Photo of Gawsworth Hall taken 6 June 2010
Soft Breeze Mini Kit by Lindsay Jane - Pixel Club Exclusive

Journaling reads:
The original house was Norman and this was rebuilt in 1480 and extensively remodelled in 1701. The hall was set in a park of some 600 acres.
The estate belonged to the Fitton family and one of the daughters of the family was Mary Fitton who served as maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth I. Mary was dismissed from court after she became pregnant by the Earl of Pembroke. Mary Fitton is one of the candidates for the 'Dark Lady' of Shakespeare's sonnets.
After the death of Sir Edward Fitton, 2nd Baronet of Gawsworth, in 1642, the inheritance of the estate was in dispute. Settlement in 1663 passed the estate to Charles Gerard, later Earl of Macclesfield, nephew of Sir Edward. A later dispute between descendants of the Fittons led to a famous duel in 1712 in which both protagonists, Lord Mohun and the Duke of Hamilton were killed.
In the early 19th century the hall was described as being a ruin.
The last professional jester in the country, Samuel "Maggoty" Johnson, lived in the house and is buried nearby.