Martha Lytton-Cobbold

President, Historic Houses

Martha, a dual citizen of the US and UK, graduated from NYU with a double major in Journalism and History of Art. She lives with her husband Henry in his ancestral home, Knebworth House, where they are the nineteenth generation since it was built in 1490. Martha has worked directly on the estate since 1993, and is today the Managing Director of the leisure management business and estate, overseeing and running the lettings, day-visitor season, catering, events, concerts, films and diversification projects. She administrates the charitable trust on behalf of nine trustees and works with a number of regional committees in farming, business, and tourism, including as the current Co-Chair of Visit Herts. Martha and Henry have two grown-up children, and a pair of rescue Great Dane dogs.

In 2020, Martha was elected as the first female president of Historic Houses. Historic Houses is the country’s largest collection of independently owned historic houses and gardens. They work on behalf of more than a thousand important places, with the support of tens of thousands of members who love Britain’s special heritage and want to help them protect these places through representation and research, advice and guidance, and marketing and membership.

Website: www.historichouses.org
Instagram: @historic_houses
Facebook: @HistoricHousesUK
Twitter: @Historic_Houses