Old Gorhambury House

Old Gorhambury House in Hertfordshire is a hauntingly beautiful Elizabethan ruin, once the grand home of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and father of the philosopher Francis Bacon. Built in the 1560s, it was one of the earliest prodigy houses—lavish mansions designed to impress Queen Elizabeth I during her royal progresses. The queen visited several times, and contemporary accounts describe banquets, pageantry, and displays of wealth staged within its halls. Today, visitors wander through atmospheric remains that still hint at its former splendour. The towering brick and stone walls, large window openings, and fragments of ornate fireplaces reveal the scale of the original house. The Great Hall, with its surviving arches and wall lines, offers a sense of the grand feasts once held there. Nearby, the remnants of the chapel and service ranges help visitors imagine the rhythm of daily life in a major Elizabethan household. One of the most interesting aspects is how the ruin illustrates changing architectural tastes. When Sir Nicholas’s grandson built the new Gorhambury House in the 18th century, the old mansion was abandoned, leaving behind a rare, untouched example of Elizabethan design.