THE MIRROR
OF
LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.
| VOL 10. No. 283.] | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1827. | [PRICE 2d. |
HADDON HALL.
The locomotive facility with which the aid of our graphicdepartment enables us to transport our readers, (for we havealready sent them to Sydney,) is somewhat singular, not tosay ludicrous; and would baffle the wand of Trismegistus, or thecap of Fortunatus himself. Thus, during the last six weeks we havejourneyed from the Palace at Stockholm (No. 277) to that ofBuckingham, in St. James's Park, (278;) thence toBrambletye, in the wilds of Sussex, (279;) toHamlet's Garden at Elsineur, (280;) then to the deserts ofAfrica, and Canterbury, (281;) in our last, (282,) weintroduced our readers to the palatial splendour of the Regent'sPark; and our present visit is to Haddon Hall, inDerbyshire, one of the palaces of olden time, whosestupendous towers present a strong contrast with the punypalace-building of later days, and the picturesque beauty of whosedomain pleasingly alternates with the verdant pride of the Regent'sPark.
Haddon is situate about one mile south-east of Bakewell, and isone of the most curious and perfect of the old castellated mansionsof this country. It stands on a gentle hill, in the midst of thickwoods overhanging the Wye, which winds along the valley at a greatdepth beneath. The house consists of two courts; in the centrebuilding behind which is the great hall, with its butteries andcellars. Over the door of the great porch, leading to the hall, aretwo coats of arms cut in stone; the one is those of Vernon, theother of Fulco de Pembridge, lord of Tong, in Shropshire, whosedaughter and heir married Sir Richard Vernon, and brought him agreat estate. In one corner of the hall is a staircase, formed oflarge blocks of stone, leading to the gallery, about 110 feet inlength and 17 in width, the floor of which is said to have beenlaid with boards cut out of one oak, which grew in the park. Indifferent windows are the arms of England in the garter, surmountedwith a crown; and those of Rutland impaling Vernon with itsquarterings in the garter; and these of Shrewsbury. In the eastwindow of the Chanel adjoining were portraits of many of the Vernonfamily, but a few years ago the heads were stolen from them. A dateof Mi esimo ccccxxvii. is legible. In the north window thename Edwardus Vernon and his arms remain; [pg 330] and ina south window is Willmus Trussel. In the chapel also standsa Roman altar, dug up near Bakewell.
All the rooms (except the gallery) were hung with loose arras, agreat part of which still remains; and the doors were concealedevery where behind the hangings, so that the tapestry was to belifted up to pass in or out. The doors being thus concealed, are ofill-fashioned workmanship; and wooden bolts, rude bars, &c. aretheir only fastenings. Indeed, most of the rooms are dark anduncomfortable; y