Whilst the Manners family did not live in Haddon for over two hundred years, from the early seventeenth century (1703) until 1925, the building was kept in good repair^[1] although most nineteenth century historians found the apartments gloomy. All the furniture was removed about 1760 but Haddon continued to be used occasionally for social gatherings. For example, nearly 200 couples danced in the Long Gallery in 1802 at a ball given by the inhabitants of Bakewell after a peace treaty, the Treaty of Amiens, had been signed during the Napoleonic Wars. When John Henry Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland came of age he gave a ball at Haddon^[1]. Similarly, in 1836 when his eldest son Charles Cecil John Manners, later 6th Duke of Rutland, came of age there was another celebration at Haddon when his father, the 5th Duke, "gave a grand treat to all his tenantry in the neighbourhood"^[2]. Haddon celebrated once more in 1907, again for the coming of age of another Marquis of Granby.

In 1889 a report published in "The Builder" said that the stonework was crumbling in places and it had become evident that something must be done. Some of the stone mullions needed renewing if the windows were not to fall to pieces. However, the article did stress that "those who took care of the place were alive to this necessity" (presumably the Manners family[3]), and that they intended to preserve the building in the future as carefully as they have done in the past[4]. A further report was published ten years later, this time after surveys had been undertaken on behalf of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. It showed that there had been very serious movement in the great tower near the entrance, partly due to the overhanging turret and partly due to settlement in the great curtain wall to the south of the tower. To stop further movement it was recommended that a new three foot thick wall, well bonded to the old walls, should be built back to the fifteenth century curtain wall[5.

The ground plan, from Black's Guide of 1888[6], shows where some of the rooms mentioned below are situated.

The lead roofing and gutters were also deemed to be beyond repair, so it was proposed they should be taken up and re-cast before being re-laid. At the same time roof timbers should be repaired, if necessary. Nevertheless, despite these problems the society's experts were impressed by the excellent state of preservation of the building^[5].

Messrs. George and William Toft, a Youlgreave firm of stone masons, were contracted to repair parts of Haddon in 1907 and had been working there since early August. Unfortunately, whilst adjusting a beam in the ballroom (Long Gallery) Mr. Toft stepped out of his men's way onto a ledge which gave way and George Toft lost his life^[7].

Major restoration work began in 1912. These renovations were undertaken by the 9th Duke of Rutland (1886-1940) who had inherited the title after the death of his elder brother. If the ancient materials could not be salvaged the skilful craftsmen he employed used local wood and stone to replace them^[8]. Queen Mary visited Haddon in 1913 whilst she and George V were staying at Chatsworth. She inspected the restoration of the building and watched the recasting of the sheets of lead from the roof. She also spoke to the needlewomen responsible for repairing the old tapestries^[9].

In the summer of 1927 the public were admitted to Haddon once again, following a closure of over eighteen months whilst it was made into a home. The Duchess of Rutland held a bazaar in aid of Rowsley's Women's Institute. Special trains were laid on for the event! One of the main things "The Times" commented on afterwards was that electric lighting had been installed^[10].

Almost all the images below will date from before the 1912 restoration took place. We begin with the Chapel, which is on the opposite side of the Lower / First Courtyard from the main entrance. The exterior walls of the Chapel can be seen in the image at the top of this page, at the right hand end of the building.

The Dining Room is on the same level as the Chapel, across the Courtyard and up a small flight of steps that runs right across the quadrangle.

Above the large fireplace in the Dining Room is the royal coat of arms, with three Prince of Wales's feathers on one side and the initials E. P., and on the other the arms of the Vernon family. Below these are the words "Drede God & honor the King" and with the inscription "Anno Domini 1545, Monseigneur de Vernon, G.V.M.V."^[3]. The oak panelling that lines the room dates from the previous century^[12]. The south facing Oriel window in the recess has six lights, "the frieze of which is adorned with boars' heads, the crest of Vernon and portraits of Henry VII and his royal consort". William Adam found the ceiling "low and gloomy" in 1840^[13; it is divided into bays by five beams, "once evidently richly gilt, and otherwise ornamented". There is an old fire range in the fireplace.

The Great Hall or Banqueting Hall is also off the Lower Courtyard. This was where everyone would have eaten in the Middle Ages. The picture is also from a painting by Henry Hadfield Cubley. Mrs. Cubley is wearing the red coat. There is more about the Great Hall in Haddon Hall (2).

The Drawing Room (below), originally known as the Solar, is over the Dining Room and also has an oriel window..

Pevsner dates the panelling in this room to probably the early 17th century and suggests this was also when the mullions were removed from the Oriel window^[14]. A tapestry (arras) was hung to the right of the fireplace. There is a deep plasterwork frieze above both the tapestry and the fireplace which is Elizabethan, as it the ceiling in the bay.

The Long Gallery (shown both above and below) has sometimes been called the Ballroom. Pevsner, who compared it with the Long Gallery at Hardwick, said the Haddon Long Gallery was much shorter and lower^[14]. It is 110 feet long (in some accounts 109 feet) and only 15 feet high. It was built by Sir John Manners shortly after the one at Hardwick, about 1600^[14]. Everyone who has written about the gallery over the years has thought it more charming than the galleries of Hardwick, Montacute, Parham, etc..

There are three bays on the southern side, two of which are windows whilst the third is a recess of 15 ft. by 18 ft.. The walls are covered with oak panelling (wainscot), described by Firth in 1908 as being a beautiful silver grey colour. Squares, lozenges and quatrefoils are incorporated into the plaster ceiling, and foliage is also incorporated into the design^[15]. The floor is said to have been cut out of a single oak tree that grew in the park^[16].

This second card is of a much more recent date but shows how beautiful the Long Gallery is.

The final picture is of the State Bedroom. The bas-relief over the fireplace is of "Orpheus charming the beasts". The four poster bed wasn't taken to Haddon until 1816, following a fire a Belvoir^[15]. The needlework of the bed's coverlet is said to have been done by Eleanor, wife of Sir Robert Manners, who died in 1487. The last person who slept in it was George IV when still Prince Regent and a guest at Belvoir^[12]. The bed was afterwards returned to Haddon^[2], though is now back at Belvoir^[16]. In 1889 Janetta Manners wrote that the wooden cot had been where generations of Manners babies had been rocked to sleep^[3].

References:

^[1] Ward, Reverend Richard (1814) "The Matlock, Buxton and Castleton Guide, containing concise accounts of these and other remarkable places ... in the ... County of Derby", Derby. Ward wrote that "all the rooms are dark and uncomfortable, and afford striking proofs how much domestic accomodations [sic] have improved since the days of our ancestors". Nevertheless, he found the building "kept in good repair", which contrasts with Rev Peter Davies wrting just a few years earlier.
^[2] Adam, William (1840) "The Gem of the Peak", London; Longman & Co., Paternoster Row - see onsite transcript.
^[3] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 13 April 1889. "Haddon Hall", an article from The Queen by Lady John Manners, Duchess of Rutland. Janetta Manners was well aware of both conservation work and also that a considerable amount would have to be done to make the building habitable.
^[4] "Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald", 1 September 1888. Report on an article in "The Builder".
^[5] Derby Mercury, 22 June 1898. The Condition of Haddon Hall.
^[6] "Black's Tourist Guide to Derbyshire" (1888) pub. Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh.
^[7] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 29 November 1907. A scaffolding accident at Haddon.
^[8] "The Times", Saturday, 6 June, 1987. Article by Nigel Andrew: "Romance in the stone."
^[9] "The Times", Wednesday, 10 Dec, 1913. Their Majesties' Visit To Chatsworth. Queen Mary also visited Derby and passed through Matlock and Matlock Bath. She was given an exceptional Blue John vase. See: Visitors to Matlock Bath - Queen Mary, 1913
^[10] "The Times", Friday, 19 Aug, 1927.
^[11] The theft is mentioned in several sources (Cox, Worth, etc) but first appeared in Rayner S[amuel] (1836) "The History and Antiquities of Haddon Hall: Illustrated By Thirty-Two Highly Finished Drawings; With an Account of the Hall in Its Present State", published by Moseley, Derby.
^[12] Cox, John Charles, (1915, 2nd edition, revised), "Derbyshire" - Illustrated by J. Charles Wall, Methuen & Co., London.
^[13] Adam, W. (1840) "The Gem of the Peak" London; Longman & Co., Paternoster Row.
^[14] Pevsner, Nikolaus (1953), "The Buildings of England, Derbyshire", Penguin Books.
^[15] Firth, J. B. (1908) "Highways and Byways in Derbyshire", MacMillan & Co., London.
^[16] Rhodes, Ebenezer (1824) "Peak Scenery", London, Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, Paternoster Row.
^[16] Jenkins, Simon (2003) "England's Thousand Best Houses", Allen Lane, Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London, WC28 0R:, England, ISBN 0-713-99596-3

Also see, elsewhere on this web site:
The Gentleman's Magazine Library, 1731-1868 (under Bakewell). MI of Sir George Vernon family and mentions the tomb of his daughter who is also commemorated in the church.
Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, 1891
Derbyshire's Parishes, 1811 includes a short piece about Haddon, under Bakewell
The Wolley Manuscripts, Derbyshire