Hatfield House

Hatfield House

A county house built for Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury, between 1607 and 1612. The building was designed by Robert Liming, assisted by Robert Cecil, his friend Thomas Wilson, and probably by Simon Basyll and Inigo Jones. The west wing was gutted by fire in 1835 and redecorated by the second marquess (died 1868), who also undertook much decoration in other parts of the house.

The house is constructed in red brick with stone dressings and adopts an E-shaped plan. It comprises three storeys and an attic over a basement, with stone mullioned and transomed windows of two to six lights throughout.

The north entrance elevation displays fifteen windows. A central three-storey porch bay features an arched, shell-headed door flanked by pairs of fluted Roman Doric columns, with strapwork to the pedestals, frieze and overthrow. Nineteenth-century steps in two flights lead to the entrance. The flanking four-window walls have two-storey canted window bays positioned near three-window end projections. These end projections contain three-and-a-half-storey tower projections, formerly with cupola domes. The basement features a moulded plinth and two four-centre doors on each side of the right-hand end pavilion.

The main south front is dominated by a nine-window loggia in ashlar stone. The central feature is a three-stage triumphal entrance with pairs of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns at each level, and double doors matching those on the north elevation. Strapwork decorates the columns and pedestals, with a large coat of arms on the third stage and the date 1611 on the parapet. The top stage was renewed in 1982. The loggia on either side was enclosed by stone trellis-work windows around 1846, when much of the stonework of the front was probably restored. The ground and first floors display Doric and Ionic fluted pilasters with carved pedestals and strapwork friezes. The strapwork parapet was renewed around 1950. Upper floor windows have bracketed sills.

The flanking sides of the courtyard are six windows: three two-storey bay windows alternating with two-light openings, and three-light attic windows with strapwork semicircular crests. Doric doorways feature similar crests. The west side displays a large chapel window with two-storey twelve-arched light windows. End elevations of the wings have square projecting turrets with leaded cupolas and strapwork parapets between them. Central two-storey canted bay windows are located here; the one on the west side has a nineteenth-century balcony and steps.

The east and west elevations are composed in two parts. The northern parts have three canted two-storey window bays with flat parapets, and a recessed narrow gabled central bay. The southern part has two small gables. Rising from the centre of the house is a three-stage wooden clock tower. The bottom stage has triplets of Doric columns at the angles and triplet arches between. The cube-shaped middle stage has clocks on the north and south sides and pairs of Ionic columns at the angles, with an arched octagonal turret topped by a leaded cupola. This section is possibly by Inigo Jones.

The interior contains outstanding features. The Hall and Grand Staircase both display wood carving by John Bucke. The hall screen exhibits profuse Jacobean ornament and a projecting upper gallery, which was closed in during the nineteenth century. A second gallery is corbelled out of the east wall, which has two stone doorways here. The hammerbeam ceiling carries paintings by Taldini, brought in by the Third Marquess in 1878. The Grand Staircase displays richly carved balusters and newel posts, with newels carved as lions and cupids.

The Summer Drawing Room, east of the staircase, retains a well-preserved original interior. The Chapel in the west range features a large east window with twelve panes of original stained glass. The secondary staircase in the west wing, known as the Adam and Eve staircase, was remodelled in the nineteenth century but retains a fire door surround of around 1700 on the first floor. The Long Gallery has panelling in two tiers divided by pilasters; the fireplaces and ceilings are possibly nineteenth century in date. King James's Drawing Room on the east has a restored ceiling and a contemporary fireplace by Maximilian Colt. King James's Bedroom, adjoining, contains a fireplace taken from the Summer Dining Room.