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Hatfield House, the seat of the marquesses of Salisbury, has been owned by the Gascoyne-Cecil family since the early 17th century. The magnificent Jacobean house was built for King James I's chief minister, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, between 1607 and 1612. The house is surrounded by delightful gardens, covering an area of some 42 acres; these were originally laid out by John Tradescant the Elder during the 17th century. The adjoining Hatfield Estate, said to be the largest private one in Hertfordshire, runs to around 8,500 acres, according to some estimates.
Hatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and has been the home of the Cecil family ever since. It is a prime example of Jacobean architecture and is currently the home of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury. The house is open to the public.
An earlier building on the site was the Royal Palace of Hatfield. Only part of this still exists, a short distance from the present house. That palace was the childhood home and favourite residence of Queen Elizabeth I. Built in 1497 by the Bishop of Ely, King Henry VII's minister John Cardinal Morton, it comprised four wings in a square surrounding a central courtyard. The palace was seized by Henry VIII with other church properties.