About

Down Hall Christmas 2026 - Festive Afternoon Tea and Wrapping Survival

Down Hall, Matching Rd, Essex CM22 7AS

Festive Afternoon Tea Available 28th November till 28th December. More details and table reservation here: Christmas Afternoon Tea Essex | Festive Afternoon Tea…

Indulge in the ultimate festive experience with our quintessentially Festive Afternoon Tea, designed to satisfy your sweet tooth and elevate your holiday spirit. Available daily from November 28th to 28th December 2026, this delightful offering promises an enchanting array of seasonal treats, expertly crafted to capture the essence of the season.

Adults: £55, Children £27.50

The Under Wraps Escape - Available 28th November till 23rd December. More information and booking here: Christmas Hotel Break Essex | Gift Wrapping Stay from £155 |...

Turn a chore into a tradition…comfy beds, a bottle of wine, room service and zero distractions. Swap the living room floor surrounded by chaos and prying eyes, for a cosy sanctuary designed to make gift wrapping feel like a festive celebration. Gather your bestie, bring your pile of presents, and turn a routine Christmas task into a memorable annual retreat.

What’s Included

Overnight Stay & Breakfast, Luggage & Gift Concierge, Dedicated Wrapping Station, The Wrapping Survival Kit, Liquid Motivation, Festive Grazing Board.

From only £155 per person (based on two adults sharing)

About Down Hall Hotel & Spa

Down Hall Hotel is one of England’s most established country house hotels. Located in Hatfield Heath, near Bishop’s Stortford on the Hertfordshire and Essex border.

History of Down Hall Country House Hotel

Down Hall, situated on the Hertfordshire/Essex border, is one of England’s longest-established country hotels.  Located in Hatfield Heath, near Bishops Stortford, Down Hall has a history as rich as its luxurious interiors. The stately home itself dates back to 1540, before which it was the site of a monastery, founded in 1322.

In its long and distinguished history, Down Hall has been home to artists, painters, lords and baronets, whose style and aesthetic spirit has rubbed off on the choice of décor today.  All those European Grand Tours, so fashionable when the house was being transformed from its Tudor incarnation, have had an influence on the flamboyant Italianate style of the house.

Of course, the best way to understand the rich past of Down Hall is to stay there. Each of the hotel’s 99 bedrooms has been individually designed to reflect the mix of style, elegance and history that give the Hall its unique character.  The Classic and Executive bedrooms are spacious and comfortable.

The Feature Rooms have luxurious two- or four- poster beds and offer views of the magnificent landscaped gardens through gloriously large windows, fashionable in both Georgian design and the Italian style emulated by the architect, James Gibbs, when he remodelled the house in 1720.

Despite Gibbs’ European influences, Down Hall remains a very British stately home. The Hall ‘did its bit’ during World War One as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers and, from 1932 to 1967, it became Downham School, a girls’ school whose alumni included Frances Shand-Kydd, the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales.  The hotel opened its doors in 1986, giving discerning guests a taste of its now-famous Italian grandeur in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside.

Down Hall’s corner of that beautiful Hertfordshire countryside comprises 110 acres of woodland, parkland and landscaped gardens for visitors to explore. After all that walking, guests and visitors can take a traditional afternoon tea in either the historic lounge or Ibbetson’s tearoom, named after the family who owned Down Hall from 1794 to 1902.