A Four-Day Festival

In 1591, Queen Elizabeth planned a grand summer visit to Hampshire, and the Earl of Hertford, was eager to impress her at Elvetham Manor. To prepare, he built a huge tent village with special areas for the Queen and her court.

He created a half-moon-shaped lake with three islands for entertainment.

During her visit, the Queen enjoyed music, mock battles, fireworks, and even saw the first public lawn tennis game.

On her final day, the Queen planted an oak tree, which still stands today as a reminder of the lavish event.

Can you spot the tree in front of you?

It is thought that William Shakespeare may have attended The Elvetham Entertainment, and it inspired "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Necessary

Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.

Marketing

Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.

Useful Information

The Elvetham Entertainments