Hardwick Hall

Question 1

How many marriages did Bess have and what did they provide her with?

Answer 1

4 marriages, each one left her with greater wealth, status and power

Question 2

Who was her final husband?

Answer 2

George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, a rich privy councillor who owned many glassworks, iron foundries, coal mines and farmlands

Question 3

What was Bess’ personality like?

Answer 3

Intelligent and ambitious; a shrewd businesswoman who was determined to invest and increase her wealth

Question 4

What raw materials were produced on the site of Hardwick Hall?

Answer 4

Lead, brick, glass, iron, wood etc

Question 5

What was significant about glass in Elizabethan times?

Answer 5

It was an expensive, luxury item that was used in copious amounts to create the windows of Hardwick Hall, acting as a blatant expression of Bess’ wealth

Question 6

Why did the windows increase in size as you went up floors in the house?

Answer 6

The size of the windows reflected the societal status of those who worked or were received on each floor

Therefore, the servants who worked on the bottom floor had smaller windows, then Bess and her family had larger ones, and then important guests (i.e. nobility) had even larger

This also demonstrates the Elizabethan belief of the Great Chain of Being

Question 7

When did construction of Hardwick Hall begin and end?

Answer 7

1590 - 1597

Question 8

Why did some windows not have a room behind them?

Answer 8

Some windows had brick walls behind them, highlighting how they were purely decorative as a display of Bess’ wealth

Question 9

Why were the initials “E.S” incorporated into the architecture of the Hall?

Answer 9

Elizabeth Shrewsbury (Bess) wanted to showcase her social status and achievements

Question 10

What was the artistic movement in Europe known as?

Answer 10

The Renaissance

Question 11

What Renaissance influences does Hardwick Hall have and what do they show?

Answer 11

Loggia, chimneys, oak panelling, intricate stonework, tall rooms, grand staircases

Help to show Bess’ sophistication and refinement

Question 12

What mathematical principle was very popular in Elizabethan architecture?

Answer 12

Symmetry, demonstrating the balance and order of Elizabethan society

Incorporated into Hardwick to show that Bess has contemporary taste

Question 13

What was the most unusual feature of Hardwick Hall?

Answer 13

It had a Great Hall, despite them going out of fashion many years ago

Used to impress visitors with its scale and show Bess’ status

Question 14

Aside from being a display of wealth, what else did the windows provide the house with?

Answer 14

Natural light, warmth from the sun, grandiose views of the surrounding countryside

Question 15

What was the Long Gallery used for?

Answer 15

Entertaining guests, views of the countryside and gardens, indoor exercise, displaying Bess’ portrait and tapestry collection

Question 16

What makes Hardwick Halls gardens different from medieval houses?

Answer 16

Used for pleasure and relaxation instead of hunting, symmetrical design for a more refined appearance

Question 17

The furniture within the Hall was designed to be…?

Answer 17

luxurious and modern, but not too extravagant. Bess would reuse items to save costs where she could, as she was an intelligent businesswoman.

Question 18

Much of the architecture and furnishings were made with resources produced on site, which was able to showcase…?

Answer 18

Bess’ own businesses. Hardwick Hall can be seen as an advert for the resources Bess produced, inviting the nobility which she received at the Hall to invest into the businesses she owned.

Question 19

An example of new technology used on the roofs of the building?

Answer 19

Broad lead roofs allowed rain to gently slope into gutters around the edges, a new technology at the time.

The lead to create the roofs also came from Bess’ own foundries

Question 20

Why was Bess able to use the latest designs and technology?

Answer 20

She could afford them due to her substantial wealth