Day 1: Hardwick and Chatsworth

Bess bought her childhood home from her brother's estate in 1583, and she started to enlarge and adapt the medieval manor into a new property - which is now Hardwick Old Hall - between 1585 and 1590. After she was widowed for the fourth and last time in November 1590, she started a new project - the first house planned from scratch. Hardwick Hall is now in the care of the National Trust, but the old and new halls were designed to complement eachother. Today you can get a combined ticket to visit both properties, and a view of each from staying in the East Lodge holiday cottage.

Another of Bess's major building projects was at Chatsworth - an estate which she bought with her second husband, Sir William Cavendish. It's less than twenty miles from Hardwick, and about 45 minutes' drive. Although it's very different from in Bess's day, the estate is still privately owned by the family - and probably one of the most famous stately homes in England.

You might also want to organise a visit to the palatial medieval manor house Wingfield Manor. It was one of the places where Bess's fourth husband the Earl of Shrewsbury imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots. It's now part of a working farm, so entrance is by pre-booked guided tour only.

Day 3: Into the peaks

Mentioned in the Domesday survey, Peveril Castle is one of England's earliest Norman fortresses. It was founded by the same William Peveril as Bolsover Castle, and has a similarly commanding position - albeit over more rugged terrain. It's about an hour's drive away, standing high above the pretty village of Castleton in the heart of the Peak District.

Further south, the White Peak around Bakewell has a few really ancient sites to visit which have outlasted the rise and fall of local dynasties. Hob Hurst's House near Chatsworth is a square prehistoric burial mound with an earthwork ditch and outer bank, named after a local goblin. Nine Ladies Stone Circle, closer to Stanton Moor, is a small early Bronze Age stone circle of (actually) ten stones. They're believed to be nine ladies turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on Sunday. And further west, south of Monyash, Arbor Low Stone Circle is the region's most important prehistoric site. Arbor Low is a Neolithic henge monument atmospherically set in high moorland, with a circle of 50 or so white limestone slabs within an earthen bank and ditch.

Getting There and Around

These sites are along (or not far from) the M1 corridor and the easiest way to explore all of these properties is with a car. You can get information about parking, directions to each site and information about visiting using local bus services and train services on each property's page.