Viv picked me up at the hotel and we were off to Haddon Hall, which dates back 900 years or so. If you want the history you can look it up, I'm just here for the visuals.
There is still some family living here, and they sometimes have dinners at this table.
The teazel on the chair means "don't sit here"
We had lunch in their little cafe (jacket/baked potato with good English cheddar and Irish butter), then drove to Hardwick Hall. Built by Bess of Hardwick and one of her four husbands, it reflects her immense wealth. She was also a big fan of embroidery, using the embroideries from the monasteries that Henry VIII was dismantling (with Bess's husband's help) as sources for applique work. There's an embroidery show there now, and my picture selection reflects that.
Bess herself.
Gigantic Cedar of Lebanon
Ruins of one of Bess's earlier homes.
Afterwards Viv drove me to a train station to catch a train for York. I will see her again later in the trip.
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