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How a 16th-century manor stayed warm during the Little Ice Age
Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, England, reveals ingenious architectural strategies that kept its residents comfortable during centuries of extreme cold. Historians and architects say these methods could help reduce energy use in today's homes.
The Little Ice Age: A frozen era
Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Europe endured a prolonged cold spell known as the Little Ice Age. The River Thames froze solid in winter, allowing festivals and even royal archery practice on its surface. Harsh conditions led to famine, unseasonable frosts, and soldiers perishing in summer campaigns.
Scientists attribute the cooling to a mix of factors: reduced solar activity, volcanic eruptions, shifts in ocean currents, and natural climate fluctuations. The arrival of Europeans in North America also played a role, as the deaths of an estimated 56 million Indigenous people led to reforestation, which lowered atmospheric carbon levels.
Bess of Hardwick: A visionary builder
Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury-known as Bess of Hardwick-commissioned Hardwick Hall in the 1590s. The symmetrical, turreted manor, with its vast glass windows, was a display of wealth and innovation. Unlike the older, rambling Hardwick Hall nearby, the new design prioritized warmth and comfort.
Experts speculate Bess may have abandoned the original expansion after inheriting wealth or refining her vision for a home suited to her later years. The new hall's design reflects deliberate choices to combat the era's bitter cold.
Solar strategies and thermal tricks
Hardwick Hall's orientation is key to its efficiency. Rotated 90 degrees from the older hall, its long axis runs north-south, maximizing sunlight exposure. The east-facing Long Gallery captured morning light, while Bess's bedchambers faced southwest to benefit from afternoon warmth. Kitchens occupied the coldest northwest corner, where cooler temperatures preserved food.
"The whole internal planning is based around that geometry. Bess moved with the sun's path."
Ranald Lawrence, University of Liverpool
Other features included fake north-facing windows to reduce heat loss and fireplaces built along the central spine to retain warmth. The walls, nearly 1.4 meters thick, acted as thermal mass, absorbing heat from fires and releasing it slowly.
Modern measurements show the hall stays up to 10°C warmer inside than outside on winter days-far better than typical Elizabethan homes, which only managed a 2-3°C difference.
Lessons for today's homes
Architects say Hardwick Hall's principles could improve energy efficiency in modern buildings. Passive solar design-like orienting homes to follow the sun's path-reduces reliance on heating and cooling systems. Yet many contemporary buildings, such as glass skyscrapers, ignore these strategies, leading to higher energy use.
Small adjustments, like repositioning furniture to catch sunlight or planting shade trees, can also help. Lawrence notes that some 20th-century architects, like Peter and Alison Smithson, drew inspiration from Hardwick's design for projects like the Solar Pavilion in southwest England.
"The past is an underused tool. By studying historical responses to climate change, we can find constructive solutions for the future."
Dagomar Degroot, Georgetown University
Why we've forgotten these techniques
Despite their effectiveness, Elizabethan heating strategies are rarely used today. Lawrence blames a reliance on technology, like air conditioning, to compensate for poorly designed buildings. Yet as climate change intensifies, integrating passive heating and cooling methods may become essential.
For homeowners, simple changes-like moving a desk to a sunlit window or adding thermal mass with thick curtains-can make a difference. While these tweaks won't replace heating systems entirely, they echo Hardwick Hall's philosophy: working with, not against, the environment.
