Haddon Hall dates mostly from the 14th and 15th centuries. Originally owned by the descendants of William the Conqueror’s illegitimate son, Peverel, it was passed through marriage to the Manners family, later to become Dukes of Rutland, in whose possession it has remained. Haddon Hall remained closed and empty for a period of 200 years until brought to life by the 9th Duke of Rutland in the 1920`s. It contains a magnificent Banqueting Hall and an oak panelled Long Gallery, 110ft in length and 17ft wide. This many windowed room has diamond panes set at different angles to maximise the amount of daylight entering.

Haddon Hall has a magnificent collection of English, Flemish and French tapestries, a small remainder of a once far larger collection decimated by fire in 1925. The most important in the collection are five early 17th century English tapestries which may have once belonged to King Charles I.

The kitchen complex is one of the most fascinating parts of haddon hall. There are wooden blocks, work surfaces, through which holes have been worn by constant chopping and pounding, a no frills hunk of oak that served as a chopping block, a well equipped bakery and butchery. Originally there were no windows here and little ventilation, the staff working by candlelight. The 9th Duke left this area as he found it, converting the former stables into a modern kitchen for family use and constructed a 47 yard underground tunnel for their meals to be delivered up to the hall.

The chapel, completed in 1427, is notable for it's remarkable wall paintings.

Over recent years Haddon Hall has provided a popular location for film and television productions. These include the feature films “Elizabeth” and “Jane Eyre”, and television productions “The Prince and the Pauper” and “Moll Flanders”. In March 2008 sees the arrival at the cinema of another period drama and potential blockbuster movie called The Other Boleyn Girl. The film is partly set in the Derbyshire Peak District with scenes shot in and around North Lees Hall at Hathersage, Haddon Hall, Cavedale, and Dovedale. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn and Natalie Portman as her ill-fated sister Anne.

Opening times and dates for the year 2010

12 noon to 5pm (last admission 4pm)
April: Saturday, Sunday and Mondays only (3rd-26th April)
Easter: Thursday 1st to Tuesday 6th April (incl.)
May to September: Open daily (CLOSED WEEK END SAT SUN 3/4 JULY)
October: Saturday, Sunday and Mondays only (2nd - 31st October)
Christmas: 4th-12th December daily 10.30am to 4pm (last admission 3:30pm)

ADMISSION:

Adults £8.95
Concessions £7.95
Children £4.95

More information on prices and events see www.haddonhall.co.uk

Tel 01629 812855


Photographs of Haddon Hall at Derbyshire and Peak District Photographs

Information on other Derbyshire and Peak District Houses

Chatsworth House and Gardens
Kedleston Hall
Hardwick Hall
Sudbury Hall
Bolsover Castle
Calke Abbey
Renishaw Hall

Derbyshire UK Homepage