Motoring & LeisureEventsEvents in the Midlands & NorthCelebrate the life of Bess of Hardwick - the greatest celebrity of them all! Celebrate the life of Bess of Hardwick - the greatest celebrity of them all!
11/02/2008
TV chefs, footballers, pop stars...lightweights, all of them, compared with Bess of Hardwick – the greatest celebrity of her era and the second richest woman in Elizabethan England. This year marks the 400th anniversary of her death and the National Trust is hosting a series of exciting family events at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire to celebrate her amazing life.
Businesswoman, entrepreneur and shrewd political operator, Elizabeth,
Countess of Shrewsbury, was a social climber who rose from humble
beginnings through four marriages to build the magnificent Hardwick Hall, now owned by the National Trust. With her own army of craftsmen and embroiderers, she built and furnished Hardwick Hall to impress all who saw it and it is among the finest surviving Elizabethan houses in Britain.
Bess' exuberance and style still fascinate today and the various events throughout 2008 will bring her story vividly to life. There will be 'Hidden Hardwick' tours, showing Bess' bedroom and other areas not normally seen by the public, period costume and family fun days and talks, all taking place throughout the season. In addition, there will be a number of special one-off events, including:
Elizabethan 'Strip', May 12th and 13th
From the ruff down to the corset, see the many complex layers of clothing that would have been worn by Bess and other wealthy women in
Elizabethan England.
* Booking for this event is essential.
'More Glass than Wall', June 12th
Enjoy a fantastic live performance with the world premiere of new music devised by sinfonia ViVA and hundreds of local young people in the grounds of Hardwick Hall.
'The Lost Princess', June 21st
An outdoor theatre performance tells the story of Bess and her tempestuous relationship with her granddaughter Arbella, who Bess had
hoped would one day become Queen.
Elizabethan Week, September 24th- 25th and September 27th- 28th
Immerse yourself in the Elizabethan era with a week of costumed dancing, music and themed activities, see the Tudor Travellers who will set up camp and have a go at stone-carving.
The anniversary year is funded by Visit Peak District and Derbyshire and is being backed by The National Trust, Chatsworth and Derby Cathedral, all of whom have a role in telling different parts of Bess' story. For a full list of events and further details, visit the website linked below.