Set in 250 acres of beautiful rolling Hertfordshire countryside with 28 acres of Formal Gardens, Knebworth House has been home to the Lytton family for over 19 generations, making for an extraordinary walk through 500 years of local and British history. Stories and heirlooms reflect the family’s contribution to literature, politics, and Foreign Service. Visits from people as diverse as Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth I have also added to Knebworth’s rich heritage.
The romantic exterior of Knebworth House with its turrets, domes and gargoyles silhouetted against the sky does little to prepare the visitor for what to expect inside. The House has stood for many years longer than the Victorian decoration suggests; the stucco hides from view a red brick house dating back to the Tudor times.
Knebworth House first achieved fame in Victorian times as the home of the novelist, playwright and politician Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton; author of the words “it was a dark and stormy night” and “the pen is mightier than the sword”. Other notable family members include Lady Constance Lytton, Hertfordshire’s own Suffragette and the Edwardian architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who married into the Lytton family.
There have been gardens at Knebworth House since at least the 17th Century, but the present layout dates largely from the Edwardian era. The architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, simplified the ornate beds and statuary of the Victorian garden with lawns and avenues of pollarded lime trees. The Herb Garden was recreated in 1982 from Gertrude Jekyll’s 1907 design. Each generation has enhanced the gardens and the recent wood carvings are particularly interesting. The Gardens at Knebworth are delightful throughout the season. The 28 acre formal gardens include a maze, colourful borders, fine trees and a wilderness area with an exciting Dinosaur Trail.
In more recent history Knebworth has been named 'The Stately Home of Rock'. The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Oasis and Robbie Williams as well as over 100 other major artists have played Knebworth Festivals since 1974 to over two million fans. Knebworth House has also made appearances on the big screen, from major feature films, commercials, music videos and still shoots, with highlights including Batman and The Crown. A newly refurbished Exhibition Space showcasing the concert and film location history is now open for visitors to enjoy. This new exhibition tells some of the stories that make Knebworth House so unique!
This historic Knebworth Deer Park covers over 250 acres, and has been home to grazing herds of Red and Sika Deer that have been at Knebworth for even longer than the Lytton family. The Park is a perfect setting for families to enjoy a country picnic, ball games and walks during the open season. The Adventure Playground within Knebworth Park offers a fun-filled day of enjoyment: enjoy the astro and drop slides, play on the swings and slides at Fort Knebworth, whizz down the zip wire, try the interactive water play, and scale the new climbing equipment. Younger visitors will particularly enjoy the Wilderness area within Knebworth Gardens with its Willow House, bird-song sound box and garden sculptures as well as the new brand new Bug Hotel and Giants Chair. The Dinosaur Trail in the Wilderness Garden is very popular with younger visitors. The 72 life-sized dinosaurs and pre-historic creatures can be found grazing amongst the shrubbery. Exploring the woodland paths, children can learn about the T-Rex, the Woolly Mammoth and other fascinating pre-historic creatures. There are information boards throughout the Dinosaur Trail and a huge chalk board for creating your own ‘cave-man drawings’.
Knebworth House, Park & Gardens is open weekends, bank holidays and for the school holiday breaks between March and September.
Ticket Type | Ticket Tariff |
---|---|
House, Park & Gardens Adult gate price | £21.50 adult |
House, Park & Gardens Adult online price | £20.50 adult |
House, Park & Gardens Child/ Senior gate price | £21.00 concession |
House, Park & Gardens Child/ Senior online price | £20.00 concession |
House, Park & Gardens Family gate price | £82.00 family |
House, Park & Gardens Family online price | £78.00 family |
Park & Gardens Family gate price | £56.00 family |
Park & Gardens Family online price | £52.00 family |
Park & Gardens Single gate price | £15.00 per ticket |
Park & Gardens Single online price | £14.00 per ticket |
Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.
Knebworth House & Park are accessed direct from the Junction 7 roundabout of the A1(M) motorway at Stevenage South, 29 miles north of London. There are signs on both carriageways of the motorway. Plenty of free parking for cars and coaches.
If you are using a Sat Nav system use the post code SG1 2AX.
The nearest rail station is Stevenage, two miles from Knebworth Park. There is a taxi rank at the station. Non-stop Inter-City and local services run to Stevenage station from London’s Kings Cross station around every 30 minutes.
There are also frequent Inter-City connections on the East Coast main line from Cambridge, York, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. We recommend taking a taxi from the station.
* We are open for public day visits on selected dates from March to September.
22nd – 30th March 2025 | Open Weekends
5th – 21st April 2025 | Open Daily
26th April – 18th May 2025 | Open Weekends & Bank Holidays
24th May – 1st June 2025 | Open Daily
7th – 29th June 2025 | Open Weekends
5th July – 7th September 2025 | Open Daily (Closed 8th – 11th August)
13th – 28th September 2025 | Open Weekends
Splendid Jacobean House and Garden in a spectacular countryside setting. Childhood home…
Copped Hall was the burnt-out shell of a fine Georgian mansion but now being restored.…
The Tower of London spans over 900 years of British history. Fortress, palace, prison,…
The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret’s Church together…
Since their creation in 1759, the Royal Botanic Gardens have made a significant…
Syon House was started by Lord Protector Somerset in 1547 and is built on the site of a…
Maritime Greenwich encompasses international significant architecture and landscape,…
Tudor manor house and grounds containing furniture, pictures and memorabilia accumulated…
Kimbolton Castle has a rich and fascinating history that has seen it develop from a…
Hemingford Manor, built circa 1130 and one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in…
Built about 1130. Famous as the House of Green Knowe in the children's books by Lucy…
One of England's finest Tudor manor houses set in classic gardens. Family owned in direct…
The most striking feature of Wakefield Walk was the large expanse of Wakefield Lawn.
The Capability Brown Pleasure Grounds at Wotton, currently undergoing restoration, are…
One of the most complete historic watermills in Essex with most of the original machinery…
Painshill is an award-winning 18th century landscape garden where you are invited to walk…