No gardening last week.
We decided on a couple of days out so we and Ruby could have some exercise to compensate for a lazy time on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Our first visit was to Hardwick Hall. It was a murky, misty day, but it felt wonderfully atmospheric.
There were a few Christmas adornments.
I particularly liked the two trees at either side of the cafe entrance.
The statue of Mary, Queen of Scots at Hardwick Hall is a 19th-century sculpture by Sir Richard Westmacott dated 1822. It was originally in the Hall’s entrance hall and was moved to its current position around 1910. The placement of this statue perpetuates the myth that Mary spent some of her captivity at Hardwick.
Bess and the Earl of Shrewsbury were responsible for housing Mary, Queen of Scots, though only at their other properties. Mary had short stays at the old Hardwick. It would have been used as a stopping off point to break the journey.
The new, existing house wasn’t built until after Mary’s execution. Mary died in 1587, and work on the new building didn’t start until 1590, so it would have been impossible for her to have stayed there.
I wondered what the huge ESs that appear all along the roofline of the hall meant. They are the initials of Bess’ name after her fourth marriage to the Earl of Shrewsbury – Elizabeth Shrewsbury. The intention was to grab your attention and proclaim that the house was hers. Above the initials is her countess’ coronet.
Bess was one of the richest and most influential women in Elizabethan England, and the house was designed to show that off.
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Our second day out was to Belton House.
Many country estates have a church in their grounds. There are many reasons for this but the church wasn’t just built as a place of worship but also as a statement of wealth and social standing.
I spotted flags flying from the church tower which I later identified as elements of the coat of arms of the Brownlow family who built the estate in the 1680s.
The greyhound is the family crest representing loyalty, vigilance and nobility.
The wavy lines also appear on the Brownlow coat of arms and represent water another symbol of loyalty.
In the grounds, at Belton, a winter trail has been created. The trail passes groups of structures intricately woven from willow. One grouping depicts the twelve days of Christmas.
Another is a group of deer that look very realistic from a distance. Ruby was intrigued by them and couldn’t resist a closer look at the stag.
The willow deers are not the only deer at Belton. In the deer park, we spotted the real thing. Many National Trust properties have deer parks on their land. Often the main species is red deer, but at Belton, the park is home to fallow deer. Deer have lived in the park for 300 years.
Belton celebrates Christmas in a big way. The courtyards are transformed into small fairgrounds and the winter trail becomes a lightshow. The lights were just being switched on as we left. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay and also the drizzly rain was becoming more persistent.
It may be a visit for next year’s diary
Finally, I hope that you had an enjoyable Christmas. Ruby certainly enjoyed opening her presents,
A short video is posted here 2026 YouTube Videos
As always, until next time stay safe, stay well, and stay warm.
Helton House looks prettier than Hardwick Hall, but I do like that first photo with the string lights.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas!
We did, Belinda, I hope that you did too. Belton really went the extra mile.
Happy Christmas! I imagine it is quite cold with you now. Colder it’s getting! I just hope we don’t have snow. I rather like those trees too, are they battery or solar powered?
I’m not sure how they were powered, Debbie. It’s definitely cold, I don’t want any snow either