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The Hall
If we were to take ourselves back to 1170, we would see very little of the present-day Haddon Hall, other than parts of the Eagle Tower and chapel. A building originally stood on the land it now occupies as far back as 1087, but it was not until 1370 that Richard de Vernon embarked on a project of major construction.
The Banqueting Hall
Dating from the late 14th century, the Banqueting Hall was the principal dwelling room for the medieval manor and would have been home for between forty and fifty people. The roof is of 20th century construction, all the timbers for which were cut from the Haddon or Belvoir estates. Items of interest in the Banqueting Hall include antlers dating from the time of Charles II: see above. Other items include, a 15th century refectory table, a tapestry and a manacle and lock; it is said any guest 'who did not drink fayre' was liable to have his hand manacled and the remainder of his drink poured down his sleeve. A wood panelled minstrel's gallery was added in about 1600 to the existing hall
Dining Room
Sir Henry Vernon created this cosy room in the early 1500s and Sir George Vernon completed it in 1545. Previously a high-ceilinged medieval parlour, the dining room was formed by the addition of a lower ceiling. Its painted ceiling and wooden carvings display insignia and other symbols of the Royal (Tudor) household, the Vernon family and the various families allied with the Vernons. Above is one of a set of wooden carvings, that run round the whole of the panelling. These symbols and the room as a whole celebrate the Vernon family's loyalty to the Tudor dynasty and also their status, connections and taste. 500 years on and the room, looking much as it would have done in Sir George's day, is still used for private dining.
The Chapel
The chapel, like the house, grew over time. Every historical period and characteristic of Haddon is represented, the north aisle was added in the 14th century, and the chancel in the early 15th century. The amazing series of wall paintings have a long and chequered history, see above: "The Three Skeletons" mural. Dating back to the late 14th century, they were once a blaze of colour. Whitewashed during the 16th century reformation, they were not uncovered until the restoration of Haddon Hall in the early 20th century. An Italian marble effigy of Lord Haddon, the eldest son of the 8th Duke of Rutland, carved by his bereft mother, adds a poignancy to this beautiful consecrated chapel situated in the Parish of Nether Haddon, one of the smallest parishes in the country.
Family History
William the Conqueror's illegitimate son, Peverel, and his descendants held Haddon for a hundred years before it passed into the hands of the Vernons. It was under their care and particularly under that of Richard de Vernon in the 14th century and Sir Henry Vernon in the 16th century that Haddon Hall took on the shape of the building we are familiar with today. It came into the possession of the Manners family by marriage after the death of Sir George Vernon in 1567 and has remained in the Manners family ever since