Hardwick Old Hall

The remodelled family home of Bess of Hardwick, one of the richest and most remarkable women of Elizabethan England, stands beside the New Hall she raised later in the 1590s. Though the Old Hall is now roofless, visitors can still ascend four floors to view surviving decorative plasterwork, as well as the kitchen and service rooms.

A recently installed exhibition in the West Lodge describes Bess's adventures in architecture, and how she transformed her birthplace from a medieval manor house into a luxurious Elizabethan mansion. An audio tour tells Bess's story, and on the ground floor there is a virtual tour of the first floor rooms (which are only accessible via steps).