Discover something new in the Hall

Hardwick Hall is a house built to show wealth, ambition and was at the forefront of architectural design and fashion in Elizabethan times.

In 2016 a new book on Hardwick and its collections was published. On sale in our shop, Hardwick Hall - A Great Old Castle of Romance has been written by our national experts in every field from architecture to textiles and it shares some exciting findings about the Hall and its contents.

This year in the Hall you will be able to explore the themes from the book in more detail.  We have taken three chapters from the book; portraits, tapestries and furniture and created some interpretation to help you discover something new about our collections. Find out what details in the portraits mean, learn about how they were the ‘selfies’ of their day and then take your own selfie in our photo booth. You can also find out how colourful our tapestries once were and create your own label describing two pieces of ornate furniture.

For further information during your visit you can access our internal Wi-Fi system Info-Point. Using any smart phone or tablet you can see detailed pictures, find out interesting facts and even watch a tapestry recolour before your eyes!