St Paul’s Walden Bury
A notable landscape garden laid out in the early 18th-century and the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
St Paul's Walden Bury, Hitchin SG4 8BP
Facilities
-
Accessible loos
-
Accessible parking
-
Free parking
-
Mostly wheelchair accessible
-
Pet friendly
-
Picnic area
House tours suitable for wheel chairs, except not very heavy electric. Single step up into the house. No disabled toilets.
Visitors can sit down on some chairs during tour.
Part of garden suitable for wheel chairs, but there are steep grass slopes. For weddings, arrangements can be made so wheel chairs can exit garden without being pushed up hill.
This charming small stately home was the childhood home of Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, later to become Queen Elizabeth. See the beautiful 18th century hall and drawing rooms, used for concerts and weddings. You may be interested in an idiosyncratic collection of pictures and ceramics, as well as 18C scandals. Exquisite embroidery (around 1900) by Queen Marie of Romania is on display.
There is a collection of royal family childhood memorabilia, such as Queen Elizabeth’s school essays and letters to her brother from early 1900’s.
The spectacular landscape garden, covering over 50 acres, is based on a classical formal design: long avenues of clipped beech hedges lead to temples, statues, lake and ponds. It was laid out about 1720 when the house was built, and the original patte d’oie (goose foot) architecture has been retained.
There is also a woodland garden with interesting plants, including rhododendrons and magnolias that have grown up over the last 80 years. Wild flowers (notably spotted orchids) are left to spread. Carpets of snowdrops and bluebells cover the glades. There are banks of daffodils followed by drifts of cowslips and other wildflowers in season.
Dogs on leads welcome. Picnics in designated places in the garden or in “Dining barn”.
Important information: opening info is generated by artificial intelligence; check specific attraction details before travelling.
The indicator above will show ‘open’ when the public have any kind of access to any part of this property. That could be the park, a shop, or a special event, and may not reflect regular admission times to the main attraction. Always consult the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling to check that the attraction you are interested in is open.
Opening Times and Visitor Information
Guided Tour of the House and Garden
A guided tour of the house and garden is available on Sunday, 1 February 2026, at 2pm. Alternatively, tours can be arranged by appointment for groups of at least six people. Admission for the guided tour is £16.00 for adults and £8.00 for children aged 8 to 16. Historic Houses members with valid membership cards can visit for free, but advance booking is required.
Garden-Only Visits
The garden is open for visits on the following dates:
- Sunday, 4 January 2026, 2-5pm
- Sunday, 11 January 2026, 2-5pm
- Sunday, 18 January 2026, 2-5pm
- Sunday, 25 January 2026, 2-5pm
- Sunday, 1 February 2026, 2-5pm
Admission for the garden-only visit is £8.00 for adults. Children under 16 can enter for free (up to two children per adult). Dogs on leads are welcome in the garden.
Additional Information
The house, dating from 1720, features original furnishings and a notable collection of classical statues and temples. The garden retains its original 18th-century formal design, complemented by more recent flower gardens. Visitors in June can enjoy a spectacular display of orchids, while January and February offer beautiful snowdrop displays.
Event Venue
A beautifully restored 17th-century barn is available for hire for weddings and other events, with a capacity of up to 100 people. For enquiries and further information, please contact the venue directly.
Guided tour of the house and visit to the garden: £16 , children 6-16 half price (max 2 per adult)
Visit to garden only: £8, children up to 16 free (up to two children per adult)
Non-members can buy tickets from Eventbrite.
When house and garden open days are timetabled, Historic Houses members wishing to redeem their offer of free admission are asked to email to reserve their place on specific date and time.
House tours can be tailored to special interests such as architecture, furnishings, pictures, ceramics and Royal memorabilia – as well as 18C scandals.
Parking for coaches is available.
Entry price is £16 per person for guided tour of the house, payable 4 weeks in advance by bank transfer.
Please email to discuss pre-arranged group visits.
For information on educational visits to garden or the adjacent farm please contact Frances Bowes Lyon at [email protected]
House tours suitable for wheel chairs, except not very heavy electric. Single step up into the house. No disabled toilets.
Visitors can sit down on some chairs during tour.
Part of garden suitable for wheel chairs, but there are steep grass slopes. For weddings, arrangements can be made so wheel chairs can exit garden without being pushed up hill.
Getting here
St Paul's Walden Bury, Hitchin SG4 8BP
30 miles north of London, 5 miles south of Hitchin, on B651, near Whitwell village.
By public transport, take the train to Hitchin, then 304 bus towards St Albans. Or train to St Albans then 304 bus towards Hitchin. Alight at Whitwell or St Paul’s Walden.
The Bowes Lyon family
The Bowes Lyon family live in the house and Simon does much of the gardening. Fergus runs the estate. The beautiful state rooms at the front of the house are used for concerts and weddings.
Become a Historic Houses member
Explore the nation’s heritage from just £71 per year.
Hundreds of the most beautiful historic houses, castles, and gardens across Britain offer our members free entry.
Also: receive a quarterly magazine, enjoy monthly online lectures, get exclusive invitations to buy tickets for behind-the-scenes tours, and take up a range of special offers on holidays, books, and other products you might like.
