elizabeth hardwick hall essay plans

Question 1

“The main change that Elizabethan stately homes demonstrated was the greater prosperity of their owners” (could be rise of gentry too, basically same thing)

Answer 1

• was a significant change they demonstrated
• HH designed to impress visitors w its grandeur & size
• large windows
• every material needed skilled labourers to process/build/shape it, e.g. marble & stone (Thomas Accres marble worker)
• lavish Turkish tapestries inside & ornate decoration (also French chairs)
• Flemish-inspired architecture
• initials on top
• this was all a clear illustration of the greater prosperity of their owners, however wouldn’t be possible w/o stability of England under Elizabeth’s rule in the Golden Age, which was the main change they demonstrated

Question 2

“The main change that Elizabethan stately homes demonstrated was the greater status of their owners/demonstrated social status” (could be rise of gentry too, basically same thing)

Answer 2

• rise of gentry: Bess from lower gentry, so since she was able to rise to richest woman in England only after Queen herself, clearly reveals this change
• houses designed to impress so designed to show off social status & wealth
• GCOB reflected in HH; Bess’ higher status illustrated by how her room was the penultimate floor (top floor reserved for Queen)
• Flemish inspired crests w Bess’ initials on top of house: clearly meant to show off high status, marking the house as hers, grandeur
• but this wouldn’t be possible w/o stability in England as trade (1 of reasons for rise of gentry) would be harder; needed connections to people from other countries to demonstrate social status through architecture

Question 3

“The main change that Elizabethan stately homes demonstrated was the stability of England”

Answer 3

• is the main change
• stability needed for new designs & building techniques to develop, as money would have to be spent on that & not war
• 1 way of showing social status was by having Renaissance-inspired pieces, e.g. symmetry, loggia, large grand staircase, long gallery used to display Italian artwork & tapestries
• if there was war/political unrest, then money wouldn’t have been focused on this, and styles from other countries may not have been adopted
• also decorative gardens - don’t need to defend your home anymore
• stability needed for rise of gentry, which led to HH being built by Bess

Question 4

“The main reason for building a stately home in Elizabethan England was to demonstrate wealth”

Answer 4

• was v important
• HH designed to impress visitors w its grandeur & size
• large windows
• every material needed skilled labourers to process/build/shape it, e.g. marble & stone (Thomas Accres marble worker)
• lavish Turkish tapestries inside & ornate decoration (also French chairs)
• Flemish-inspired architecture
• initials on top
• however, this wouldn’t have been important if it wasn’t to impress someone (e.g. Royal Court)

Question 5

“The main reason for building a stately home in Elizabethan England was to impress the royal court”

Answer 5

• showing off & impressing people v important
• Royal Court most powerful & important people in society
• GCOB: they were chosen by God (also reflected in windows/floors of HH)
• Bess built some rooms (top floor) w Queen in mind, wanted her to come on progress to HH; clearly shows influence RC/Queen had in building homes
• main reason was this, bc to impress royal court you had to do the other aspects, also status v important so had to try and impress them

Question 6

“The main reason for building a stately home in Elizabethan England was to demonstrate business investments”

Answer 6

• lots of materials from Bess’ own land & factories used
• lead for roof all from own foundries at Winster, Aldwark, Bonsall; had timber, slate, stone & clay on her own land; iron from own ironworks at Wingfield
• HH became showcase not only for local craftsmen but local materials
• Bess sold these materials for money just as Building Boom of English Renaissance began to take off
• building an expensive, impressive home would clearly illustrate business investments you had to make to get the wealth to build it, & building w own materials even more so
• but this ties too closely w showing off wealth (& status & power), and wouldn’t have been important if didn’t need to impress Royal Court/Queen

Question 7

“The main change that Elizabethan stately homes demonstrated was new designs & building techniques” (could also be Renaissance stuff here too, v similar)

Answer 7

• many new architectural trends, e.g. symmetry, fireplaces/chimneys (and so multiple floors), move away from Gothic architecture
• HH shows these through symmetry (even made internal flues in chimneys to preserve external symmetry), many chimneys & floors
• Great Hall ran back to front so was practical, more fireplaces allowed
• decorative garden, separate rooms, long galleries, leaded glass in large mullioned windows
• influenced by Renaissance architecture in places such as Florence
• however, none of this change would be possible w/o stability of England - needed money & peace to trade