Beyond London, Historical London

Hatfield House and the Old Palace

by essentialldn

The history of Hatfield House starts in 1485, when the Bishop of Ely (Cambridgeshire) constructed Hatfield Palace, today known as the Old Palace.

At the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536-41), Hatfield Palace was acquired by King Henry VIII, passed down in sequence to his children; Edward, Mary and Elisabeth and then inherited by King James I in 1603.   James I didn’t care much for the Palace and traded it with Robert Cecil (son of William Cecil, spy master to Queen Elisabeth I).  Robert Cecil dismantled some of the Palace and constructed Hatfield House in 1608.   Today, both the Old Palace and Hatfield House are co-located on the same site near the town of Hatfield.

Robert Cecil (honoured 1st Earl of Salisbury) was ancestor to the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (also called Robert Cecil) – three-times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of Oxford University in the late nineteenth century.  Both Robert’s are buried in St Ethelreda’s Church, some 100 metres from the entrance to the Old Palace.  Today, Hatfield House still remains home to the current Lord and Lady Salisbury.

With its combination of royal and political heritage, Hatfield House is one of Britain’s treasured historic homes.

The entrance to Hatfield House, completed in 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury.
The Jacobean Marble Hall of Hatfield House, looking much as it would have done when completed in 1611.
The celebrated Rainbow portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, painted in about 1600. The motto ‘Non sine sole iris’ (no rainbow without the sun) refers to Elizabeth as a bringer of peace.
The Grand Staircase in Hatfield House
The Long Gallery was an essential feature of every Jacobean house.
The Armoury. Most of the armour was purchased from the Tower of London in the 19th century.
The front of Hatfield House, that featured prominently in the film; ‘The Favourite’
The Old Palace Garden, featuring three knots and a foot maze.
Mulberry Tree, said to have shaded the young Princess Elisabeth I
The Banqueting Hall of the Old Palace.
The Banqueting Hall of the Old Palace. It was here that Queen Elizabeth held her first Council of State in 1558.
The entance to the Old Palace, completed in 1497 by Cardinal Morton, Bishop of Ely.

See link for more information:

https://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/

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