Sandringham Estate closes to public after being left without water due to burst main

| Freelance News Reporter Published September 18, 2026 10:42am Updated September 18, 2026 11:20am Sandringham Estate was forced to close due to water issues on Thursday for the second time in less than 18 months (Picture: Newsquest/SWNS) The Sandringham Estate was closed to visitors yesterday after a burst mains left the royal property without running water. The King’s country home and gardens were shut all day on Thursday following disruption to its water supply. As well as Sandringham House itself, the closure affected the estate’s restaurant, terrace, shop and toilets. Sandringham welcomes more than half a million people every year (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images) Typically the King’s home during Christmas, the 20,000-acre estate welcomes more than half a million people a year. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. It is also now home to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who now lives on Marsh Farm after being forced to move out of the Royal Lodge in Windsor. It’s not the first time the Sandringham Estate has been hit with water problems. The attraction closed for several days in May 2025 following a burst main affecting some 200 homes in Dersingham. Repairs were delayed while electricity board teams worked to remove electrical poles obstructing the burst. The water supply has since been restored, and the estate has reopened as normal today. Responding to the latest incident, a Sandringham Estate spokesperson said: ‘Due to a burst water main locally, we currently have no water. ‘Therefore Sandringham House & Gardens, Restaurant, Terrace, Shop & toilets will be closed today. ‘Any visitors with tickets for today will automatically receive a refund. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: King Charles accused of being ‘elated like a lottery winner’ after Diana’s death Arrow MORE: Who is Earl Charles Spencer? Diana’s brother whose new book sparked a royal war of words Arrow MORE: Nicola Sturgeon wants to abolish the monarchy to ‘free Prince George’ News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.