Hylands Estate - Essex house used for The Crown filming

Hylands Estate has almost 300 years of history, a packed programme of events, and is a short drive away from Romford.

The site stretches across more than 570 acres of historic parkland just outside Chelmsford, and features stables, Victorian gardens, ancient woodlands.

The site stretches across 574 acres in total (Image: Visit Essex)

Standing in the centre of the estate is a neo-classical Georgian mansion, Hylands House, which itself has an "illustrious" past, according to the Hylands Estate website.

It was originally a red brick house - which still exists under its white façade - built in 1730.

Over the course of nine owners and two centuries, the manor house and surrounding grounds were remodelled and extended, ultimately leading to Chelmsford City Council taking ownership in 1966.

It starred as the White House in Netflix's The Crown (Image: Visit Essex)

However at this point in time, the house was in a state of partial ruin, with wet and dry rot spread through, following a fire in the West Wing in 1964.

The servant's quarter was demolished in 1971, and the bulldozing of the entire house almost followed but was voted down by councillors.

A Hylands Restoration Fund was later set up to bring the building back to its former glory, starting in 1986 and finishing almost two decades later in 2007.

The banqueting hall inside Hylands House was used to film scenes in Killing Eve (Image: Visit Essex)

Today, Hylands House has been used for the filming of scenes in several high profile TV shows, including The Crown - where it doubled for the White House - and Killing Eve, which used the banqueting hall inside.

As well as Go Ape and numerous walking trails around the grounds, visitors to the estate also have a number of events to look forward to.

Recent activities have included wellness days and pottery classes, but a regular highlight is the Open Estate Days on the second Sunday of each month.

Artist studios at the stables are open to visit on the second Sunday of each month (Image: Visit Essex)

These feature guided tours around the house, the Essex Foodies Market in the grounds, and the chance to explore artists studios and live music at the stables.

The estate is also a festival venue, with Radio 2 in the Park welcoming artists such as Ronan Keating and Jessie J last September.

This June, a brand new festival called State Fayre will see the likes of Kings of Leon and Alanis Morissette play for crowds of around 30,000.