The Real Housewives of English Castles

Who did you learn about in history class? Henry VIII? George Washington? Robespierre? Julius Caesar? Abraham Lincoln? Mostly men, right? Perhaps you covered Queen Victoria, maybe even Queen Elizabeth I. But for every one woman, there are probably 10 more famous, more covered, more valued men taking up the pages of the history books.

This missing side of history is especially important for English Heritage when looking after the houses, castles and stately homes that the nation has entrusted to them. "How can we give a truly representative history of the places that we take care of if we don’t include women?" asks English Heritage historian Megan Leyland. “Although they weren’t necessarily the famous politicians or architects of the age, that doesn’t mean women did not shape English Heritage sites or history more generally. You can't tell history through just one half of the population.“

As well as the famous queens, Megan believes it’s important to look at some of the lesser-known women who have called English Heritage sites their home. She’s interested in “the impact of gender on the lives and experiences of people from all walks of life.” She’s quick to note that, as well as the impactful stories of the unusual or extraordinary women who were the political 'movers and shakers' of the time, there’s also a significant value in rethinking how we see other, more ‘normal’ historical women.

“We often hear about women as wives or mothers or servants who are somehow less important – but their stories are just as interesting and significant. Take women running large and complex households – this came with considerable responsibility and could also result in considerable influence. All of these women were fascinating and the inclusion of their stories can shed new light on the histories of historic properties.”

From businesswomen to writers, from powerful political figures to domestic servants, here are 7 of these history-making women you should know. They are the ordinary and extraordinary figures, who worked, married, fought, and imagined their ways to better lives for themselves and, in some cases, better lives for all of us.

1. Bess of Hardwick

Bess of Hardwick rose from a modest background to become one of the most rich and powerful women of her time. She built the grand and impressive Hardwick Hall, leaving her mark on the country forever, although she's equally remembered for having survived no less than four husbands.

Bess used her marriages to accumulate property and land, cleverly forging a life for herself as an independent woman, and using her enormous wealth to fund her building projects. At Hardwick she remodelled her old childhood home, Hardwick Old Hall, and soon after began constructing Hardwick New Hall just yards away. It is known as one of the finest buildings of the Elizabethan age. She put her stamp on the place quite literally, with her own initials positioned imposingly on the tops of the towers.

3. Eleanor Coade

At a time when industry was dominated by men, Eleanor Coade ran her own business, inventing a type of artificial stone that became one of the most widely used materials of the 18th century. Born in 1733 as the daughter of a wool merchant, Eleanor bought her first business in 1769, where she began to experiment with her own formula for artificial stone. Coade's ceramic invention was so high-quality that many of her sculptures remain in pristine condition today.