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EVENT

Bess: Unframing the Family exhibition

Hardwick Hall · Chesterfield7 Oct - 1 Nov 202611:00
A walled garden path with autumn-flowering plants and shrubs alongside a stone wall topped with ornamental finials, with a large Elizabethan mansion visible beyond.
OCT 20267WED
Courtesy of Hardwick Hall
Young children examining bark and insects on a tree trunk with torches during a nature exploration activity.
A formal walled garden with climbing plants on wooden supports, herbaceous borders and hedges, with a stone country house tower visible behind.

DATES

7 Oct - 1 Nov 2026

TIMES

11:00

PRICE

from £11.50

See newly conserved family portraits at Hardwick Hall in this exhibition on Bess of Hardwick and her connections.

This exhibition at Hardwick Hall looks at the world of Bess of Hardwick, her family and her connections. Following conservation and analysis, several family portraits have returned to the collection, freshly restored, and the display invites visitors to look at what new insights can be found beneath their surface. It runs alongside the separate Bess's Dream display, which explores the memories that might have surfaced for Bess in her final days and includes her 400-year-old gown, but the portraits and the conservation story are the focus of this particular exhibition. The house is open 11:00 to 15:30, with last entry 45 minutes before closing. Entry is included with a House & Garden ticket, which costs £23.00 for an adult and £11.50 for a child aged 5 to 17 without Gift Aid, with family tickets also available. National Trust members visit free.

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Bess: Unframing the Family exhibition at Hardwick Hall