Hardwick Hall

©National Trust Images/Robert Morris Groups guide 2021

Take a trip into Elizabethan history Contents

Hardwick Hall

The Gardens

Restaurant and Stables Shop

Access

Opening times and when to visit

Admission prices and payment

Making a booking

Coronavirus safety measures

Essential information for your visit Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall is one of the finest Elizabethan buildings in the country, full of architectural and artistic delights. From your first view of the grand Entrance Hall, up the twisting and turning staircase decorated with tapestries to the top of the Elizabethan floor, head on a journey of Elizabethan extravagance and power.

Bess of Hardwick, a formidable and talented woman, was responsible for the creation of both Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth House. Her four marriages led to her becoming the Countess of Shrewsbury and one of the richest women in Elizabethan England.

Hall experience may vary depending on conservation needs.

©National Trust Images/John Hammond

Discover incredible historic collections from the famous Hardwick textiles to fascinating paintings and ©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel furniture. The Gardens

Be enchanted in the gardens at Hardwick in any season, from the abundance of colour during the summer months, delicate blossoms in spring, a blanket of fiery oranges in the orchards at autumn and swathes of snowdrops during winter.

©National Trust Images/John Millar

The herb garden hums with bees and radiates scents from spring to early autumn, an experience for anyone to enjoy. The formal West court which frames the front of the Hall is abundant in colour. The ornamental orchard and fruiting orchards become magical when filled with blossom during the spring ©National Trust Images/David Levenson months.

The parkland

Hardwick Estate, which surrounds the Hall, covers around 2,500 acres of stunning parkland, woodland, wetland and farmland. It is also a working farm and home to rare-breed Longhorn cattle and sheep in the park. The Great Barn Restaurant

Open every day to dine in or take-away, the Great Barn Restaurant has all manner of tasty treats to tempt you. Hot drinks including cappuccino, latte, hot chocolates and tea will accompany your freshly baked scone, cake or sandwich. If you're feeling a little more peckish, we have hot pasties, sausage rolls and soups available to enjoy. We cannot reserve tables for your group. We encourage staggering your groups visits to the restaurant to avoid queueing.

Please wear a face mask inside and use card to pay.

©National Trust Images/Jason Ingram

Stableyard shop

Whether you're looking for the perfect gift, a memento of your visit or a treat for yourself, we’re sure you will find something from our range of tempting seasonal and locally-sourced treats.

As well as the traditional National Trust products you know and love - lemon curd, homemade jams, books, cards, and kitchenware - we have a curated selection of local products from within 30 miles of Hardwick, and sometimes including products made by the Hardwick rangers from Hardwick wood.

You will be asked to sanitise your hands and wear a face covering inside the shop. Access

Admission and Access Visitors with disabilities are asked to pay the usual admission charges to National Trust properties, but the person necessarily accompanying them will be admitted free of charge. You can apply for an Essential Companion Card online at nationaltrust.org.uk.

Assistance dogs (on leads and easily identifiable) are welcome throughout the property.

Car Parking The main Car Park is approximately 10-15 minutes’ walk from the House. Please note the road to the car park includes speed bumps.

Shop and Restaurant The Shop and the Restaurant are both accessible for wheelchair users.

Toilets The nearest toilets are based within the Stableyard area, just a short distance from the main car park. For mothers feeding babies, Hardwick welcomes feeding anywhere on the estate. However, there is a comfortable area in the baby changing should you wish to have private, quiet time. We also have two accessible toilets. House All of the ground floor of the house is accessible for wheelchair users. Access to the first and second floors is by stairs only. There are seats for visitors to use around the house. Some rooms in the house may be closed for conservation and capacity reasons. Garden Paths suitable for wheelchair and mobility scooter users. Wider Estate Unsuitable for visitors with mobility problems. Hearing Induction Loop Hearing induction loops are fitted in the Visitor Reception, shop and in the Restaurant. ©National Trust Images/James Dobson Opening times

Hall 13 Feb – 16 May Closed M T W T F S S 17 May– 31 Oct 11—3.30 M T W T F S S 1 Nov – 31 Dec 11—3 M T W T F S S Restaurant 13 Feb – 1 Apr 9.30 - 5 M T W T F S S 2 Apr – 31 Oct 9.30—6 M T W T F S S 1 Nov – 31 Dec 9.30—5 M T W T F S S Shop 13 Feb – 11 Apr Closed M T W T F S S 12 Apr – 31 Oct 10.30—5 M T W T F S S 1 Nov – 31 Dec 10—5 M T W T F S S Garden 13 Feb – 1 Apr 9.30—5 M T W T F S S 2 Apr – 31 Oct 9.30—6 M T W T F S S 1 Nov – 31 Dec 9.30—5 M T W T F S S Park Open all year M T W T F S S Hall experience varies and occasional closure required due to the fragility and conservation needs of the collection. Closed 24 and 25 December. Pre-booking advised.

When to visit: Hardwick Hall is a popular local attraction and, as a result, can become very busy. We will always try to accommodate groups where possible but are unable to take group bookings during the busiest periods - Sundays and Bank Holidays.

We have two arrival slots, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We ask that you arrive on time due to capacity management and all visitors having to pre- book a timeslot.

Timeslots available: During school holidays: Monday – Saturday: 10.30am or 1.30pm.

During school term time: Monday – Friday: 10.30am, 12pm or 1.30pm. During school term time: Saturday: 10.30am or 1.30pm.

Hall entry: To help adhere to government guidance on social distancing, there will be a controlled flow of visitors in the house. This not only helps our visitors have an enjoyable visit, it also protects the house and the collection. Your booking does not guarantee entry to the house due to the queuing system in place. Weekdays during school term time are the best time to visit. Pricing

For our National Trust members, admission is free. For non members our group rate is 5% discount of our standard adult price. Our standard adult prices differs depending on elements available. Head to our opening time on our website homepage to discover the current price and price for your planned visit.

To qualify for the group offer, groups must book ahead, consist of at least 15 visitors (whether National Trust members or not) and pay in one transaction on arrival.

Payment

To qualify for the group booking discount please pay for all non-members in your party in one transaction on the day at Visitor Reception. Payment by card only.

Making a booking

1. To check timeslot availability please email the Estate Office at [email protected] or call us on 01246 850430.

2.We will provisionally reserve your booking and send you a group booking form to complete.

3.Once you have returned your booking form we will confirm your booking.

4.We will pass your booking onto to our Visitor Welcome team who will call you 2 weeks before your booking to confirm numbers and answer any questions you may have.

We look forward to welcoming you to Hardwick. Coronavirus safety measures

To ensure the safety of our all our visitors, volunteers and staff we will have a number of safety measures in place on your visit.

Please bring a face covering with you, you will need to wear this in the Hall, toilets, restaurant, shop and visitor reception building.

Entry in to the Hall will be queued due to restricted capacity and social distancing, with limited numbers allowed within each room of the Hall.

We currently cannot provide tours.

You will be asked to sanitise your hands before entering indoor buildings.

Screens will be in place at transaction ©National Trust Images/James Dobson points including the restaurant, shop and Hall.

We cannot accept cash at this time, please bring a credit or debit card with you.

©National Trust Images/Hannah Elliot ©National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart Essential information for planning your day at Hardwick Hall

©National Trust Images/Andrew Butler ©National Trust Images/Nadia Mackenzie What should we do once we have arrived?

On arrival please ensure that your party remain on the coach, a member of staff will come to greet you. We ask that groups disembark in phased group of six to ensure social distancing, from arrival at the site until departure. Please avoid grouping together in any spaces during the visit or when waiting for your departure.

We do request that the group leader call the property reception team on 01246 858 535 when you are 15 minutes away, in order that someone can come and welcome you. Please have your NT membership cards ready if applicable.

When is the best time to visit the House/Garden/Park?

Please phone the estate office on 01246 850430 or email: [email protected] to check if your preferred date is available before booking any transport and before publicising dates to your group, as we can only accommodate two groups per day and receive many requests. If we are already fully booked on the day you would like to visit we will do our best to find another suitable date.

How long do we need to visit the House/Garden/Wider Estate?

House: We would recommend that you plan to spend at least 45 minutes to an hour walking around the house. Garden: A visit to the Garden might take 45 minutes to an hour also, but schedule for longer if you have a particular interest in the garden. Severe Weather

In severe weather conditions we may close the property for the safety of our visitors. In the unlikely event of severe weather, your group will be contacted on the morning of your visit.

How far is it from the Car Park to the main visitor facilities and House?

It is a short walk or a leisurely stroll of about 5 to 10 minutes from the coach park to the toilet facilities, shop, restaurant and gardens and a further 5 to 10 minutes through the gardens to the front of the hall. For more information on access and facilities for visitors with disabilities, please refer to the ‘Access Guide’ section in this pack.

Can we visit Stainsby Mill?

The mill is open with limited numbers and by pre-booking only, a large group visit would not be possible.

What if we’re running late or delayed for our visit on the day?

To give all of our visitors a personal welcome to Hardwick, we endeavor to welcome all coaches and are therefore booked on time slots. Should you find that you are delayed for your arrival please call our Visitor Reception Team on 01246 858435.