Moor Park Mansion

Moor Park Mansion in Rickmansworth is a listed grade I Palladian mansion. It is largely the work of Benjamin Styles who owned the mansion in the 18th century, but its roots go back much further.

Moor Park Mansion history

The original building was a palace, built for the abbots of St Albans. Henry VIII gave this palace, a short distance from the current house, to Cardinal Wolsey. Henry was royally entertained there by the Cardinal during his tenure. It was also the first place to which Henry’s first wife, Katherine of Aragon, was exiled to when Henry decided to replace her with Anne Boleyn. This was because the air at The Moor (which was how it was known at the time) was not conducive to living a long life.

In 1670, Moor Park became the property of the Duke of Monmouth, who began to build the house in it’s current position. The Duke was the illegitimate son of Charles II, through his liaison with Lucy Walters, while he was in exile after the execution of his father. Although he could not inherit the throne, it did not stop him from rebelling against his uncle James II. Monmouth’s widow sold Moor Park to Benjamin Styles in 1720 who re-built the property.

Moor Park Mansion changed hands through several families until Lord Leverhulme, who made his fortune in soap and cleaning products, bought it in 1918. He had the famous golf course built in the grounds and financed this by selling off some of the land for the building of the Moor Park estate, a rather exclusive, gated development.

During the Second World War, the mansion was requisitioned, becoming the Headquarters of the 1st Airborne Corps, who there planned Operation Market Garden, the abortive mission to capture the bridges of the Lower Rhine in 1944. The operation was planned in a first-floor room, now named “the Arnhem Room”. Moor Park Golf Club now has its clubhouse in the building, and since buying the freehold of the mansion in 1994 has completely restored and refurbished the building and paintings.

Moor Park Mansion today

Moor Park Mansion now belongs to the club members and is their clubhouse. However, it is possible to tour Moor Park Mansion between April and October on Thursdays.

If you are looking for a stunning location for your wedding or Christmas party, celebrating a life or a birthday, Moor Park Mansion is the perfect versatile venue.

Getting to Moor Park Mansion

The address of Moor Park Masion is Moor Park Golf Club, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 1QN. If travelling by car from the centre of London, take the A1 northbound, merging onto the M1 around Finchley. Continue on the M1 past Edgware and Aldenham, exiting at junction 5 (to Watford). Continue on the A4008 through the centre of Watford and turn onto Vicarage Road once you pass Watford High Street station.

Continue on this road until you reach the general hospital, and take a right onto Hagden Lane. When you reach the Tolpits roundabout, take the first exit onto Tolpits lane and continue on this road for 1.5 miles until you reach Batchworth. From here, take a left past Rickmansworth Golf Course and follow signs to Moor Park Mansion.