Hatfield House

Over het museum

Hatfield House stands in a large park in Hertfordshire. The site was first occupied by a royal palace built in the 1490s by Cardinal John Morton. Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood there, and one wing of this Old Palace still survives beside the later house.

In 1607 James I gave the palace to his chief minister, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, in exchange for Theobalds, another Cecil estate. Cecil pulled down three wings of the old building, reused the bricks, and built the present house, which was complete around 1611. The red-brick mansion is a fine example of Jacobean architecture. Its interiors include the Marble Hall, the Long Gallery and the King James Drawing Room, and the formal gardens were laid out by the plant collector John Tradescant the elder.

The house has remained in the Cecil family and is the home of the Marquess of Salisbury. It holds an important collection linked to Elizabeth I, including the Rainbow Portrait, as well as a large illuminated family tree in the library and a Victorian kitchen. In the twentieth century the park was used to test early tanks, and after the Second World War the house hosted a unit that helped returning prisoners of war to resume civilian life. Today the estate is open to visitors for much of the year, and the house and grounds are often used as a film location.

Hoogtepunten

• Rainbow Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I
• Marble Hall, Long Gallery and King James Drawing Room
• Victorian kitchen in use since the house was built
• The Old Palace, where Elizabeth I spent her childhood
• Formal gardens and woodland walks in Hatfield Park

Opgericht

1611

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The main ticket covers the house, gardens and park. Advance booking online is recommended, and the ticket kiosks accept cards only.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The Marble Hall is reached by 14 steps or by a wheelchair entrance through the basement door beside the main entrance. A Victorian lift serves the upper floors but is narrow, and larger wheelchairs may not fit. Transfer chairs can be used inside the house, but wheelchairs are not lent out. Most shops, the restaurant and the toilets in the Stable Yard are step-free, and accessible toilets are available there. Park walks cross uneven and often muddy ground. Disabled parking is in the main car park on hard standing. Assistance dogs are allowed in the buildings.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

Outdoor play, seasonal family trails and school-holiday activities are offered in the park. The Coach House Kitchen has a children's menu, and baby changing is available in the Stable Yard toilets.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Leave the A1(M) at junction 4 and follow the brown signs via the A414 and A1000. Use postcode AL9 5HX and ignore sat nav routes through Old Hatfield.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museumwinkel
• Wifi

The Coach House Kitchen has a café and restaurant and is dog friendly. Several independent shops are in the Stable Yard, each with its own hours. Wi-Fi is offered only as part of a paid daytime workspace package at the Coach House Kitchen.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

Venues include the Old Palace, the Riding School in the Stable Yard and the parkland, for weddings, conferences, private celebrations and Christmas parties.

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