Knebworth

Knebworth is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, situated in the East of England region, about 20 miles north of London and close to Stevenage. The village is best known for Knebworth House, a large country house on the estate, and for Knebworth Park, the surrounding parkland.

Knebworth House has been the seat of the Lytton family for centuries. The estate’s house, which sits on the edge of the parish, has its origins in the 15th century; the present building was largely rebuilt in the 19th century in a grand country-house style. The house contains a substantial collection of portraits and furnishings reflecting its long family history, and the grounds include a walled garden and woodland.

Knebworth Park surrounds the house and has long been used for leisure and landscape design. The estate features gardens, woodlands and a deer park, and the grounds are open to visitors on designated days. The house remains privately owned, with occasional public tours and events.

Knebworth Park is notable for its role as a major open-air concert venue. Since the 1970s, the estate has hosted large-scale rock and pop concerts, drawing hundreds of thousands of concert-goers. Notable performances include Led Zeppelin in 1979 and Oasis in 1996, among others, which helped cement Knebworth’s place in popular music history.

The estate has also served as a filming location for films and television, and the house remains the private residence of the Lytton family. Regular public access is limited, but the site remains a significant cultural and historic landmark in Hertfordshire.