Hardwick Hall and Kedleston Hall feature in the National Trust publication covering 60 properties for which the charity is custodian.
TV presenter George Clarke has written the introduction to 60 Remarkable Buildings of the National Trust. He says: “I absolutely love the National Trust and that love grew to another level when I decided at the age of 12 to become an architect. So, this introduction is the perfect opportunity for me to personally thank the National Trust for bringing so much joy to my life.
“It is a fantastic organisation and without the Trust we would have lost so much of our architectural heritage and picturesque landscape, so it is vital we do everything we can to support it.”
Hardwick Hall is described in the book as one of the architectural megastars of the National Trust, a masterpiece of Elizabethan design. The rhyme “Hardwick Hall, more window than wall” is testament to a building that reflects the wealth (at a time when glass was incredibly expensive) and prominence of its owner, Bess of Hardwick.
The 18th century brought a new flourish to architecture in England with privileged young men returning from grand tours sharing the influences of Italian architect Andrea Palladio. This brought about a flood of Neo-classicism to country houses such as Kedleston Hall. The opulent vaulted dome in the saloon at Kedleston Hall was inspired by Rome’s Pantheon built in 120 AD by Emperor Hadrian.
Urban and rural, industrial and domestic and places of spirituality and faith are among the variety of properties featured in