Hardwick Hall: Countdown to Christmas begins

The National Trust will be inviting visitors to step back in time and experience Wintertide; a season of Elizabethan magic. Between 17 November and 5 January, visitors will be able to explore the 16th century hall which will be brimming with twinkly lights and decked out with foliage displays and decorations handcrafted by the Hardwick team.

Visitors will be able to look out this year for the Lord of Misrule, an Elizabethan figure who was appointed to oversee revelries, mischief and mayhem! They will be able to follow them around the mansion and delight in his topsy-turvy ways by lantern light.

Hardwick Hall, near Chesterfield, will also be extending Wintertide into the evenings on certain dates so that visitors can experience the hall in a different light. On 29th and 30th November, 6th and 7th December, 13th and 14th December, and 20th and 21st December, the hall will be open through to 7pm. There’s no need to book in advance as there will be free flow entry between 12pm - 7pm. The festivities will extend into the new year with the Feast of Fools taking place on the 1st of January 2025.

Matt Dillon, Visitor Operations & Experience Manager of Hardwick Hall, said: ‘Hardwick Wintertide is going to be a truly magical experience with the opportunity to explore the hall by the light of lanterns. Our extended after-hours openings will also offer people the chance to see the mansion in a whole new light. It promises to be a spectacular experience.’

For more details, visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/peak-district-derbyshire/hardwick/christmas-at-hardwick