Theobalds House

Theobalds House (also known as Theobalds Palace), located in Cedars Park near Cheshunt in the English county of Hertfordshire, was a significant stately home and (later) royal palace of the 16th and early 17th centuries, before being demolished as a result of the English Civil War. It was a leading example of the Elizabethan prodigy house.

Rebuilt in the Georgian era it is now a hotel and conference venue known as Theobalds Park, and is a Grade II* listed building.

Early history

The manor was originally called Cullynges, later Tongs (after William de Tongge), and since 1440, Thebaudes, Tibbolds and finally Theobalds. The original manor house was surrounded by a moat. In 1563 it was bought by Lord Burghley, senior councillor of Elizabeth I.

Lord Burghley commissioned a grand new house which was built between 1564 and 1585. Burghley's intention in building the mansion was partly to demonstrate his increasingly dominant status at the Royal Court, and also to provide a palace fine enough to accommodate the Queen on her visits. The formal gardens of the house were modelled after the Château de Fontainebleau in France, the English botanist John Gerard acting as their superintendent. The Queen visited eight times between 1572 and 1596. The location was ideal in that it lay just off the main road north from London to Ware, a day's journey from London and thus an ideal stop at the end of the first day of a Royal tour.