Home to the First Queen Elizabeth and a Three Time Prime Minister

It was 450 years ago this November that Elizabeth, the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII, learned that she had become Queen when her sister Mary died. She was, the story goes, sitting under an Oak tree reading when the news was brought to her.  Part of the Royal Palace of Hatfield where Elizabeth and her Brother Edward VI, who became King of England at the age of 9, spent much of their childhood still remains.  In 1608 three of the four wings of the palace were torn down by the then owner Robert Cecil, Chief Minister to King James I. The Palace was given to Cecil by Elizabeth’s successor James I in exchange for Theobald’s in nearby Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Cecil, 1^st Earl of Salisbury, built a new house nearby in the grounds of the palace.

Hatfield House lies about 20 Miles north of London close to the East Coast Main Railway Line and is open to visitors from April to September. Today the Old Palace can only be seen from a viewing bay in the Central Tower of the Main House. Inside Hatfield House there are mementos from both Queen Elizabeth (including a pair of silk stockings, believed to be the first in England) and the Cecil Family history. The 3^rd Marquess was Prime Minister three times during the reign of Queen Victoria. The Chapel was consecrated in 1614 and is still in regular use today and contains a stained glass window depicting scenes from the Old Testament dating back to 1610. The Library contains a collection of 10,000 volumes which date back to the 16^th century. The house also has a ‘Grand Staircase’ made of oak. Elaborately carved it’s one of the finest examples of the period still in existence.

 The Gardens at Hatfield House date back to the 17^th century, cover 42 acres and include a Maze, Orchards, and Herb Garden. The Garden was used as a testing area for the Mark I tank during the First World War in an area created to resemble the Western Front.

 The estate sits in 1000 acres of parkland featuring three scenic walks. The walks take in the oak tree, known as the Queen Elizabeth Oak. This is said to be the place where Queen Elizabeth 1 learned of her accession to the throne of England in 1558. Queen Elizabeth 11 planted this oak in 1985 to replace the original and The Vineyard. Created in 1611 with 30,000 vines, some the gift of the Queen of France, planted and managed by Frenchmen. Despite this specialist input there are no records of a single bottle of wine ever being produced!

Getting to Hatfield House is easy from London with a journey time of about 20-30 minutes from Kings Cross Station. During the day there are at least 2 trains every hour. The Entrance is opposite the station entrance and there is a short walk up the drive to the house (about 5-10 minutes).  From the North of England take the East Coast Main Line to Stevenage and change onto a local train to Hatfield If your travelling by road. Hatfield is Close to the A1(M) motorway that runs from London to the North of England and onto Edinburgh, Scotland.

Have you been to Hatfield House? Any advice or suggestions? Do you have any Favourite Stately Homes or Historic houses?