As our 2020 open season draws to a close we wish to thank all our Season Ticket Holders and Visitors for their on-going support through this difficult year. In Knebworth House’s 500-year-history the Coronavirus Pandemic has been one of the biggest challenges it has faced. After closing for two and a half months and cancelling 31 events morale was low, but thanks to hard work and the support of our wonderful Season Ticket Holders and Visitors we were able to open for a total of 134 days, welcome over 62,000 visitors and host a number of new fantastic Covid-safe events.
On the 27th May we re-opened the Gardens and Dinosaur Trail with a very limited capacity, introducing morning and afternoon time slots to stagger visitors’ arrival. We adjusted our operations to prioritise the safety of staff and visitors by making hand sanitiser available, observing the two-metre socially-distancing rules, limiting the capacity within the Dinosaur Trail and moving the Gift Shop and Tea Room outside. As many of our seasonal staff members were still on furlough it was all hands on deck to keep operations moving. Members of the Lytton Family, friends and Estate Office staff all helped the effort to get the Gardens and Dinosaur Trail back open to visitors again.
We made the decision to remain open daily, as schools were closed the Gardens and Dinosaur Trail provided a location for families to re-connect in a safe open-air space, as well as provide a great source education for school children.
Following government guidelines on the 4th July we were safely able to re-open the Playground and House, which was well received by visitors who had been looking forward to using the Fort. July also saw us welcome the first film crew back to Knebworth House after national lockdown for the Meerkat Music Little Mix show.
At the end of July we were honoured to welcome The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for a state visit which gave us an opportunity to discuss how we as well as other heritage and hospitality industries have been affected by the pandemic.
We have been extremely fortunate to host a number of new Covid-safe events this year, supplying entertainment, tourism and employment to the local area. For the whole month of July we welcomed The Luna Cinema, who ran Hertfordshire’s very first Drive-In Cinema, which was a tremendous success and enjoyed by many local people looking for an evening of socially distanced escapism. In August we welcomed two theatre groups to Knebworth House. The Three Inch Fools performed a wonderful rendition of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, and Immersion Theatre performed ‘The Wind in the Willows’, both with audiences sat in socially-distanced squares drawn out on the Sunken Lawn. The fourth Covid-safe event of the year was Pub in the Park’s Drive-In Garden Party, which was a huge success. We were thrilled to be one of the only venues in the UK to provide live music this Summer. Rick Astley, Kaiser Chiefs, Gabrielle and Soul II Soul provided fantastic performances to the socially-distanced crowd.
We look forward to bringing you more new Covid safe events and old favourites next year. In the meantime watch out for our out-of-season events including The Drive-In Panto, and Lunch with Santa in Knebworth Barns.
During the second National Lockdown we decided to open the Gardens and Dinosaur Trail to visitors and Season Ticket Holders as we understand how important connecting with nature, and seeing the Autumn colours is to maintaining mental and physical wellbeing in these difficult times.
In the midst of Covid-19 chaos, we have welcomed RA Venues to Knebworth House, Park and Gardens to manage our hospitality business, including the Tea Room, conferences, weddings and more, completed our Watchman’s Tower restoration project, which we look forward to sharing with visitors in 2021, and hosted three socially distanced weddings!
Thank you again to Season Ticket Holders and Visitors for their on-going support and making all this possible. They have allowed us to continue safe access and retain employment and a viable business.
We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back during our 2021 season.
