Haddon Hall, a 900-year-old medieval manor house in Derbyshire, welcomes a modern touch from Lord Edward Manners, Lady Edward (Gabrielle), and their two-year-old twin sons, Alfred and Vesey. Despite the hall’s historical significance and popularity among tourists, the family aims to maintain its authenticity while infusing a sense of comfort and vitality. Lord Edward emphasizes the desire for Haddon Hall to be more than a museum, embracing a living, breathing space that reflects their family life, including the occasional presence of children’s toys.
Lord Edward Manners, despite growing up at Belvoir Castle, inherited Haddon Hall in 1999, a property that has been in his family since the early 1100s. He highlights Haddon’s unique history, as it stood empty from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century. During this time, the family considered it the least fashionable of their properties, leading them to close it for two centuries. Lord Edward sees this period of closure as a fortuitous quirk of fate.
Haddon Hall’s 200-year period of closure turned out to be a blessing, sparing it from the Georgian and Victorian trends of modernization. The restoration efforts were undertaken by Lord Edward Manners’s grandfather, the ninth Duke of Rutland, who was an intellectual, archaeologist, and historian. Despite discouragement from Lord Edward’s great-grandfather regarding the costs, the restoration began in earnest after his father’s death in 1925 and was completed a decade later.
The restoration of Haddon Hall was meticulous, with a focus on preserving historical details. Instead of renovating the Tudor-era kitchens, the duke opted to build new kitchens in the stable block, preserving elements like the 17th-century trough for kneading dough and a 16th-century oak table with curved indentations from years of cooking activities. Lord Edward Manners acknowledges the dedication of his grandfather, who devoted his life to Haddon, and acknowledges the sacrifices made by the family to save the historic property. Lord Edward took over the responsibility of Haddon Hall at the age of 34, leaving his banking job in London to dedicate himself full-time to the estate, recognizing that the house tends to “take over your life.”
Lord Edward Manners and Gabrielle, his wife, lead a unique life at Haddon Hall. Gabrielle, with a background in archaeology and law, started her lingerie company. Their life at Haddon Hall, filled with sheep, magnificent gardens, tenant farmers, and a local village, is far from the London lifestyle she was accustomed to. Despite initial apprehensions, Gabrielle finds the estate fascinating and enjoyable. The couple embraces the rural lifestyle, hosting Christmas services and carol concerts in Haddon Hall’s private chapel and organizing large dinners to bring the house to life. They frequently entertain guests, transforming the austere parlor into a cozy space with Berber rugs, armchairs, and a roaring fire.
The highlight of the Christmas festivities at Haddon Hall is the dinner in the spectacular Long Gallery. With high diamond-paned windows on each side and an impressively long table, the room undergoes a magical transformation as the light changes, and candlelight adds a romantic, fairy-tale-like glow. The Mannerses continue with renovations, planning larger living quarters in the Duke’s Tower for their growing family, where they anticipate incorporating their own design while respecting the historical significance of Haddon Hall.
