Unsealed: The Letters of Bess of Hardwick

Dukes and spies; queens and servants; friends and lovers - all of the Elizabethan world populates the letters of Bess of Hardwick. Bess herself wrote hundreds of letters throughout her life: they were her lifeline to her travelling children and husbands, to the court at London, and to news from the world at large.

The exhibition Unsealed, currently showing at Hardwick Hall, lets Bess and her correspondents tell their stories in their own words.

The Podcasts

Click on a link to hear a podcast on your mobile.

1. The Many Faces of Bess of Hardwick (5:32)
2. Who's Who in Bess's Address Book (6:33)
3. Details on Lifestyle (3:55)
4. Stories from Bess's Bedchamber (6:42)
5. A Peek into Bess's Parcels (5:13)
6. Unsealed: A Look Behind the Scenes (11:53)

Characters

• Frances Cobham played by Catherine Emmott
• Frances Pierrepont played by Sophie Holmes
• Elizabeth Wingfield played by Carole Hough
• Bess of Hardwick played by Kathryn Lowe
• Arbella Stuart played by Imogen Marcus
• James Montague played by Andrew Prescott
• Queen Elizabeth I played by Bryony Randall
• George, 6th earl of Shrewsbury played by David Simmons
• Mary, queen of Scots played by Jennifer Smith
• Richard Topcliffe played by Jeremy Smith
• Narrator played by Anke Timmermann
• Henry Cavendish played by Thomas White

All podcasts were written and produced by Anke Timmermann.
Supported by The University of Glasgow and The National Trust.
Funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council.