Elizabethan prodigy house, more glass than wall.
Open to visitorsa National Trust place — check opening times and admission before you go
Built between 1590 and 1597 for Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury, this is one of the great Elizabethan prodigy houses, designed by Robert Smythson. Its vast grids of window glass, a deliberate display of wealth when glass was a luxury, gave rise to the rhyme “Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall”. Bess’s initials still crown the six towers. The grounds hold walled courtyards, orchards and a herb garden. The National Trust has run it since 1959, and it is open on a paid ticket.
