Solar Electronics & Mains Powered Post, Hardwick Hall

Atop a hillside sat between Chesterfield and Mansfield overlooking the Derbyshire countryside you will find Hardwick Hall, one of the most impressive Elizabethan country houses still standing in England. This vast and beautiful structure is a great example of English architecture as it developed once an Englishman’s home no longer needed to be his castle.

Designed and built for ‘Bess of Hardwick’ the Countess of Shrewsbury, the house remained in possession of the Hardwick family until 1956, in 1959 it was handed over to the National Trust, who have preserved it since. From the late 1500’s through to the early 1900’s thousands of people have added their creative touches to Hardwick Hall, making it the stunning building and location it is today.

Solar Electronics

Sadie Scott from the National Trust team in charge of Hardwick Hall contacted us with a plan for some audio interpretation they wanted to add to the house, but unsure how best to make it happen. The goal was to create some atmospheric audio in two areas around Hardwick Hall, the Stables and the Smithy, while the audio was only to be activated when visitors were in each area.

Background audio was conjured in the Smithy using audio solar electronics, the solar panels were attached to the roof and connected to the speaker and sound store below via a cable, which was installed in a custom manner by Sadie and her team. When visitors enter the Smithy the PIR sensor activates the electronics and they begin playing ‘Blacksmith at work’ sounds (I’m sure you know what kind of sounds we mean!), adding a nice atmospheric effect to the area.

Mains Powered Post

For the Stables a bespoke twist on our standard solar audio post was developed. We took the solar post frame and added a more powerful speaker plus a PIR activated SB Lite, due to the location of the post and the extra power required for the SB Lite and speaker we had to make the post mains powered rather than solar. The end result was great, the appearance of the oak post fits wonderfully with the surroundings and working stable noises are beamed down the stables providing a nice ambience for visitors as they walk in. In fact the staff working at Hardwick Hall have affectionately nicknamed the horse that appears on the audio post ‘Dobbin’ and tell us that it has become quite the talking point amongst visitors.