Bowler's Plantation

Viewed from the gardens of Hardwick Hall.

Some of the original buildings outside the garden walls have recently been converted to holiday accommodation.

Grassed walkways divide the walled garden at Hardwick into quarters. At the time of this visit in early January they were out of use to allow the grass to recover.

A circular road providing access to Holmewood Industrial Estate.

A circular road providing access to Holmewood Industrial Estate. Despite the name, Hardwick Hall cannot be seen from here.

The south facade of the shell of the old hall

Part of Hardwick Park, showing some autumn mellowness.

A stream emerges from a culvert under the M1, where it is crossed by a footbridge, before flowing into the river Doe Lea.

Working Victorian watermill on the Hardwick Estate.

The ruins of Hardwick Old Hall are situated 200 metres south west of Hardwick (New) Hall. Bess of Hardwick bought the house in 1538 when her brother James, the former owner, died. She moved into it in 1584 and, later, built the bigger and more elaborate new house (Hardwick Hall) next to it. The fabric of the Old Hall largely dates from between 1587 when Bess began to re-model the early 16th century house and 1597 when she moved into the New Hall although recent examination of the ruins has concluded that its south and west walls predate Bess's campaign of building in the 1580s and may have belonged to the previous house. Bess did not completely abandon the Old Hall in favour of her New Hall; instead, the two were intended to complement each other, like two wings of one building. She used both houses until her death in 1608 and some rooms in the Old Hall remained habitable until the end of the 18th century. The structure of the Old Hall survives to varying degrees; the west wing survives more or less to its original height but the north face of the east wing and all but the ground floor of the centre were partially dismantled the Old Hall in the 1750s to provide stone for Chatsworth House. Serious degradation of the west wing set in during the early 19th century when lead was removed from the roof. Gradually, as no major building work was carried out, much of the structure became unstable and eventually ruinous. The Hardwick estate was eventually transferred to the National Trust in 1959, and the Ministry of Works took on the guardianship of the Old Hall, carrying out a major programme of stabilisation. Hardwick Old Hall is administered by English Heritage on behalf of the National Trust and is open to the public Link . Like the new hall, it is a Grade I listed building (List entry Number: 1015889 Link Historic England). Link Pastscape (Historic England) Link Victoria County History

According to SK4663 : Conduit House this used to supply water to the old hall.