Sunday 4 July 2010

Walking around Hardwick Hall ...

We parked near the village of Rowthorne, and set off in the sunshine along the Rowthorne Trail ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

This was the footpath that runs parallel to the Trail. It's just a few yards away.

We left the Trail and turned south towards Norwood Lodge. Across the first field though we had to negotiate a slippery, sludgy, mess ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

Once through the wood the path for Norwood Lodge was, as usual, well marked.

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

I looked back when we reached the handful of houses at Norwood Lodge ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

From the lodge we walked into Lady Spencer's Wood. According to a National Trust interpretation panel Lady Spencer, who was born in 1737, was the mother of five children including Georgiana by her husband, John, the first Earl of Althorp. Georgiana married the 5th Duke of Devonshire and so the Cavendish family [the Dukes of Devonshire] and the Spencers [which included Lady Diana, of course] were linked.

Lady Spencer loved the countryside and gardening and created the walk I was using some 250 years later.    

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

Also on the interpretation panel is an extract from a letter written by Georgiana to her mother, Lady Spencer, "I could not bear to write till I had seen your dear walk. It is in great perfection and poor Mallinson, tho' he has had a stroke of the palsy has kept it up very neatly ...". She then goes on to say how she will add some benches to the walk and make it "quite an object for any day when it is fine to go to the wood ..."

There are no benches in the wood. Perhaps there never were ...

We walked across the avenue of trees between Hardwick Park Farm and the Hall itself before reaching Park Piece. There were more muddy paths in this wood ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

We followed the road that brings the visitors into the park before picking up the bridleway that runs from the ponds uphill to The Grange and then onto Ault Hucknall. The gate at The Grange has an interesting latch in the form of a snake.

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

A snake being the emblem of the Cavendish family who used to own Hardwick.

We reached Ault Hucknall which comprises a farm, two or three houses and a fascinating church ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

As we looked around the church we found this ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

... the gravestone of Lexey Mallison, "Servant to his grace the Duke of Devonshire at Hardwick" and who died on the 15th August 1799. Was this the "poor Mallinson" that Georgiana wrote about in her letter to her Mother ?  Or was it perhaps his or her son ? I've noticed the letter refers to 'Mallinson' and the gravestone to 'Mallison' but surely they're the same surname ... just misspelt by Georgiana or the stonemason.  

As I have mentioned elsewhere Ault Hucknall has some interesting stonework in its wall. There's a small window with some interesting carving above it ... and also to the right of it there's another interesting stone ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

  Then there's the carving of George and the Dragon below another carving of a half man/half horse with a spear [?] and with some creature[s] to his right too  ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

Then to the right of George and the Dragon etc. there's a hollowed out stone ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

After the church we took the left hand of two paths which leads eventually to Rowthorne village ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

After we'd finished our walk we went and had a look around Hardwick Hall itself and noticed the snake on a downspout ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010


I finish with a couple of photos of one of my favourite stately homes, if not the favourite ...

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

Hardwick and Ault Hucknall ~ 4th April 2010

Date of walk ~ 4th April 2010

Length of walk 4 1/2 miles

Total walked so far in 2010 ~ 55 1/2 miles

Total walked since 1st September 2009 ~ 185 1/2 miles.

12 of 2010

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