HADDON HALL, BAKEWELL, DERBYSHIRE
Haddon Hall is considered to be the finest example of a fortified medieval manor house in England. It dates back to the 12th century and was begun by Peveril, the illegitimate son of William the Conqueror. The manor was forfeited to the Crown in 1153, later passing to one of Peveril’s tenants, William Avenal. It was then acquired by Richard Vernon in 1170, who married Avenal’s daughter. The Vernon family were responsible for most of the building at Haddon Hall, with the exception of Peveril Tower and part of the chapel, which already existed in 1170, and the Long Gallery which was added around 1600. It’s interesting to note that the manor was never bought or sold.
In 1563 Dorothy Vernon, heir to the manor, married (or according to local legend – eloped with) John Manners and the manor has been in the Manners’ family ever since. On becoming the Earls, and later the Dukes of Rutland, they moved to their main seat at Belvoir Castle and Haddon was little used during the 18th and 19th centuries. As a consequence, it remained virtually unaltered from the 16th century until the 9th Duke of Rutland moved there in 1912 and began restoration work on the manor.
The house is beautifully situated on a wooded crag overlooking the River Wye and the entrance is through a weathered grey stone gatehouse guarded by an imposing tower.
The Gatehouse and tower
The courtyard retains its medieval look with gargoyles and crenelated walls.
Gargoyle in the courtyard
To the right of the courtyard is the chapel which has remained virtually unchanged since medieval times. The beautiful carved alabaster reredos and pre-Reformation frescos were for centuries hidden beneath whitewashed walls.
Chapel
The wonderfully carved and painted reredos behind the altar
INSIDE THE HOUSE
The Great Hall/Banqueting Hall, dating from 1370, has richly panelled walls and a timber framed roof (a 20th century replacement of the original, constructed with timbers from the Haddon and Belvoir estates). The original table and bench stand on a raised dais, and a 15th century French tapestry hangs on a wall – a gift from King Henry VIII. The minstrels’ gallery was added in the 16th century.
The dining room was created in about 1500 by Henry Vernon, and panelled in 1545, resulting in a perfect Tudor room. The ceiling is plaster, painted with the Tudor Rose and Talbot Dogs, the emblem of Anne Talbot, the wife of Henry Vernon. The panelling shows the Boar’s Head Crest and armourial shields of many generations of the Vernon family. The table is a 20th century copy of the ancient table in the Great Hall.
The finest room is the oak and walnut panelled Long Gallery (110 feet long) built around 1600. It served several purposes – entertaining guests, taking exercise in the form of walking when the weather was inclement, and displaying art collections.
A painting of the Long Gallery by artist Joseph Nash (1808-1878)
At the end of the gallery are steps leading out into the garden and down to the River Wye. It’s from these very steps that Dorothy Vernon is said to have eloped with her lover John Manners in 1558.
THE GARDENS
Haddon Hall is set within acres of manicured Elizabethan terraced gardens and is
believed to be one of the most romantic gardens in Britain.
Rakes And Rascals 