Bakewell - Haddon Hall

Haddon Hall (15mi/24km to the southeast of Chatsworth), seat of the Duke of Rutland, has a magnificent setting on a hillside above the Wye. This beautiful stately home was originally a Norman stronghold, and the northeast tower and parts of the chapel date from the late Norman period. The visitor enters by the northwest gate which leads into the Lower Courtyard with its fountains. Of interest inside the castle are the Duke's bedchamber, the medieval banqueting hall with massive wooden vaulting, the chapel with 15th century wall-paintings and a white marble tomb for Lord Haddon, the brother of the ninth Duke, who died in childhood. The stone ceiling of the dining room is decorated with coats of arms belonging to the family, while its walls are embellished with elaborate wood paneling. The Great Hall (14th century) is hung with wonderful Flemish tapestries, on which hunting scenes and the five senses (feeling, hearing, seeing, tasting and smelling) are depicted. The wainscoted Long Gallery (110ft/34m) shows Renaissance influences. The colorful gardens were skillfully remodeled at the beginning of this century.

Haddon Hall Gardens is predominantly a terraced rose garden but it is also renowned for its clematis and delphiniums.