‘Exploring Culture’ visits Haddon Hall

On 28th September I took the pupils in my ‘extra’ Exploring Culture, to Haddon Hall. To have what has been described as the most perfect house to survive from the middle ages on our doorstep is a real treat and every time I take children there I realize what a beautiful house it is. We had a guided tour so learnt a huge amount of the history of the house as well as anecdotes and legends about the families who have lived there since it was built in the 12th Century. Built as a fortified manor house, Haddon Hall is the home of the Manners family who have lived there since 1567, prior to which the house belonged to the Vernon family. The main house lay empty for over 200 years from 1700 until the 1920s when the 9th Duke and Duchess of Rutland decided to restore the house and gardens and make it once again a family home. SRT