Hatfield House

Hatfield House is a Jacobean country house in Hertfordshire, England, completed in 1611 as the seat of the Cecil family. It stands alongside an older royal palace on the same estate and remains the family home of the Marquess of Salisbury.

Built by Robert Cecil on the site of an earlier royal palace, the house was constructed in the early 17th century and has stayed in the Cecil family since. The older palace on the estate is historically significant for its association with Elizabeth I, who spent part of her childhood there.

The estate lies near the town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire, north of London, and is reachable by road and rail from the capital.

• Date and ownership: Completed in 1611 by Robert Cecil, the house has remained the family seat of the Cecils (Marquesses of Salisbury) for centuries and is open to the public on set days.
• Historic associations and use: The estate includes an older royal palace where Elizabeth I lived as a child; the house and grounds are used for tours, events and film locations.

What to See #

• Jacobean main house: The early 17th-century Jacobean country house built on the present estate, constructed to serve as a family seat and showpiece residence for the Cecil family.
• Old Palace and grounds: The adjacent Old Palace, a medieval royal residence on the estate where Elizabeth I spent part of her childhood, preserved alongside formal gardens and parkland.
• Gardens and parkland: Formal gardens and surrounding parkland that are maintained and open to visitors, forming part of the public tour route around the estate.