Bess of Hardwick married well and inherited even better. She became the second most powerful and wealthy woman in Elizabethan England, rivaling the Queen herself. Her home, Hardwick Hall, in Derbyshire, expresses that wealth and power, using so much glass -- unusual in Tudor times -- that the house is said to resemble a huge glass lantern. There are good collections of Elizabethan embroideries, furniture and paintings and heritage breeds of cattle and sheep in the park.
Highlight: Little changed since it was built, the house offers a rare glimpse of Elizabethan courtly life.
