Hylands Estate Open Day

Join us for our Open Estate Days every second Sunday of the month from 10am to 3pm!

Hylands Estate is fully open for you to explore and enjoy at your leisure. Discover more about the history of Hylands House at the monthly exhibition in the library and guided tours.

Enjoy a delicious street food market just outside the house. There will also be handmade gifts and freshly baked goods for sale from local traders.

The Artist Studios in The Stables are open for you to browse, with its vibrant community of artists, designers and makers. Stay and enjoy the live music programme in the courtyard provided by Hot Box Live.

See the events for this month’s Open Estate Day.

Upcoming dates for 2025

14 December

A bustling market taking place outside of Hylands House.

The Market

Each month, Essex Foodies Market brings a fantastic selection of food, drink, and craft traders to Open Estate Day, offering a variety of delicious treats and unique handmade goods. Located outside Hylands House, the market is the perfect place to explore local flavours and artisan creations. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome to join you as you browse.

Interested in Trading?

If you’d like to be part of the market, please email Essex Foodies on info@essexfoodiesmarket.co.uk with as many details about your business as possible. Please note that due to the high volume of applications they receive, they may only respond to successful applicants.

Hylands Open House

Hylands House opens its doors free of charge to reveal the secrets behind its history, with an rotating monthly exhibition displayed in the library. Browse the house at your own leisure throughout the day, or join us for one of our guided tours.

Take a walk through the gardens of the Estate and learn even more about the history with our new multimedia tour. You can borrow a handset from The Stables Information Point or use your own smart phone.

Find out more about the garden tour

The Stables & Artists Studios

The Stables, which is home to a vibrant community of artists, designers and makers, will be open to explore. Take a walk through the downstairs and upstairs studios and meet our resident creatives. Discover unique handmade pieces available to purchase, or get creative yourself and book one of our experiences or workshops.

Relax with a cup of coffee from The Deli in the courtyard and enjoy live music throughout the day. Our live music programme at The Stables is provided via a Grassroots Music grant from Arts Council England.

Events for 14 December

Activities

This month’s Open Estate Day will be extra festive in the run up to Christmas!

The Banqueting Room will be transformed into Santa’s den, setting the scene for the perfect photo op. You’ll find Father Christmas wandering around the house and market. Maybe he has some last minute shopping to do!

Inside The Library you can write your letter to Santa, and be sure to join us in the Terrace Room to make festive paper headbands.

Mike Dodsworth returns to the Banqueting Room for his much-loved storytelling sessions, and this month is a special treat with selections from A Christmas Carol.

Food & Craft Market

Get into the festive spirit with Essex Foodies Market, serving up a mouth-watering array of both seasonal and classic street food and drinks just outside Hylands House—perfect for keeping you warm as you explore the day’s activities. Keep an eye on their social media closer to the time to see this month’s traders.

Inside the Grand Pavilion, you’ll find a bustling indoor craft and gift market packed with local vendors offering unique and thoughtful items for everyone on your Christmas list.

The Stables

Our resident artists throw open their studio doors and welcome you to see into their working spaces – explore upstairs as well as downstairs!

Hot Box Live provide the tunes in The Stables courtyard. Join them for live music from 11am.

Browse items #MadeAtHylands in the Artist Shop and uncover treasures in the Friends of Hylands House second-hand bookshop—ideal for thoughtful Christmas presents or one-of-a-kind finds.

Visit the Stables Information Point and pick up your handset to explore the Pleasure Gardens in a brand-new way! Our Hylands History & Gardens multimedia tour will be available for you to hire or scan the QR code and listen along with our new tour about the Estate and how it came to be.

Our popular café The Deli will be open at The Stables all day!

Parking & Getting Here

During our Open Estate Days, parking charges are in effect. If you are a Chelmsford resident, you qualify for a discount on these charges. We recommend downloading the MiPermit app for faster and more convenient payment. Find out more and how to register as a resident here.

We expect the day to be very busy, so if you are able, please consider alternative ways of travelling here. View our sustainable routes leaflet for more information.