Cobham Hall is steeped in history. It dates back to the 12th century when a manor house stood on the site. In the 16th century, the 10th Lord Cobham was responsible for the building of the great Tudor wings which give the Hall its distinctive character. Queen Elizabeth I visited on two occasions and Charles I spent a night of his honeymoon at Cobham Hall. Charles Dickens often walked to the Hall from his home at Gad's Hill to visit his friend, the 7th Earl of Darnley.