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.
Every generation of the Lytton family has left something of its style and taste; making Knebworth an extraordinary walk through 500 years of British history. Stories and heirlooms reflect the family’s contribution to literature, politics and foreign service; alongside visits by characters as diverse as Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Liam Gallagher.
*View our opening dates & times for details.
Tour Times
11.30am
12 noon
12.30pm
1pm
1.30pm
2pm
2.15pm (Discovery Tour)
2.30pm
3pm
3.45pm
All tours last approximately 50 minutes, except the Discovery Tour, which lasts 30 minutes.
A Discovery Tour explores a handful of key rooms and their objects or stories.
