Sutton Scarsdale Hall

This dramatic 18th Century hilltop shell of an imposing baroque mansion still retains remnants of its former rich plaster decoration. It was Nicholas Leake, the 4th Earl of Scarsdale who built the Hall. He wanted a mansion that was grander than Hardwick, more ornate and more splendid than Chatsworth, decorated with Italian stucco-work to rival the richest European palace. As proof of his achievement, Nicholas died bankrupt in 1736. The Hall passed from hand to hand until a speculator bought it and stripped it of everything that could be torn from it, up to and including the lead from the roof. Ruined and rotting, it was listed for demolition until, with just one day to spare, Osbert Sitwell from Renishaw Hall bought it. Now owned by English Heritage, it makes an ideal spot for a picnic.