At the heart of the village of Tissington, in Derbyshire, Tissington Hall is a fine example of Jacobean architecture, built at the hinge of our period by a gentry family that has occupied the place for more than five centuries. It is the portrait of a rooted provincial line, faithfully serving the Crown and the county.
A Jacobean manor of 1609
The FitzHerberts arrived at Tissington in 1465, by a marriage. A century and a half later, in 1609, Francis FitzHerbert replaced the old moated manor with the present house: an elegant Jacobean house, one of a small group of Derbyshire gentry houses arranged around a central through-hall — a plan characteristic of early-seventeenth-century domestic architecture. Its façade with a two-storey porch embodies the nascent Jacobean taste, halfway between the Tudor tradition and the classicism to come.
A line of service
The FitzHerberts belonged to that provincial gentry which formed the backbone of English local government. Francis, then his son John, served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire — the highest office of the county, representing the king on the ground. This continuity of loyal service to the Crown, over several generations, is the mark of those families who, without being of the high nobility, kept England running. Remarkably, the FitzHerberts have occupied Tissington without interruption since the fifteenth century — to this day, a baronet of the family resides there. To see: the Jacobean façade with two-storey porch, the central through-hall, the stable block and entrance gates, the village of Tissington (famous for its 'well dressings').
Did you know?
The village of Tissington is famous for its 'well dressings': each spring, its wells and springs are adorned with vast pictures made of thousands of flower petals, mosses and seeds, in a tradition whose origin is lost in the centuries (perhaps a thanksgiving for pure water during a plague). This custom, carried by the village community around the FitzHerberts' manor, perpetuates an ephemeral and popular art with very ancient roots.
Notes
Tissington Hall lies at Tissington, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire; a private house (FitzHerbert family), open to the public on a limited basis. Hours to check.
Quiz
- From when does the Jacobean manor of Tissington date?
- From 1609 (Francis FitzHerbert)
- From 1066
- From the Victorian era
- Which office did the FitzHerberts hold?
- High Sheriff of Derbyshire
- King of Scotland
- Archbishop
- Since when has the family occupied Tissington?
- Since the fifteenth century (without interruption)
- Since 1900
- Since Roman times