Haddon Hall’s MAGIC Exhibition Opens This Autumn

This Autumn Haddon Hall’s MAGIC Exhibition opens. If you’re planning ahead and visiting us, this should be on your list. 

Starting September 20, 2025, Haddon Hall will host MAGIC: Charms, rituals and superstition in Elizabethan England. This exhibition promises to dive deep into the fascinating world of folklore. It rituals, fears and superstitions that were an everyday part of life in the 16th century.

A Journey into Elizabethan Beliefs

Haddon Hall, famously untouched by time and steeped in over 900 years of history, is the perfect setting for this exploration. What makes this exhibition even more special is its inspiration: the hall’s very own remarkable ‘witchmarks’. These protective marks are carved into doorways, found in protective grotesques overlooking courtyards, and even as ancient poems scratched into glass. The exhibition will highlight these hidden symbols and even feature objects once concealed by past occupants to ward off harmful influences.

You’ll get to explore how Elizabethan society grappled with the fear of the supernatural, especially the perceived threat from witchcraft, and the steps people took to protect themselves.

Interactive Displays in an Unspoilt Setting

Haddon’s beautifully preserved medieval, Tudor, and Elizabethan rooms will host beautifully-curated and interactive displays. 

The tapestry-lined Great Chamber will be transformed into a magical Cabinet of Curiosities. It will blend Haddon’s own artefacts with more ‘fantastical’ finds. Expect imaginative displays, exhibits, and projections that will truly add to the enchantment.

Lady Edward Manners, whose family resides at Haddon Hall, perfectly sums up the allure: “The word that is used most by anyone visiting Haddon is ‘magical’. All are impacted by the essence of magic that imbues every stone in this remarkable house.”

Why Haddon Hall is the Perfect Venue

Set amidst ancient medieval parkland with the rolling Derbyshire hills as a backdrop, Haddon’s magical turrets and battlements have inspired writers, artists, and filmmakers for centuries. The hall itself was left empty for over 200 years from the 18th century, becoming a true ‘sleeping beauty’ that perfectly preserved the magic of its Elizabethan heyday. There truly could be no better place to tell the story of everyday magic in Elizabethan society.

“MAGIC” offers a unique opportunity to step back in time. To imagine how the hall’s Elizabethan occupants lived their lives, with an acceptance of and respect for the supernatural.

Plan Your Visit

The “MAGIC: Charms, rituals and superstition in Elizabethan England” exhibition opens at Haddon Hall on September 20, 2025. It runs until October 31, 2025.

It’s an ideal outing for a crisp autumn day during your stay with us at Wheeldon Trees Cottages. To find out more details or to book your tickets, head over to the official Haddon Hall website: https://www.haddonhall.co.uk/

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