Hardwick Hall
Though she rose to the dizzying heights of a countess, Bess never forgot her roots. In 1581 her brother, James, died a debtor, and she purchased Hardwick Hall. In 1584, as her marriage to Talbot effectively ended, she set about turning the ramshackle, medieval manor house she was born in into an Elizabethan treasure. The so-called Old Hall was built in style, with several state rooms and accompanying chambers with spectacular views across the Hardwick estate. However, in 1590 she began building the New Hall, right next to the as-yet incomplete Old Hall, which was even grander than the first.
The two halls were intended to complement each other, like the wings of a building. The New Hall was one of the first in the world to be built by a professional architect – Robert Smythson – who made a plan before building began. Indeed, the building remains remarkable today. The locals still say of it, ‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’, and the house also incorporates one of the largest long galleries in Europe. Bess left no doubt about who was responsible for the building, incorporating her initials, ‘ES’ (‘Elizabeth [Countess of] Shrewsbury’) along the rooftops for all to see.
This may be a touch of solipsism on Bess’s part, but make no mistake about it: this was her project. Though she hired an architect to realize her vision, Bess was very specific about what she wanted from the house. The rebuilding of the Halls came about because Talbot refused to budge from Chatsworth, and Bess could not bear to be around him. Hardwick New and Old Hall contain 101 rooms between them, by contrast to the 97 at her beloved Chatsworth. Having the two halls meant that she could put less welcome or unimportant guests in the Old Hall.