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| Hardwick Hall 1813 |
Because readers seem to be very interested in the posts about locales and vehicles mentioned in Lord of Scoundrels*, I'm continuing the visual guide.
Athcourt, where Lord Dain resided, is on the fringes of Dartmoor. It’s based, however, on Hardwick Hall, which is in Derbyshire. But there are moors there, too, and Hardwick Hall certainly is atmospheric. I chose it because it looked like the sort of place Dain would have grown up in and because I had a picture of it in cross-section—so helpful in seeing the movie in one’s head. Since a great deal of action takes place in this house, the cross-section was invaluable.
You can see a black and white version of the cross section here.
The National Trust publication about Hardwick Hall includes a cross section in color, as well as many interior views, including the Long Gallery, down which Dominick runs au naturel. Below is a Victorian pseudo-Elizabethan view of the gallery, but it hasn't changed much.
*Yes, still celebrating the book’s 20th anniversary.
Images: North View of Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire and
Interior View of the Hall at Hardwick, by John Buckler (1813), courtesy Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection. Gallery image from The Mansions of England in the Olden Time, Vol 2, 1870
One of us -- 
4 comments:
Loretta, thank you so much for sharing the pictures of Hardwick Hall. The cross section is fascinating and I love seeing the inspiration for Athcourt. "Lord of Scoundrels" is one of my all time favorite novels and one of only a few I reread periodically (right up there with my three favorite Jane Austen novels - P&P, Persuasion and Emma). Now I'm anxious to read it again just to compare the pictures to what's in the story. Has it really been 20 years???
Thank you for all your posts, Loretta, and for years of wonderful books! Hard to believe LORD OF SCOUNDRELS is 20 years old. I'm sure I haven't aged that much, and I know you haven't. We are still the same spring chicks we were. (cough, cough)
Amusingly, while at a friend's house, she lent me several "quite entertaining!" romance novels. Three of which are Loretta Chase! I couldn't believe that I'd read the blog of the author of the book in my hands at that moment.
And I have to say, Scandal Wears Satin was DELIGHTFUL. I'm looking forward to starting Vixen in Velvet (my friend was missing the first book).
Oh, thanks for sharing this. I love Hardwick Hall and have lots of photos on my Pinterest page, including floor plans. I'm about to listen to LOS again, so it will be great fun to follow the action at the "real" location.
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