Wednesday 22 October

 On the move again and heading to the Peak District via Hardwick hall. It was a 3 hour drive down the motorway and arrived just in time for me to get my ploughmans at Hardwick Inn. Yeh, and everyone agreed it was the better option, I even got a pork pie with my ploughmans.

Yes June took this one and not sure if she made it blurry on purpose! Haha

Hardwick HAll hall was built by Bess  of Hardwick. It was designed in the  same layout inside as the  palace so that when queen ELizabeth 1 came to stay she would be familiar with it all  but the queen never got  there are she was too busy with the Amada. Just as well, as the story goes where ever  the queen went she bankrupted the estate as she took her  entourage with her and never paid .

The hall did house Mary queen of Scots for for 13 years while the queen decided what to do with her.

It was am imposing house and quite austere. It was quite a long way to the house so we hitched a ride, June chatted him up as well, I tell you,every male she comes across she chats up! Although she will deny it haha. Just being friendly.

                                                                                   

Yes June took this one as well. I think I will have to ask a passer  by next time ! Hope LInda is better at taking photos for when we go to France.

Every room was filled with tapestries from floor to roof . Bess  was a very wealthy woman after marrying 4 husbands and liked to be the centre of attention as you can by her greeting chairs.

The gardens were unremarkable except for all the little furry animals which moved so fast , this was all I could get

                                                                     

Another hour of driving through the Peak District to try and find our next home. Beautiful country side with rolling green hills and stone walls everywhere.

We had trouble finding the turn off as we are only using the large AA atlas of UK and it is hard to find some places that aren't marked on the map, even for some one like me! After many wrong turns and asking locals the way, we finally arrived at the house in the dark, burning the clutch out as the roads were so narrow and high . This was probabley the worst of the houses and quite disappointing and I nearly died when I walked in and saw the stairs and realised that June wouldn't be able to go upstairs as the loo was downstairs, didn't think this one out too well. 

                                                         Hence we made up the bed downstairs for June

                                                                               

Not sure when they did the decor but they didn't waste any money, in fact I don't think they spent any at all lol