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.

Upcoming dates for 2025

Starting in 2025, our Open Estate Days will be on the second Sunday of every month.

8 June
13 July
10 August
14 September
12 October
9 November
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 apply using the buttons below. Due to the high volume of applications, Essex Foodies will only be able to respond to successful applicants.

Craft Trader Application Food & Drink Trader Application

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 our guided tour at 10am.

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 11 May

Activities

This month, in celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, our arts and crafts activity will be making your own paper Spitfire to take away and fly!

The Essex Historic Military Vehicle Association will also be returning with two WWII Jeeps. You may be familiar with the significance of Jeeps in Hylands House history…

Our exhibition in the Library will be all about Hylands Estate during World War II, when Hylands House was famously used as the headquarters for the newly formed SAS. Recently featured in BBC’s SAS Rogue Heroes, Captain Paddy Blair Mayne (who went on to become this country’s most decorated soldier) attempted to drive a Jeep up the Grand Staircase for a bet, whilst the house was in the ownership of Christine Hanbury!

Storyteller Mike Dodsworth returns with his popular story sessions. You’ll find him in the Drawing Room at 10.30am 11.30am, 12.30pm and 2pm.

Discover the rich history of Hylands House on a guided tour with our knowledgeable volunteers. Tours begin promptly at 10.30am and 1pm.

Food & Craft Market

Following a successful start in February, Essex Foodies Market will continue to offer a fantastic range of local food and drinks vendors, alongside crafty items.

The market provides a regular platform for small, independent and local traders to sell their products and promote their brand. It first started as Writtle Foodies in October 2023 following the discontinuation of Writtle Farmer’s Market earlier that summer. Initially based at Writtle Village Green, the market quickly thrived and became well-known locally for its delicious fare and high-quality handmade products from diverse traders.

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 with live music inside The Stables courtyard. Pop by to enjoy the sounds of Claire Harper from 11am and Katy for Kings from 1pm.

Browse items #MadeAtHylands in the Artist Shop and uncover treasures in the Friends of Hylands House second-hand bookshop.

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!

During our Open Estate Days, parking charges are in effect. If you are a Chelmsford resident, you qualify for a discount on these charges. Find out how to register 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.