Hatfield House, is a leading example of a prodigy house (a term for large and showy English country houses built by courtiers and other wealthy families, "noble palaces of an awesome scale”. Prodigy houses stretch over the periods of Tudor, Elizabethan, and Jacobean architecture, though the term may be restricted to a core period of roughly 1570 to 1620.
Hatfield House was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, chief minister to King James I and it has been in the Cecil family ever since. A short distance from the present house is the Royal Palace of Hatfield, part of which still exists, where Elizabeth I spent her childhood. Hatfield House displays items associated with Elizabeth I and the library boasts a 22-foot long illuminated parchment roll showing the pedigree of Elizabeth I back to Adam and Eve! . The house has been used as a location for many films and TV programmes, so it may seem very familiar to you.
The gardens, covering, 42 acres, were laid out in the 17th century by John Tradescant the elder. Tradescant brought back from his visits to Europe many trees and shrubs never seen before in England. The East garden is only open on Wednesdays.
8:30am Leave Arlebury Park car park by coach - Pay and Display £1.50 per day
Coffee on arrival
11:30 Guided tour of the house
12:30pm Lunch. You may buy lunch in the River Cottage Kitchen and Deli or bring your own picnic
1:30 Self guided tour of the East and West gardens and park land
4:00 Leave for return to Alresford
6:00 approximately Arrive Arlebury Park
(Timings dependent on traffic conditions)
COST £46 pp includes transport, entrance and tour fees but not refreshments
Bookings taken at Meeting 25th June 2019
or contact Antoinetter Cuming
email: antoinettecuming@hotmail.com
Telephone 01962 422329