Hardwick East Lodge

• A comfortable cottage with a woodburner, high ceilings and spacious bedrooms

• Surrounded by history, you'll have views of the old and new halls at Hardwick, which you can visit for free

• Miles of walks through parkland and in the nearby Peak District

Hardwick East Lodge is at the heart of the Hardwick Estate, in the grounds of the Old Hall ruins. Behind its white plaster, golden stone and lead-lined windows is a modern interior with atmospheric views of rolling Derbyshire hills, Hardwick Hall, and dramatic stone ruins.  

The Hardwick Estate has a fascinating history and was most notably home to Bess of Hardwick. Bess began life in a modest manor house which, through a series of prosperous marriages, she developed into the Old Hall. But her masterpiece was the “New Hall” - an Elizabethan prodigy house built in the late 1500s, designed to be fit for a Royal visit. Hardwick Hall is still an impressive sight today, filled with an important collection of rich furnishings, tapestries and original portraits that were passed down through generations of her family, the Devonshires. Meanwhile, only some walls and plaster friezes remain of the Old Hall after parts were pulled down by the 4th Duke of Devonshire in the 18th century to create the ruins.

The lodge is between the old and new halls, which were built just a few hundred metres from each other, seperated by the main visitor road and part of the New Hall's gardens. You’ll have free entry to both halls and the gardens during opening hours. There’s also over 2,000 acres of parkland - filled with walking trails, ancient trees, farmland and wetland - which you can wander throughout the day and when other visitors have gone home. A National Trust café and shop are nearby, and a historic pub is about a 15-minute walk downhill.

You can reach the Peak District in about half-an-hour's drive, with picturesque towns and villages like Bakewell, Castleton (known for its caverns and Blue John gemstones), famous plague village Eyam, and Ashford in the Water. Head to Longshaw, Burbage and the Eastern Moors for spectacular views and walks through ancient woodland, across rugged moorland and along bubbling streams. Closer to the cottage is Chesterfield, with one of England’s oldest open-air markets and an iconic crooked church spire. Other National Trust places to visit on your holiday include Kedleston Hall, Clumber Park and The Children’s Country House at Sudbury.

There are two other holiday cottages at Hardwick, 6 High Hazels (sleeps 11) and 4 Stable Yard Cottage (sleeps six, dog friendly), just a few minutes' walk away. Multiple cottages can be booked together for a group stay.

We expect to have full photography for this cottage in the week commencing 23 November 2026.