Exploring Midland Elizabethan Houses

            We spent the week visiting buildings built or rebuilt in the Elizabethan era, from the grandeur of Hardwick Hall to Anne Hathaway’s cottage. Both of those are fairly well known and frequently visited. Indeed, I had visited both several decades ago.

New to my eyes was Kirby Hall in Lincolnshire, built by a gentleman named Henry Stafford, then purchased by Sir Christopher Hatton, one of Queen E’s favorite courtiers. Its story, like that of Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, and Hardwick Hall, was that the owner built or expanded the house not only to impress everyone, but in hopes that Queen Elizabeth would stay with them during one of her summer progresses. In all three cases, she did not visit, and the expense of building left the owners in debt. It is partially in ruins, but the bay windows and the garden are its knockout features.

The jewel to my mind was Little Moreton Hall, in Cheshire. Built and extended at various times during the 16^th century, it had the good fortune not to remain in the same family throughout the following centuries.  Why? Because the noble families who owned Burghley House and Hardwick Hall looked around in 1680 or so and said to themselves, “This room is soooo last century. Let’s tear out all this linen fold paneling and hire an Italian artist to paint the walls and ceiling with allegorical scenes of us cavorting with the Roman gods.” And the same thing happened in the 18^th century. Then indoor plumbing, gas lights, and electricity was installed. Or the family tore down the entire building and erected a Palladian-inspired house. Or they went broke and the building fell to ruins.

On the contrary, Little Moreton Hall was abandoned by the Moretons, but rented out to a tenant farmer, who lived in parts of it, while storing equipment, hay, and such in the rest.  The result is a fairly intact 16^th century gentry manor house.

For my purposes, Edward Hunter was much more likely to have grown up in a house like this, and visited similar, than to be invited to the prodigy houses like Wollaton and Hardwick. In Little Morton I also found a doublet I thought suited me well.

We are spending the weekend in Somerton with mystery writer Paula Gosling and her husband John.