June 5, 2018 - Haddon Hall

Today we got to tour Haddon Hall.  It is not technically a castle, because it's walls are a few feet short to warrant that title (a fact which probably saved it from destruction centuries ago, as many castles were destroyed due to the threat they posed).  The origins of the hall date to the 11th century, and the current building includes additions added between the 13th and the 17th centuries.  Most of the hall is open for tours, but part of the hall is closed to the public, as it is still a residence for Lord Edward Manners (brother of the current Duke of Rutland) and his family. Some of the rooms that we toured are still put to use for some special occasions. 

We were blown away by how impressive it was to see it.  It really felt like we were walking back in time.  It was easy to imagine people living in the place (probably because they still do) and to see what it would have been like to be there centuries ago.  We all felt that it was definitely one of the best things we have seen on our entire trip!

It's no wonder that they have used the hall for many significant movies over the years.  See below for a full list of movies that feature part of this hall, including various versions of Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and The Princess Bride (It was Prince Humperdink's castle.).

The building by itself was amazing, but the addition of incredible flowers and gardens made it unbelievable!

The table in the picture below dates back to the 1400s.  It is kind of mind-boggling to think of people eating on it for over 600 years! Throughout the Hall, there were big gorgeous bouquettes of flowers, fresh picked from the beautiful gardens.

We were impressed by the very solid, oak steps below and by the fact that they let us walk on them!

It was interesting to see the kitchen and to imagine large meals being prepared over very large fires (see the fireplace below).  The picture above shows the chopping block, which was clearly well used.

The counter below certainly got plenty of use. You can see how the kitchen help just moved over a bit when their work area broke through, and started a new preferred area, probably to work bread dough.



It also didn't take much imagination to envision large carcasses being hung on the wooden beam and then butchered on the large butcher block in the picture below. This would have been a bloody room, and it had channels carved into the stone floor for draining it all. The wood trough at the back has probably had plenty of bloody contents in it over the hundreds of years that it was used. These kitchens have fed large numbers of people, over many generations.

The hall even has its own chapel.  Doing some renovations years ago, they discovered that there were frescoes beneath the plaster and restored them.

They have a small museum in the hall, with many objects associated with the house.  It was fun to see many small objects and things like children's shoes they found between walls during renovations that dated back several centuries, like the ones pictured below.

As we said above, the hall itself was amazing, but the gardens really made the place seem enchanted.  We could not stop taking pictures and ooo'ing and aah'ing.  The beauty of it made Heather cry.  Wow!  It is a beautiful place!

We found this cozy little bench, and it was a perfect place for the picnic lunch we had packed.

  

Of course, on our way out we had to sample some treats from the associated tea room.  How about some Elderflower Cream Pie with Lemon, or a Fresh Custard? Yum!

As we walked from the hall to its gatehouse, we could not have been happier with our visit.

Films and Television programmes featuring Haddon Hall

1924 Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall – film featuring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks
1985 Lady Jane Grey – film featuring Helena Bonham Carter
1986 The Princess Bride – now a cult classic film featuring Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin
1986 Sherlock Holmes – episode in the ITV series starring Jeremy Brett
1988-90 The Silver Chair – part of the BBC's Chronicles of Narnia series
1989 The Lady and the Highwayman - film featuring Oliver Reed and Hugh Grant
1994 Dragon World –film featuring Alistair Mackenzie and Brittney Powell
1994 Jane Eyre – film directed by Franco Zefferelli, featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt
1996 The Prince and the Pauper – BBC drama featuring Keith Michell
1996 Moll Flanders – ITV drama featuring Alex Kingston and Daniel Craig
1998 Elizabeth – film featuring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Joseph Fiennes
2001 Six Wives of Henry VIII – Channel 4 documentary
2002 Sir Thomas More – BBC documentary
2002 Mary Queen of Scots (The Queen's Lover) - BBC drama
2002 Martin Luther – BBC drama
2003 Sir Isaac Newton – BBC documentary
2003 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries – episode of BBC series featuring Nathaniel Parker
2004 Pride and Prejudice – film featuring Keira Knightley
2004 Bloody Mary – TV programme for schools
2005 Elizabeth 1 – Channel 4 documentary
2006 Jane Eyre – BBC drama featuring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens
2006 The Wide Sargasso Sea – BBC drama featuring footage of Haddon Hall ablaze
2006 The Tudor Feast – BBC programme featuring Ruth Goodman
2006 The Other Boleyn Girl – film featuring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman
2009 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – BBC documentary featuring Simon Armitage
2010 Jane Eyre – film featuring Dame Judi Dench, Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, directed by Cary Fukunaga
2010 The Making of the King James Bible – BBC documentary
2011 Anonymous – film featuring Haddon Hall using CGI techniques                                                     

2013 Death Comes To Pemberley - BBC adaption of P.D.James' sequel book to Pride & Prejudice.  

2016 Hollow Crown: War of the Roses featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Sophie Okonedo and Hugh Bonneville.                          

And a wide variety of other film and TV appearances including

For the BBC -House of Cards, Travels with Pevsner with Joan Bakewell, Interceptor, Top Gear, The Holiday Programme, Flog It, The Antiques Road Trip, Bargain Hunt,Gardeners' World, and Songs of Praise.

For Sky - Miss Great Britain, with Michaela Strachan and Extreme Makeover

For ITV – Great British Taste Tour, Treasure Hunt, weather forecasts, Watercolour Challenge with Hannah Gordon, Wizzywig, Peak Practice, and even Don't Tell the Bride!

For Channel 4 - Timecrashers.