Published: 26/07/2026
On a lovely sunny day with a refreshing breeze, 34 of us went on a coach trip to Hatfield House, Park and Gardens which are steeped in history and closely linked with Queen Elizabeth l.
We split into two groups for the tour of the house and found our guides to be very informative. Of particular interest was The Rainbow Portrait which has recently been restored. This colourful portrait of Queen Elizabeth l contains lots of iconology, so deserves a closer look.
After the tours and lunch, there was time to explore further but there wasn’t enough time to see everything, so allow time to see:
· The Main House
· The Old Palace with impressive great hall which is open for hourly visits.
· St Etheldreda’s Church
· Old Hatfield
· The gardens which lead to a smaller woodland walk
· The extensive parkland with woodland walks of varying lengths contains some ancient trees including two 500-year old oaks. There are notable points of interest along these walking routes including the Castle Folly, the Vineyard and Red Bridge.
· The Elizabeth Oak is a replacement tree to mark where Queen Elizabeth l received the news of her accession to the throne in 1558.
· Courtyard of shops and restaurant.
Many of us finished off the day with a fabulous ice cream - certainly worth trying out on a return visit!
PLEASE NOTE: I took many wonderful photos during the visit but I'm unable to use them to illustrate this article as “Photography is permitted for non-commercial and personal use.” Please use the links to the relevant Hatfield House website page which provides some lovely views and more information.
Image information:
Main image: The Rainbow Portrait (public domain)
Joyce Parkinson
