Blickling Hall Walks

Blickling Hall viewed from the southeast. Originally built as a manor house. In the 11th century the house was owned by Harold Godwinson, who later became the King of England. William I passed the property on to his chaplain and by 1091 it had become a country palace of the bishops. During the late 14th century it was owned by Sir Nicholas Dagworth, who built a rectangular house surrounded by a moat. At the end of the 15th century, Blickling Hall was owned by the Boleyn family and, according to tradition, Anne Boleyn was born here. Sir Henry Hobart purchased the estate in 1616. His descendants lived at Blickling Hall until 1940.

Mausoleum in Blickling Park.  About a mile away from the hall, at the south end of the Great Wood, there is a stone mausoleum, which is built in the form of a pyramid. It contains three sarcophagi holding the remains of John Hobart, the second Earl of Buckinghamshire (died 1793), and his two wives. The mausoleum was designed by Joseph Bonomi - the design is based on the Roman tomb of Cestius, not on anything Egyptian.

The former Blickling Watermill. The mill once belonged to the Estate. The mill house was extended during the 1820s, and again in 1860; the mill was three storeys high. Production ceased around 1914 and in 1979 the Anglian Water Authority proposed plans for the erection of a water gauging station, a project that appears to have been abandoned again.

Seeing the sights. Whilst visitors to Blickling Park are busily exploring the various sights, this cat appears to have spotted something of feline interest in the shrubs that line Temple Walk. The Doric temple seen in mid-distance, and the terrace it stands on, were built by Sir John Hobart, later 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire, around 1730 in order to provide a focal point for the main east-west axis of the woodland garden, which comprises radiating walks, each one lined with a different tree species.

Temple Walk. So called because a Doric temple stands at its end. This temple, and the terrace it stands on, were built by Sir John Hobart, later 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire, around 1730 in order to provide a focal point for the main east-west axis of the woodland garden, which comprises radiating walks, each one lined with a different tree species. The estate is now in the care of the National Trust. The garden at Blickling Hall was started in the 17th century by Sir Henry Hobart, who began building the house, as it presently stands, in 1619. His successors built on Sir Henry's design by creating new extensions, and by redesigning existing sections; nothing remains of the original formal garden.

The Tower. A different view of The Tower, seen from Great Wood. The 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire had the Gothic Tower built in the 1770s as a grandstand from which to watch horse-racing in the Park. It is now a private residence.

The Sitooterie. The name is derived from the Scottish term to 'sit oot in". The Sitooterie is intended as a space for relaxation, reflection and contemplation. It was built on a site where seven yew trees grow - an emblem of everlasting life. The yew trees have been trained over a steel frame to form a green summerhouse; the mandala floor design is made from recycled copper; the stained glass roundels, created by Teri Lockton, represent spring , summer and autumn. Partners in this project were The National Trust, John Grooms Court in Norwich (a national charity which works with disabled people, enabling them to gain greater independence, choice and freedom), and Norfolk-based artists.

Wintry sunshine. These oaks still have most of their foliage, which forms a nice contrast to the green sugar beet field.