floor and entered the Great Chamber. This was re-roofed and remodelled at the same time as the Parlour below.
The fireplace. The 17th century oak panelling shows traces of gold and green paint. It must have been beautifully decorated when new.
Some of the furniture in the room
This plaster frieze around the room is beautiful and an early example of 17th century English Renaissance decoration
The plaster ceiling in this oriel bay window is also of the same date and quality.
Windows at the opposite end of the room. This room would have originally been the Solar – the private quarters of the family – and Solars were always well provided with windows to make the most of natural light
I loved this chair. The teasel is to stop people from sitting on it. I don’t think it would take the weight of many modern-day adults!
This is a 14th century pew end that is displayed in the room. The carving is satirical and depicts the rapacity of the clergy!
One of the tapestries that hang in the room. They were thought to be Flemish but are now thought to be French and woven in Paris sometime before 1650.
We passed through a small ante-chamber which was once used as a dressing room and entered the Earl’s Apartment. This was originally two chambers and there are stairs leading to the Chapel below so maybe one of the rooms was used by the clergy. There are two fireplaces in this room as well. After the partition was removed it was used as a gallery at first and then when a larger gallery was built the room was used as a bedchamber.
A Charles II tortoiseshell looking-glass
Above the smaller fireplace are signatures in the plaster of visiting members of the Royal Family. Can you spot Prince Charles’, Princess Anne’s and George V’s signatures?
An English early 17th century spinning chair.
The Long Gallery
On the opposite side of the landing to the Great Chamber is the Long Gallery. It is 110 feet long and 17 feet wide. The entrance to the gallery is up some semi-circular steps said to have been cut from the roots of a single oak.
Looking down at the steps from inside the Long Gallery
The Long Gallery
The room is full of light and space.
One of the window embrasures. They face south to make the most of the sunlight.
Long Galleries were used as indoor promenades so that the family could take exercise if the weather was too bad to go outside. There are wonderful views of the gardens and surrounding countryside from the windows.
The diamond-shaped panes are set at different angles which also maximises the use of daylight. It is also very attractive.
A doorway surmounted by the Manners’ family crest.
Th panelling is made of oak which was probably originally sized by being lime-washed. It was then painted with designs in a foxy-red colour.
Oak panelling
Ornate plaster ceiling
The State Bedroom leads off the Long Gallery. There is no bed in it because when the Hall was being restored the state bed was moved to Belvoir Castle where it still remains.
Plaster relief above the fireplace shows Orpheus taming the animals. This dates from the mid 1500s and there is no attempt at realism in the sizes of the animals. There is a very small elephant at the bottom left of the relief.
Tapestry in the State Bedroom
The final room is the Ante-room in which there is one of the earliest racing pictures in existence.
This painting depicts a pre-Arabian English bay racehorse with his jockey in a landscape. It is attributed to the German-born painter John Baptist Closterman (died 1713).
Tapestry in the Ante-room.
There is a flight of worn steps from the Ante-room to the garden but we didn’t go that way but back through the house.
View of the Hall from the garden
The windows of the Long Gallery
The main structure of the garden was laid out in the middle of the 17th century. It has a series of descending terraces – the topmost and the lower garden are closed to the public. It is a fine example of an English Renaissance garden and avoided being made-over in the 18th century because no-one was living there at the time.
I must apologise for the length of this post and the amount of photographs in it. I have spent some considerable time trying to shorten it and to delete most of the photos but I find I can’t do either. I love this Hall very much – I think it is the most beautiful place I know and I wished to have a record of my visit for myself as much as wishing to share it with you. Thank-you for your patience.
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