Hatfield House Facts for Kids

For other uses, see Hatfield House (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Hatfield House
South-facing view of Hatfield House
Type	Prodigy house
Location	Hatfield, Hertfordshire
OS grid reference	TL 23715 08394
Built	1607-1612
Architectural style(s)	Jacobean
Owner	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil

Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Hatfield House
Designated	6 February 1952
Reference no.	1173363


National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
Official name: Hatfield House
Designated	11 June 1987
Reference no.	1000343

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The Old Palace, Hatfield House
The Old Palace, Hatfield House
Type	Bishop's Palace
Location	Hatfield
Area	Hertfordshire
Built	c.1480
Architectural style(s)	Medieval and Tudor

Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: The Palace
Designated	6 February 1952
Reference no.	1348152

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Hatfield House is a grand country house located in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. It sits in a large park called the Great Park. This beautiful house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury. He was a very important person, serving as the chief minister to King James I.

Hatfield House is a great example of Jacobean architecture, which was popular during the time of King James I. The estate also includes huge gardens and parts of an even older royal palace. Today, Hatfield House is the home of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury. It is also open for people to visit and explore.

History of Hatfield House
Gardens of Hatfield House
- Tanks in the Garden
Visiting Hatfield House
Hatfield House in Films
Gallery
See also

History of Hatfield House

The Royal Palace of Hatfield

The Old Palace at Hatfield House

Before the current Hatfield House was built, there was a royal palace on the same land. Only a small part of this old palace still stands today, not far from the main house. This palace was a special place for Queen Elizabeth I when she was a child. She loved staying there.

The original palace was built in 1497 by John Cardinal Morton, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury and a minister for King Henry VII. It had four wings that formed a square around a central courtyard. Later, King Henry VIII took over the palace, along with other church properties. The nearby church of St Etheldreda's used to serve both the palace and the local village.

Henry VIII's children, King Edward VI and the future Queen Elizabeth I, spent their younger years at Hatfield Palace. His oldest daughter, Queen Mary I, also lived there for a few years. She was sent there as a punishment for not agreeing with Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn.

In 1548, when Elizabeth was just 15, she was suspected of planning to marry Thomas Seymour without permission. Her home and servants were taken over, and she was questioned at the palace. Elizabeth cleverly defended herself. Seymour was later executed for other crimes against the crown. After being held in the Tower of London by her sister Queen Mary, Elizabeth returned to Hatfield.

There's a famous story about the Queen Elizabeth Oak on the estate. People say Elizabeth was told she was queen under this tree after Mary's death. However, this is unlikely because Mary died in November, when trees usually don't have leaves. In November 1558, Elizabeth held her first important meeting, called a Council of State, in the Great Hall of the palace.

Hatfield House is a popular place for tourists because it has many items linked to Queen Elizabeth I. These include gloves and silk stockings, which are thought to be the first silk stockings in England. The library has a very long, 22-foot (6.7 m) parchment scroll. It shows the queen's family tree, going all the way back to Adam and Eve! The Marble Hall also displays the famous "Rainbow Portrait" of Elizabeth.

Building the New Hatfield House

The great hall of Hatfield House

King James I, who became king after Elizabeth, didn't really like the old palace. In 1607, he gave it to his chief minister, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury. In return, Cecil gave the king his family home, Theobalds.

Cecil loved building things. So, in 1608, he tore down three parts of the old royal palace. He used the bricks from the old palace to build the beautiful Hatfield House we see today. Some of the original features from Cecil's time are still there. These include the Grand Staircase, which is made of richly carved wood. There's also a rare stained glass window in the private chapel. Robert Lemynge oversaw the building work, with help from royal surveyor Simon Basil and Inigo Jones.

Important Owners of Hatfield House

One of Cecil's descendants, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, was a very important person. He served as prime minister three times during the late years of Queen Victoria's reign. The city of Salisbury in Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) was named after him. He was also known for often appointing members of his own family to government positions.

Hatfield House During World War II

During World War II, Hatfield House was used for a special purpose. It became the first Civil Resettlement Unit (CRU) and served as its main office. CRUs were places created to help British prisoners of war return to normal life after being held captive. The beautiful setting of Hatfield House was thought to be very helpful for these men. On July 12, 1945, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the CRU at Hatfield. This visit was widely reported in the news.

Gardens of Hatfield House

The West garden includes a scented garden and herb or kitchen garden

The beautiful gardens at Hatfield House

The gardens at Hatfield House are huge, covering about 42 acres (170,000 m²). They were first designed in the early 1600s by John Tradescant the elder. Tradescant traveled around Europe and brought back many new trees and plants. These plants had never been grown in England before. The gardens originally had orchards, fountains, sweet-smelling plants, and even a foot maze.

The gardens were not well cared for in the 1700s. But in Victorian times, work began to restore them. This restoration continues today under the current Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury.

Tanks in the Garden

During World War I, the grounds of Hatfield House were used for a very unusual purpose. They were used to test the first British tanks! An area was dug up with trenches and craters. It was also covered with barbed wire. This was done to look like the battlefields of the Western Front in France.

To remember this, the only surviving Mark I tank was kept at Hatfield from 1919 to 1970. It was then moved to The Tank Museum in Bovington.

Visiting Hatfield House

You can visit the grand State Rooms of Hatfield House. Guided tours are available during the week. On weekends, visitors can explore the house at their own pace. Fridays are special "Garden Connoisseur's Days." On these days, the house is open for guided tours and groups who have booked in advance. There are also five miles of marked walking trails to enjoy.

Hatfield House in Films

Hatfield House has been a popular place for filming many movies and TV shows. Its historic look makes it a great setting for different stories. Some of the productions filmed here include: