One of the most magnificent great house of the Elizabethan
period, Hardwick New Hall stands prominently on high ground
overlooking the valley of the river Doe Lea in north-east
Derbyshire. Built in the 1590s by Elizabeth, Countess of
Shrewsbury (best known to history as 'Bess of Hardwick'), the
hall is one of the best preserved examples of the work of the
architect Robert Smythson and stands in stark contrast to the
ruinous remains of the Old Hall also built by Bess in the 1580s.
This book looks at the history of both the halls and the wider
estate, the changing fortunes of the Cavendish family, and the
growth and eventual decline of the coal mining industry in the
area. "Hardwick: a Great House and its Estate" follows the
development of the estate, from its purchase and initial
development by Bess, to the administration of her son William,
who also bought the Chatsworth estate and became earl of
Devonshire in 1618. The story continues to the death of the 10th
duke of Devonshire in 1950, taking in the transfo