Other posts on this trip: Manchester and Blackburn.

I’ve had another meal prep marathon this week to get us ready for the start of the school year and my inevitable stress about that. So I haven’t posted any more about the trip yet, but the few days we spent in Derbyshire were full of awesome. And sheep grazing on quaint hillsides.

We headed to Cora and Ian’s house after our Sunday roast with Freda and took it easy. But the next day we headed to nearby Haddon Hall, a stately home that’s been the filming location of 3 Jane Eyre adaptations and several other great films like Pride and Prejudice. I actually just found out when we got home and I went to the website that this is Humperdinck’s Castle from The Princess Bride! Obviously, this is my kind of place.

The grounds are beautiful. Most of the photos I took of the interior are pretty dark and gloomy, but I loved it outside.

A family photo in the gardens just up those steps:

The main reason I was excited to come here at Cora and Ian’s suggestion was the Jane Eyre costume exhibition. They had were showcasing costumes from the 3 adaptations that were filmed here: the 2006 BBC adaptation, the 1996 Franco Zefferelli adaptation (Charlotte Gainsbourg will always be Jane), and the recent adaptation with Michael Fassbender (love him, too). This was extremely cool to me. I can still picture Ms. Gainsbourg working this look:

All the costumes were great, and I couldn’t believe they were just out in the open to look at so closely.

Loved this place. But, it being England, we eventually got rained on and called it a day. Actually, first we stopped for tea in their cafe and a quick trip around the gift shop.

I read that Jane Austen filming locations book religiously the rest of the trip, and I promise you we did visit more than one location.

Anyway, after this we headed home and were met with a merry band of Cora and Ian’s friends and neighbors coming over to meet H. She particularly fell in love with their neighbor’s daughter Anna.

Who also made us this yummy cake:

And since Ian’s birthday was that week, this was the evening we all gave him his present. I think he likes it.

Who doesn’t love an iPad?

I have the most photos from this leg of the trip, so I’m going to stop here for tonight and continue again with the next post.