Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire UK -textiles, tapestries and old houses
For those of you who may be visiting this area and have an interest in textiles, sewing, embroidery as well as old houses, Hardwick Hall should be on your list. There is a mill as well, but we did not have time for that yesterday.
Although not really highlighted by their website, the hall is apparently best known for its tapestries and wall hangings of which there are a lot and only one at a time is taken off for cleaning and restoration, which apparently takes at least a year and costs around £100,000 each. Puts kilts into perspective! Most have been in place for 400+ years so have collected a little dust during their lifetime.
Some are better preserved than others as a result of having been in storage or hung in a darker area.
There are lots of other things to see, this frieze comprises actual trees:
Then there is, among others, a Venus and Cupid sculpture:
a wine cooler!
Queen Elizabeth the First:
and a very odd addition, this was actually a reflection in a mirror which I have turned round so the kilt looks the right way round:
Last edited by tpa; 31st May 15 at 04:10 PM.
If you are going to do it, do it in a kilt!
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