Hardwick Hall: Inn and Lakes

Paul John Bridgett

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This easy, quite short walk follows mostly concessionary paths and tracks within the Hardwick Hall Estate.

Hardwick Hall was built in the 1590s for Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury (Bess of Hardwick). The hall is probably one of the most intact buildings of this period remaining. Built at a time when windows were taxed, the hall exhibits great opulence with its large window areas and gave rise to the local jibe 'Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall'. The interior is worth a visit too, with its tapestries and quilts, some of which would have come from local priories and monasteries. The hall is open from late March to late October, usually Thursday to Sunday. The gardens are open daily except Tuesdays in season.

The pub used on this walk is The Hardwick Inn, a popular 16th Century inn just outside the exit gates for the track through the estate. They have a reasonable bar food menu, with more highly priced specials and a carvery restaurant at the weekend (even more expensive, but good). They serve a choice of hand-pulled beers including when walked, Theakston's XB, Moorland's Old Speckled Hen and Ruddles County. Outside they have plenty of bench tables.

The return is quite a short distance passing beside the fishing lakes, on last walking all paths were clear and open. There are several other paths around the lakes for further exploration.

England - Central England - Derbyshire - Countryside

Features

Ancient Monument, Birds, Flowers, Lake/Loch, National Trust, Pub, Stately Home, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland

9/18/2006 - Paul John Bridgett

I don’t think that they are reading the directions on marker 6 correctly. It states a direction from the gateway below the old hall as continue "ahead, just a little to the right, descending the bank". The other path from the gateway is about 90 degrees to the right and descends steeply. The gateway to the pub is at the left of the woodland, but direction from waymark 6 is as described. If directed to the left from here there is no path and you would be climbing the bank towards the small village just outside the area of the hall. I think the direction is quite clear, though if it confuses a selection of walkers I will rethink it to remove any confusion.

9/10/2006 - rachel harvey

I am sorry Paul but I strongly disagree and I would like to ask if have been there recently as the gate to the pub is definitly on the left hand corner of the pasture as you emerge from the alley way from the Hall. And when I went the path to the left which We followed there were no stone steps but when we retraced our steps to go down the left hand path there were. I would like to say that the maintaince had finished and there were no wire fences as depicted in the photos.

9/5/2006 - Paul John Bridgett

I think I will leave wm 6 as it is as the path is crossing a wide sheep pasture taking a diagonal line descending steadily to the right, as walk details, not to left as Rachel's comment. The other path from the gateway behind the old Hall is about 90 degrees to right and is a steep descent. I often wonder if giving left corner or right could be misunderstood, here you descend to the far right corner of pasture, though the corner is at the far left of the woodland at bottom of bank.

9/3/2006 - rachel harvey

Hi just come back from the walk at Hardwick Hall. I took my 3 kids (9 11 and 13yrs) and we had a great time. I would recommend this walk to all with kids 7yrs upwards. Plenty of space to explore and climb on the way. However there is one point I would like to point out and that is on point 6, 461636 the gate is on the left hand corner of the field and not the right as it says and you have to head slightly to the left down the hill. This is important as there is a path that heads to the right, but there are no steps in that direction. Also the maintainence has now finished and there is no stile to climb over just a gate to the pub. A great walk thanks it was my first walk from this web site and was very easy to follow and so much more to be discovered than depicted in the photos.

1/18/2006 - Walkingworld Administrator

This walk was updated January 2006.