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Celebrate Midsummer with storytelling in Bess of Hardwick’s birthplace, the Old Hall ruins, after hours!

Step into an enchanting evening of storytelling beneath the open sky. Celebrate the summer season as the Elizabethans once did, with joy, festivity, and stories woven into the heart of midsummer’s magic. 

Storytelling was the heart of places like Hardwick, carrying legends from generation to generation. This evening, we invite you into a world of folklore and fable, including The Lonely Tree, Story of Dawn and Dusk, Zebedee and Zachary, and The King and the Radish.  

In Elizabethan times, midsummer marked a turning point, a moment to feast and welcome the height of summer and the promise of the harvest to come. Bring a picnic and join us in this tradition, embracing the echoes of midsummer past. 

Please note:

• Standard admission charges apply to non-members on arrival.
• Please meet at Hardwick Old Hall, our welcome team at Visitor Reception will be on hand to help direct you to the correct location.
• Please dress for the weather, as the event will go ahead during light rainfall. Picnics, blankets and camping chairs are all welcome. This is an outdoor event.
• There are accessible toilets, parking, and a changing place located in the Stableyard, a buggy service is available on request. This event will take place on the grass area in the Old Hall, there is step free ground floor access but please note there are cobblestones on the entrance to the Old Hall and it is uneven in places.
• Children welcome.