Hatfield House and Gardens

This celebrated Jacobean house, which stands in its own great park, was built between 1607 and 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I. It has been the family home of the Cecils ever since. The main designer was Robert Lyminge helped, it is thought, by the young Inigo Jones. The interior decoration was the work of English, Flemish and French craftsmen, notably Maximilian Colt. The State Rooms are rich in world-famous paintings including The Rainbow Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I and The Ermine Portrait by Nicholas Hilliard. Other paintings include works by Hoefnagel, Mytens, John de Critz the Elder and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Fine furniture from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, rare tapestries and historic armour can be found in the State Rooms. Within the delightful gardens stands the surviving wing of The Royal Palace of Hatfield (1497) where Elizabeth I spent much of her girlhood and held her first Council of State in November 1558. Some of her possessions can be seen in the House. gardens John Tradescant the Elder, the celebrated plant hunter, was employed to plant and lay out the gardens after the completion of the house in 1611. During the 18th century, when landscape gardening became more fashionable, much of his work was neglected or swept away. The present Marchioness has continued with the work of restoration and redevelopment, started in the mid 19th century, so that the 42 acres of gardens now include formal, knot, scented and wilderness areas which reflects their Jacobean history. The gardens are managed entirely organically. OPENING TIMES 25 March - 26 September (Closed Good Friday but open BH Mons). Park Daily: 10.30am - 8pm, on Fridays, 11am - 6pm. Gardens West: Tue - Sun. East: Fridays only (Connoisseurs' Day), 11am - 6pm. House Tue - Thur, guided tours only, Friday (Connoisseurs' Day), booked parties only, 12 noon - 4pm. Sat & Sun (no guided tours) 1 - 4.30pm. BHs (no guided tours), 11am - 4.30pm. Restaurant: Tue - Sun, 10.30am - 5.30pm. Shop: Tue - Sat, 11am - 5.30pm & Suns, 1 - 5.30pm