Surreptitiously situated in the middle of a posh private estate just outside of London are the ruins of a medieval manor house. Steeped in history and set against the rather breathtaking backdrop of the St Albans countryside; the remnants of Old Gorhambury House are just a few fragments of what was once an impressive country house. One of the earliest examples of an Elizabethan ‘prodigy house’, in fact.
Having been visited by Queen Elizabeth on numerous occasions, the Grade I listed building has an extensive history. The ruins are now maintained by English Heritage, and are accessible to the general public – for free, might I add. The remnants of Old Gorhambury House include a clock tower and an elaborate two-story porch (which was of cutting-edge design when originally constructed back in the Tudor times). And they’re well worth having a snoop around, if you’re in the area.
The history of Old Gorhambury House
The site on which Old Gorhambury House stands was originally owned by St Albans Abbey, and was home to the Gorham family. It was snapped up by Sir Nicholas Bacon (Lord Keeper of the Great Seal), following the Suppression of the Monasteries, and between the years of 1563 and 1568, Nicholas used his skills as a prolific builder to transform the property into a rather gorgeous mansion. The property was said to have been visited by Queen Elizabeth in 1572, who deemed it as ‘little’. This led Nicholas to construct a galleried extension to impress the Queen on her next visit in 1577.
Old Gorhambury House was later passed down to Nicholas’ son, Francis Bacon – the celebrated philosopher and former Lord Chancellor. Francis further extended the (already fairly hefty) property, adding a water garden and a Roman-style banqueting house. The mansion fell into ruin after the construction of the new Gorhambury House in the 18th century.
Visiting Old Gorhambury House
The ruins of Old Gorhambury House are accessible most days of the year during ‘reasonable daylight hours’. And entry is completely free. You can access the ruins on foot or by bike between 8am and 6pm via a 2-mile long driveway, Gorhambury Drive (which – contrary to what the name may suggest – cannot actually be driven up apart from on Thursdays in the summer months). The drive is occasionally closed (meaning that the ruins are not-accessible at all), but you can find out about any planned closures here.
Getting to Old Gorhambury House from London
The ruins of Old Gorhambury House are approximately an hour drive from London, however (as I briefly mentioned earlier) the Gorhambury Drive that leads to the ruins is only accessible by car between 2pm-5pm on Thursday between May and September. If you’re planning on heading there via public transport, Londoners can hop on a direct and speedy service from London Bridge to St Alban’s City. From there, there are a number of buses that will drop you off at the bottom of the rather lengthy Gorhambury Drive. The nearest available parking is at Verulamium Museum, where charges apply.
Find out more about Old Gorhambury House and plan your visit here.
đź“Ť Gorhambury Drive, Gorhambury, St Albans, AL3 6AH.