Explore Elizabeth I’s childhood home in a historic palace with intricate gardens, miles of parkland, a stable yard full of shops and cafes – and all this two minutes walk from the railway station. Hatfield House is an almost perfect car-free destination. The only thing that might make it better would be some kind of discount for people arriving by public transport. There are some other sights in the area too if you want to branch out, including a working flour mill, a watery country park and a riverside path.
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1. Hatfield House by train
The Bishop of Ely built a palace here in the fifteenth century and some of its ornate red bricks still rise over a Tudor-style knot garden. In 1538, Henry VIII bought the old palace for his kids and two decades later Elizabeth I was sitting under an oak tree nearby when she got the news that she was queen. Wandering around Hatfield House, phrases like “steeped in history” really do feel justified.
- How to get to Hatfield House car-free: Trains take just twenty minutes from London’s Kings Cross to Hatfield station and a day return is about £13. Cross the road outside the station and you’re there! You can enter through the pedestrian gate and follow the path ahead.
- The house is open from Easter to the end of September, Thursday to Sunday and costs £19 (£11 without the house).
- The opulent interiors are full of paintings and tapestries, including some of the most iconic portraits of Elizabeth.
- Look out for artworks in the grounds and gardens too – like the face in one of the huge trees of the woodland garden.
- Pick up a leaflet of Woodland Walks. Various routes, 1 to 3 miles long, run past 500-year-old oaks, a castle folly and a lake – beautiful!
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2. To the farm on foot
Feed the goats, pigs, sheep, ducks, cows or ponies at Hatfield Park Farm – a separate attraction in the grounds of Hatfield House. With animals, sand pits, bouncy tractor tyres, rope bridge and tree house, it’s heaving in the holidays. But go by train and at least you’ll avoid the traffic.
- The farm’s a ten-minute walk from Hatfield Railway Station, near Stable Yard. Ask at Hatfield’s pedestrian entrance, opposite the station, for details
- There are free tractor and trailer rides round the farm and a miniature train for an extra £2.
- It’s currently £6 for adults and £3.50 for kids to get into the farm and play area.
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3. Mill Green by bus
On the banks of the River Lea, about a mile north of the station, Mill Green is a museum and working eighteenth-century watermill. As an attraction, it’s rather overshadowed by neighbouring Hatfield House, but it’s refreshingly ramshackle and away from the crowds.
- How to get to Mill Green by bus: Buses 301or 653 from outside Hatfield Railway station run pretty regularly – or it’s under a fiver by taxi.
- Catch the bus to Bush Hall Hotel, at a nearby junction known as “Chequers”. Then follow the brown signs down Bush Hall Lane (five mins walk).
- Mill Green Museum is open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Thursdays and on Sunday afternoons (when there are cream teas). Free admission to the grounds; Entry is £3.50/50p for adults/kids
- To check whether the watermill will be working, call 01707 357850 on the day. You can buy freshly ground organic flour to take away.
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4. Stanborough Park
This curious nature reserve, created in the 1970s around two flooded gravel pits, is probably not worth making a special trip for, but it can be a great place to stop off if you happen to be nearby and fancy a swan-shaped pedalo, an ice cream by the lake or a good old-fashioned cup of tea.
- From just the other side of the junction called “Chequers”, the Lea Valley Way’s swan-logo waymarks lead away from the main road into Stanborough Park with its two lakes and a café.
- The Park is a mile away from Welwyn Garden City or two miles from Hatfield (arriva bus 300 serves both twice an hour).
- The drawback is interminable traffic noise from the nearby main road, but the South Lake, with its rental rowing boats and cheap café, is a bit more peaceful.
- Kids will probably love the bouncy castles or the hair-raising Vertigo adventure playground by the North Lake: ten meter-high rope walkways, a zip wire and climbing wall.
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5. Lea Valley Way
This 50 mile walking route follows the River Lea from source to Thames. It’s a bit of a mixed blessing in places, passing through some intractably urban areas and close to Luton airport. On the plus side it’s very easy to access by public transport and has some lovely rural stretches along the way.
- The 10 miles between Hatfield and Harpenden, which also has a station, are among the prettiest.
- The route starts from Mill Green (see 3 above) and passes through Stanborough Park.
- Wheathampstead, a large village with pubs, cafes and an unusual church, makes a good halfway point.
