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ing clouds covered the whole range of prospect with one unvaried tone of still and sober colouring-suddenly a bright ray of sunshine intervened, and for a moment the spot on which it fell appeared a paradise of light amidst surrounding gloom. An hour at Stonnis on such a day impresses the mind with a series of beautiful images, which in after-life are often recurred to and recollected with delight."—(Peak Scenery, v. i. 105.)

SOUTH WINGFIELD AND HARDWICK.

A day should be given, if practicable, to an excursion to the above places. South Wingfield is seven or eight miles from Matlock; near it is a station of the North Midland Railway, by means of which Hardwick may be reached without much difficulty.

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The road to Wingfield is a delightful one. You turn off by Cromford, and follow a very beautiful route by the Derwent,—a succession of charming scenery, where the sparkling river flows through a rich, verdant, and well-wooded tract. You then turn up a steep hill, and pass by Holloway, a village situated under a cliff, along the brow of which the road is carried for a considerable distance, thus affording a long range of wide and noble prospects. But Crich, which is next reached, is a much more remarkable place. It is a rough, wildlooking neighbourhood, but you see on every hand evidences of its subterranean treasures. Here is said to be the richest vein of lead ore in Europe. The Glory Mine on the summit of the hill is stated by Mr. Adam (in the Gem of the Peak') to have been estimated, a few years since, to produce nearly £40,000 per annum. The Wake-Bridge Mine is, according to the same authority, one of the richest in the kingdom." Others are also of great value. Besides the lead mines there are extensive lime-quarries, which contribute not a little to the peculiar character of the place. From Crich-Cliff there is a view of extraordinary extent and grandeur. The prospect extends over a country of greatly varied surface, the eye embracing within its ken the valley of the Derwent for a considerable space, broad open pastures and cultivated tracts, rich woods, and bare hills, with villages and scattered houses, and reaching to the city of Derby, which by the lofty tower of All Souls is distinctly marked. The rugged country about Crich, the mining works, and the lime quarries and kilns, give a character to the near prospect which strangely contrasts with the softer features of the more distant parts. From the Stand, a tower erected on the top of Crich Cliff, it is asserted that five counties may be seen: Lincoln Cathedral is plainly discernible on a clear day. The village is large and populous. Here the sharp whir of the stocking-frame catches the ear as you pass the open doors of the cottages. Hosiery appears to be made to a considerable extent in this neighbourhood. Crich church is a noticeable edifice; the lofty spire is a landmark for miles around.

From Crich you descend by pleasant green lanes to a more level country. And soon the long walls and towers of a ruined edifice, standing upon the brow of a

bold hill, which rises before us, proclaim that the object is nearly reached for which we have come thus far. (Cut, No. 2.) The view of the pile excites at once the expectation that the ruin is of a rather superior kind, and the expectation is not disappointed. The gray ivy-covered gables and battlements have a very picturesque and even impressive appearance, as they stand out in vigorous relief from the light sky. South Wingfield Manor-house was erected near the middle of the fifteenth century, by Ralph Cromwell, lord treasurer to Henry VI. It was a castellated mansion, well calculated to withstand a stout siege. Its history is not devoid of interest. Within these now shattered walls the unhappy Mary Queen of Scots was for several years a prisoner, under the care of the Earl of Shrewsbury. It was while she was here that Anthony Babington sought to effect her escape: her asserted knowledge of his conspiracy, it will be recollected, was the charge for which she was arraigned and condemned. Babington at the time resided in his family-house at Dethick, a little village situated near Lea Wood, on the right of the road to Matlock. While Mary was at Wingfield, Sir Ralph Sadler was appointed captain of the garrison placed in the castle. The papers of Sir Ralph, published under the editorial care of Sir Walter Scott, give curious particulars of the unfortunate queen's conduct here, and of the strange suspicious treatment which her keepers as well as herself experienced from the Court. Sad as is the story of Mary's imprisonment in England, it becomes more pitiable and painful when the miserable details are read at length in the letters of those who were appointed her keepers. She was carried hence to Tutbury Castle. South Wingfield Manor House, at the breaking out of the great civil wars, was garrisoned for the Parliament; but it was taken by storm by a party of Royalists in 1643. Shortly afterwards, however, it was retaken by the Parliament army, though not without difficulty, and by the assistance of heavy artillery; the governor, Colonel Dalby, while defending the breach, was shot by a common soldier. In 1646 the Parliament ordered the building to be dismantled. The old house, however, though a ruin, and entirely neglected, remained in a tolerably complete state almost down to our own time, when on the termination of a long-contested chancery suit, the Mr. Halton, to whom this portion of the Halton estates was allotted, caused a large part of the ancient house to be pulled down, in order to erect a dwelling for himself at the bottom of the hill. Mr. Blore, in his History of South Wingfield Manor House,' says that for this pursome of the most beautiful parts were pulled down:" one who examines what is left, and sees how beautiful much of it is, will be almost led to bestow something like a malediction on the memory of the Vandal who could perpetrate so grievous a deed.

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Mr. Blore wrote an elaborate account of the pile, which may be consulted with advantage by the student of English domestic architecture. Wingfield Manor House was one of the earliest of the quadrangular castellated edifices which took the place of the more

entirely military castles of a former age, and was the precursor of the purely civil mansion of a succeeding century. It was constructed with due regard to the probability of having to encounter a siege, yet so as to admit of domestic comfort and architectural elegance. Its general form and character will be understood by the following brief extract from Mr. Blore :-" The building consists of two square courts, one of which to the north has been built on all sides, and the south side of it forms the north side of the south court, which has also ranges of buildings on the east and west sides and on parts of the south: the latter court seems principally to have consisted of offices. The first entrance is under an arched gateway, on the east side of the south court: the communication hence with the inner court is under an arched gateway in the middle of the south side of the south court."

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The ruins are now greatly dilapidated, but yet very impressive. By the entrance on the summit of the hill is a grove of venerable yew-trees, which form a strange sombre approach to the grim pile. A portion of the old house has been patched up, and now serves as a farm-house, while the chief court is a farm-yard. appearance of this quadrangle is still very fine porch, a gable or two, and a couple of large windows with elaborate tracery, yet remain in tolerable preservation. The various parts of the building it is not now easy to make out. But some that remain the least injured sufficiently prove its ancient magnificence. The Great Hall is 72 feet by 36 feet, and must evidently have once been a noble room. Like nearly every other part of the building, it is roofless. Under it is a vault or crypt of the same size as the hall. It is supported by pillars, and has a handsome groined roof, with shields of arms at the centres of the groins. This crypt, whatever it was intended for, has been carefully and even expensively constructed. It has only a small window at the end, and exhibits a grand effect of light and shade at certain times of the day. The carved work in this crypt remains quite sharp and clean. From one of the towers there is a capital prospect over the long stretch of weald below. The room to which tradition points as that occupied by Queen Mary, is a very miserable one-the tradition is most likely in error.

The village appears to be wretchedly poor. Here, as onwards, the noise of the stocking-frame is heard issuing from almost every house.

In order to reach Hardwick as speedily as possible, the train may be taken at South Wingfield to the Clay Cross station, from whence the distance by the lanes to Hardwick is about four miles. Otherwise the road by Morton and Pilsley must be taken. It is a pleasant one of some nine miles, leading by a few gatherings of picturesque cottages, of which the stocking-frameknitter seems to be the most frequent tenant. And here especially along the line of the railway will be noticed the numerous smelting and other works. This tract is a part of the great Midland Coal-field, and hence the frequent recurrence of these various works.

Wingfield even in its ruinous state is yet a valuable

example of the domestic architecture of England in the middle of the fifteenth century. Hardwick Hall is a perfect specimen of a mansion at the commencement of the seventeenth century.

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The appearance of Hardwick, as you first come upon it, is very striking. On the brow of a bold and commanding hill stands a massive-looking edifice, thickly overgrown with ivy, and evidently fallen into complete ruin. Close by it is seen another structure, also of antique appearance, but in perfect repair. The forms of these buildings project strongly from the dense woods that rise beyond and on either side of them. (Cut, No. 3.) As you draw nearer, the more modern mansion loses nothing of the interest its first appearance excited. The quaint uncommon character of the architecture at once recalls its date, and brings to the memory a busy crowd of associations; and what appeared at a distance to be the elaborate carved battlements of the towers resolving itself, when close at hand, into the well-known ES-reminds you that it is the work of the famous 'castle-building' Countess of Shrewsbury. But not merely on the turrets of the Hall has she set her mark: every part within and without bears the stamp of stout Bess of Hardwick.' The house is very large, and in the quaintest form of the Elizabethan style of architecture; the walls are pierced with numerous large windows, many of them forming goodly bays; at the angles are towers, which, as was said, have the initials of the countess pierced in the parapet that surmounts them. Round the top of the building is carried a balustrade. The wall which surrounds the garden partakes of the quaintness of style that distinguishes the building itself. The central gateway, by which you enter, is rather a fine structure; and, with the other erections at the angles of the wall, accords well with the house. The elaborate quaintness seems so characteristic, and is so consistently maintained throughout, that the building produces altogether a degree of pleasure which more classic piles often fail to excite. It has, happily, escaped almost unaltered from the first, and it is now preserved with the most scrupulous care. It is the property of the Duke of Devonshire, who occasionally resides in it for a few weeks: else, although quite habitable, it is not occupied.

The interior nobly maintains the promise of the outside it has not entirely escaped, but it is perhaps the most perfectly preserved mansion left of the date of Elizabeth; and the rooms retain the ancient fittings. If the original furniture is not here, the furniture is yet all ancient; the walls are hung with arras; the doors are concealed by tapestry hangings; and throughout the utmost pains have been bestowed, in order to preserve the air of antiquity. The Great Hall, into which you enter from the garden, is a very striking one of its kind: it has a gallery at one end, with a heavy oak balustrade, and the walls are wainscoted with dark oak, above which tapestry is suspended. A very good statue of Mary Queen of Scots, by Westmacott, is a noticeable feature in this hall. Mary was

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for some time confined at Hardwick; but it was not, as is often stated, in this house, which was not erected at the time. Her prison was the old mansion, the ruins of which are close by. The state-rooms of Hardwick Hall are all lofty, generally of good proportions, while some are excessively spacious. The walls and ceilings have elaborate scroll and figure work in plaster, of the kind so frequently occurring in Elizabethan mansions. The walls, generally, are covered with dark oak wainscoting to some height, and tapestry is hung above, in addition to which some of the rooms are hung with pictures. The fire-places are commonly of large size and of the showiest description: some are of coloured marbles, with most strange carvings-the sculptors displaying a supreme disregard for grace of form or correctness of proportion in their human figures, and a very odd taste in all others. The floors are usually constructed of a composition of sand and lime, similar to that of which the floors in cottages are still formed in this part of the country; these are better laid, and some in the chief rooms, which are not

covered with carpets, look almost like marble, being kept carefully scrubbed with buttermilk to maintain a good colour and polish. In nearly every room the letters E S, with the earl's coronet, appear; and very frequently, also, the triple badges of Shrewsbury, Cavendish, and Hardwick-the three titles by which the stout-hearted lady loved to be known. In the state-rooms there is a great deal of very curious antique furniture, and much of the tapestry is both curious and interesting, though some of it is sadly faded. A good deal of the tapestry was brought hither from Chatsworth, but the whole has been carefully repaired and fitted to the rooms. Of the antique furniture, also, a considerable portion was brought here from Chatsworth and elsewhere: to those who like to examine such examples of the skill of a former age, Hardwick will afford a rich treat, as may be seen by a reference to Mr. Shaw's Illustrations of Hardwick.' In the bedrooms there are some state beds, with hangings richly embroidered in the style prevalent in the sixteenth and` seventeenth centuries.

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of the building, the most extraordinary feature appears to be the number and size of the windows, which are set so close together, and reach so high, as to have often suggested the comparison of the house to a lantern. A popular local rhyme terms it

"Proud Hardwick Hall

More windows than wall;"

One of the most interesting rooms is called 'Mary | long, 22 wide, and 26 high. In looking at the exterior Queen of Scots' Apartment.' Her arms are affixed over the door, with her initials and titles. It is said in many books that she was confined in this room; but the house was not built till after her death: the date 1599 is frequently repeated in the panels of this room. According to a tradition preserved in the family, this apartment was constructed for the reception of the furniture which had been in her room at the old house; and the furniture which it now contains is said to be the same she used. The velvet hangings to the bed, it is further related, were embroidered by her-a thing not improbable, seeing that she was skilled in the art, and was accustomed to beguile some of the sad hours of her captivity by its practice. In other bed-rooms there are various and some very beautiful specimens of embroidery, and some of the rooms with the ancient state beds and chamber furniture are very curious.

The dining and drawing-rooms are both spacious and splendid apartments. The Presence Chamber, however, is a more striking room: it is 65 feet long by 33 wide and 26 high. All the rooms have antique furniture, and there are some pictures that will attract attention. But the most remarkable room-the glory of Hardwick Hall-is the Picture Gallery, which extends the whole length of the house: it is 160 feet

and the rhyme will not be thought extravagant when standing in the Picture Gallery, which is lighted by a range of eighteen windows, each 20 feet high, and of considerable breadth. The perfect lightness of the gallery is quite surprising when the room is first entered. The room is broken into several huge bays, from which delicious views are obtained, extending from the height of the hill on which the house stands over a great breadth of very beautiful country. The walls of this gallery are hung with tapestry, which is covered by a collection of some two hundred portraits of persons connected with the family of Cavendish, or prominent in English history. The two that deservedly attract the most attention are portraits of the remarkable woman who built the Hall. She has a pleasing though keen and positive cast of features. One represents her in early life; the other when well stricken in years; and even in the latter she retains traces enough of beauty to render it not so very wonderful that, even

Y-VOL. I.

ROWSLEY AND BAKEWELL.

on her own hard terms, she should have found a fourth | Ambergate station, whence omnibuses run after every husband while the clear keen intellect and decision train to Matlock. stamped evidently on her countenance, are strikingly characteristic of her shrewdness, ready energy, and masculine strength of purpose. Many of the portraits of the Devonshire family, as the long-armed duke, the handsome duchess (mother of the present duke), are noteworthy. So, too, are several of the historic portraits, such as those of Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Jane Grey, Bishop Gardiner, and others; but it is unnecessary here to describe them, or to add to the list. The only one that needs to be especially indicated is the portrait of Thomas Hobbes, the author of the Leviathan.' The portrait was taken in his extreme age, and is marked by strong individuality. Hobbes, it will be remembered, resided with the Duke of Devonshire chiefly at Chatsworth. He died at Hardwick, whither he had just removed with the family, at the age of ninety-two: his remains were interred in the neighbouring church of Ault Hucknall, where there is a monument to his memory.

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The old mansion is entirely dilapidated; but its gray ivy-covered walls have a most venerable and impressive appearance. Great care is now taken to preserve it. In this building it was that the unhappy Mary was for awhile a prisoner.

The park is extensive and richly wooded. Many of the trees-the oaks especially-are of large size, and often remarkably picturesque in form. Some yews, of noble proportions, also deserve to be particularized. Altogether the park is so attractive, the ruined mansion so picturesque, and the perfect one, with its contents, so full of interest, and the scenery around so pleasant, that a few days might be spent here with much enjoyment. And if the stranger feel inclined to stay awhile here, he will find a very convenient hostel, half inn half farm-house-the 'Devonshire Arms' at the foot of the hill, just against the entrance to the park. A young artist might well employ a few days in sketching in this neighbourhood.

The

From Hardwick it is about four miles to the Clay Cross station of the railway; but should the visitor have leisure and inclination to prolong his journey, a charming walk of three miles across the park will bring him to another rather ancient edifice, well worth seeing, Bolsover Castle, which was erected by Sir Charles Cavendish early in the seventeenth century. portion of the Castle which is habitable is now in the occupation of the Hon. and Rev. Hamilton Gray: in it is a collection of Etruscan vases and other antiquities of that nation, brought together with the taste and knowledge which distinguish Mr. Gray and his lady, the authoress of the History of Etruria.' Thence it may be well to proceed to Chesterfield, a very old town, which has much to requite a diligent exploration. The church is celebrated, on account of its crooked spire. A good many extensive factories and collieries exist in and about the town, which has the appearance of being a thriving place. From Chesterfield the visitor may return by the railway, which he will leave at

We now quit Matlock for a new centre, though the places of interest within reach from it are far from being exhausted; and indeed those we are about to visit are commonly reached from Matlock by means of a fly. But we suppose the visitor to be a pedestrian, and therefore must select a spot from which the greater number of interesting places may be most readily examined. Bakewell will be found very convenient for this purpose, and in the town inns of various grades will furnish the visitor with the accommodation he may desire. Or if he prefer a quiet country spot for his head-quarters during a few days, there is, at the end of Darley Dale, an inn of wide-spread fame, which will supply all he can wish for. This inn, the 'Peacock,' at Rowsley, we shall imagine our home for the nonce.

To reach it we have to traverse the beautiful valley of the Derwent, which, from a little above Matlock to Rowsley Bridge, bears the name of Darley Dale. Owing to the main road from Matlock to Chatsworth, Haddon, Buxton, and other of the most visited places, passing along this valley, Darley Dale is one of the best known of Derbyshire dales, and has acquired celebrity equal to its merits: we need therefore not speak of it in detail. From the rugged rocky scene at the entrance of the valley, by Matlock, to the broad placid one from Rowsley Bridge, it is a succession of pleasing and often of beautiful views. The dale is broad, and the hills on either hand are lofty, undulating, and varied in surface. The river, a wide and rapid stream, flows close to the base of the western hills, while the road keeps under the eastern range. The whole extent of the dale has a cultivated and cheerful aspect. Genteel houses, enclosed within their grounds, appear at intervals; now a few rude huts, and presently a village is met with; occasionally the engine of a lead-mine, or the entrance to a quarry, is seen, and serves to give character to the locality; while the hills sometimes swell softly their verdant slopes, spotted here and there with a solitary homestead, and crested with foliage, and at others rise up steep, bare, and craggy. Especially beautiful does Darley Dale appear when the sun is sinking behind the western hills, which lie in deep shadow, while the opposite slopes are smiling in sunshine; and in the gloomy hollow of the valley the river rushes darkly, save where foaming over the rocks which check its way it seems to create a gleam of light. But Darley Dale is now far different to what it was a few years since. The traveller who remembers the dale as it was then will look with some discontent upon it now. A railway has been constructed along the valley; and the most enthusiastic admirer of railways would, we fancy, have at least a transient feeling of regret cross his mind as he looks on the works' of this one in the lovely

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