Hardwick Hall

This spectacular Elizabethan mansion is haunted by its builder and most famous resident - Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, better known as “Bess of Hardwick,” one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Elizabethan England.

Bess of Hardwick: The Blue Lady

Bess of Hardwick (1527-1608) was a remarkable woman who outlived four husbands, amassed enormous wealth, and built Hardwick Hall as her crowning achievement. She died here in 1608, but some say she never truly left.

The Blue Lady Manifestations:

• A stately woman in blue Elizabethan dress
• Walking through rooms she designed
• Inspecting the house as if ensuring all is in order
• Most often seen in the Long Gallery
• A commanding, formidable presence
• Particularly active near midnight

The ghost is called the “Blue Lady” after Bess’s favorite color, which she wore frequently and incorporated into the hall’s decorations.

Her Territorial Spirit

Bess’s ghost behaves as she did in life - proprietorial and watchful:

Reported Activity:

• Footsteps on the grand staircase
• The sound of keys jangling (she controlled all household keys)
• Doors opening and closing
• A presence supervising, as if checking on things
• Cold spots in rooms she particularly favored
• Objects moved to different positions overnight

Staff have reported feeling watched, especially when working in the older parts of the hall, as if Bess is ensuring they maintain her standards.

The Long Gallery

The magnificent Long Gallery, one of the finest in England, is her primary haunt:

• 166 feet long, perfect for ghostly pacing
• Her figure seen walking its length
• Often looking out at the Derbyshire landscape she loved
• Portrait-lined walls where she sometimes appears among the paintings

The Prediction

According to legend, Bess believed she would live as long as she kept building. When construction stopped due to winter weather in 1608, she died. Some say she’s angry about this and refuses to accept death, continuing to oversee her beloved hall.

Other Spirits

While Bess dominates, other ghosts share Hardwick:

• Mary, Queen of Scots (who was held nearby under Bess’s husband’s custody)
• Phantom servants in Elizabethan livery
• A small boy seen playing in the gardens

Hardwick Hall stands as a monument to Bess of Hardwick’s ambition and power - “Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall” - and her spirit seems determined to remain mistress of all she surveys for eternity.