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Tissington Hall has been lived in by the same family for 500 years, the present owner is Sir Richard Fitzherbert, Bt. Although the FitzHerberts and their predecessors in the female line have held the Manor of Tissington from a very early period, the house itself dates from Jacobean times and is a particularly splendid specimen of its period with fine gates wrought by Derbyshire's own celebrated smith, Robert Bakewell.

The façade is plain with upright mullion windows and a projecting porch with the front door surmounted by the arms of the FitzHerberts carved in stone. The West Front was re-faced in the eighteenth century in a rather severe classical style with a projecting central bay and open arcading on the ground floor.

The furniture at Tissington is of many periods, notably from the era when the house was built, but there are also pieces in the Gothick style. The house contains a accumulation of many finely made objects which old families tend to collect over the years, especially if they have remained in one spot for many generations.

The FitzHerberts hold one peerage - the barony of Stafford, the present Lord Stafford being the head of the FitzHerbert family. The title came to them by a marriage which took place in 1858 between Basil FitzHerbert and a sister of the 11th Baron Stafford. The title passed to their son, the present owner, who succeeded as the 12th Baron.

Viewed from what seems almost to be a garden wall gate the house has a completeness this is inspiring, as well as an attachment to the village that reinforces the long family connection. Inside the house are a number of very fine rooms, wood work by Chippendale, extensive wooden wall panelling, family portraits whose thoughts, if any, one can only speculate upon as the visiting public pass below them taking a keen interest in their former home.

It is possible to stay at Tissington Hall. Located within the grounds of the Hall, the apartment is on the first floor in a wing of the house; and is accessed by an external flight of stairs. Off the entrance hall is the main bedroom with a double bed, a kitchen well fitted with all the essential equipment you will require during your stay. There is a separate lounge/dining room, and a bathroom. Use of the gardens is as advised at the time of your stay by the owners. An email to Sir Richard (see above) will ensure you receive further details.

The village of Tissington is famous for its well dressing ceremonies and this annual event on Ascension Day draws large crowds. The well-dressing takes the form of elaborate designs, using thousand of flower petals and depicting biblical or local themes. It is a skilful art, and the results are startlingly beautiful. The Tissington Well Dressings are estimated to attract 50,000 visitors each year in the week that the wells are dressed. Thus a custom which goes back to the earliest times looks certain to continue and survive for many years to come.

In 1999 The Old Coach House at this handsome property was converted into a set of tearooms, and won the Country Land and Business Associations Award for the best conversion of a redundant building in the East of England Region. Tissington Hall is a much sought after venue for conferences, weddings and private parties of various kinds. For Societies and special groups the Hall is open for tours all year. For more details do visit their Website.

The beauty of the surrounding village of Tissington, as with many an English village, is the result of evolution. No planner designed it, no bureaucrat decided how and where the houses were to be built. The village grew in that effortless and instinctive way that villages did before the Industrial Revolution began to change the face of England.

Stay at Tissington Hall:

Located within the grounds of Tissington Hall, the apartment is on the first floor in a wing of the house; the accommodation is accessed by an external flight of stairs from which you enter the flat. Off the hall is the main bedroom with a double bed, the kitchen is well fitted with all the essential equipment you will require for your stay. There is a separate lounge dining room, the bathroom consists of a bath, hand basin and toilet. Use of gardens as advised by owners. You can Email Sir Richard for Details.

Opening Times - 2010:

Easter Week:
5th - 9th April: Monday - Friday inclusive
13th - 16th May: Thursday - Sunday

Half-Term Week:
31st May - 4th June: Monday - Friday
27th July - 27th August: Tuesday - Friday inclusive
30th August open Bank Holiday Monday

Admission Prices - 2010:
Hall & Gardens:
Adult - £7.50
Child (10-16yrs) - £4
Concessions - £6.50

Gardens only:
Adult - £3.50
Child - £1
Concessions - £3.50

Groups:
Adult - £7.50

Private Groups and Societies:

Sir Richard welcomes enquires from any interested party, and the charge per head is £7.50 (Minimum charge: £150).

Groups or societies are welcome to visit the Hall and gardens at appointed times or by mutual arrangement at any date during the year (in addition to the published opening hours).

Tours can be arranged for mornings, afternoons or evenings (although, regretfully, Wednesday evenings in the Summer months are unavailable), but the Gardens do look their best on mid-Summer evenings.

Whenever possible, Sir Richard does take the tours himself, but a full team of experienced Guides are available throughout the year.