Blickling Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blickling Estate |
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| General information | |
| Type | Stately home |
| Architectural style | Jacobean |
| Location | Blickling, Norfolk |
| Completed | Built in 1616 |
| Owner | National Trust |
Blickling Hall is a beautiful old country house in Norfolk, England. It's a type of building called a stately home, built in the Jacobean style. This means it was built during the time of King James I. The hall sits on a huge estate of 5,000 acres, which includes lovely parkland.
The mansion was built starting in 1616 for Sir Henry Hobart. It was designed by an architect named Robert Lyminge. Today, Blickling Hall is looked after by the National Trust, a charity that protects historic places. It's open for people to visit and explore its rich history.
Contents
Early History of Blickling Hall
Blickling has a long and interesting past. In the 1400s, a wealthy knight named John Fastolf owned the land. He made a lot of money during the Hundred Years' War. You can still see his family symbol there today.
The Boleyn Family Connection
Later, the land belonged to the Boleyn family. This family included Thomas Boleyn, who became the Earl of Wiltshire, and his wife Elizabeth Boleyn. They lived at Blickling between 1499 and 1505. Many historians believe that their three children were born here. These children were Mary Boleyn, George Boleyn, and the famous Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn later became the second wife of King Henry VIII. At Blickling Estate, you can find a statue and a painting of Anne. They say "Anna Bolena hic nata 1507," which means "Anne Boleyn born here 1507."
Building the Current Hall
The Blickling Hall you see today was built on the remains of the old Boleyn family home. Sir Henry Hobart bought the property in 1616. He was a very important judge, known as the Lord Chief Justice. The architect Robert Lyminge, who also designed Hatfield House, is believed to have designed Blickling Hall.
Sir Henry's son, Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet, finished building the house. He and his wife, Frances, lived there for many years.
Later Years at Blickling
In 1698, the estate went to John Hobart, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire. He was made an Earl in 1746. He added a special ditch called a "ha-ha" to the grounds. He also built the beautiful Doric Temple and bought more land to make the park bigger.
His son, John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire, updated the hall between 1765 and 1785. After him, the estate passed through different family members. Eventually, it came to William Kerr, 8th Marquess of Lothian. He made changes to the front of the house.
Recent History and the National Trust
During World War II, Blickling Hall was used by the military. It became the Officers' Mess for RAF Oulton, a nearby air force base. Air force officers stayed in the house. Other service members lived in special huts called Nissen huts on the grounds. The lake was even used for practicing dinghy drills.
A Gift to the Nation
In 1940, Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian, who was the last private owner, passed away. He left Blickling Estate to the National Trust. This was part of his plan to protect important country houses. The National Trust has created the RAF Oulton Museum at Blickling. It honors the brave RAF pilots and ground crew from World War II. You can visit this museum for free.
After the war, the National Trust worked to restore the house. In 1962, Blickling Hall and its grounds opened to the public. It's still a popular place to visit today. In 2019, over 225,000 people visited the estate.
Modern Updates
In 2015, work began to install a special heating system. It uses warmth from the estate's lake to heat the house. This helps save a lot of oil and money each year.
In 2021, a unique method was used to protect artworks in the hall. Tiny parasitic wasps were released to control common clothes moths. These moths can damage valuable items like tapestries.
The Blickling Library
The library at Blickling Estate holds one of England's most important collections of old books and manuscripts. It has an amazing 13,000 to 14,000 books! The main part of this collection was put together by Sir Richard Ellys. He was a cousin of the Hobart family who owned Blickling.
Important Manuscripts
One very important manuscript from the house is the Blickling Homilies. These are some of the earliest examples of English religious writings. Another key manuscript that used to be at Blickling is the Blickling or Lothian Psalter. This is an illuminated book of psalms from the 8th century. It is now kept at the Pierpont Morgan Library.
The entire collection at Blickling Hall is being cataloged and put online. This project started in 2010 and will take several more years to finish.
The Blickling Estate Grounds
The Blickling estate covers a huge area of about 4,777 acres. This includes 500 acres of woodland and 450 acres of parkland. About 3,500 acres are farmland. The National Trust manages this land. The income from the farmland helps support the house, gardens, and woods.
The estate's park and gardens are listed as Grade II*. This means they are very important historically.
Garden History
Blickling had gardens even before the Boleyn family owned it. But we don't know what they looked like. When Sir Henry Hobart bought the estate in 1616, he redesigned the gardens. He added ponds, a wild area, and a formal garden called a parterre. He also built an artificial hill. This hill gave great views of the new garden.
Later, Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet, expanded the garden. He added another wild area and built the temple. In the late 1700s, John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckingham, made big changes. He removed the formal garden style. Instead, he planted trees in a natural way to create a landscape garden. An orangery was also built to protect delicate citrus trees in winter.
After the 2nd Earl died, famous landscape gardeners Humphry Repton and his son John Adey Repton advised on the gardens. Later, in the 1840s, William Schomberg Robert Kerr, 8th Marquess of Lothian, brought back some formal garden styles. In the 1930s, gardener Norah Lindsay redesigned parts of the garden. She made the parterre more colorful and harmonious.
The Garden Today
The garden at Blickling covers 55 acres. It has both formal and informal areas. You can see old buildings, woodlands, and special trees. There are also Victorian garden decorations and shaped bushes called topiary. The kitchen garden is also open to visitors.
Key Garden Features
The main path to the hall is lined with tall yew hedges. These hedges have been there since at least 1745. Around three sides of the hall is a dry moat. Norah Lindsay planted this area with plants like hosta and hydrangea.
Behind the house is the famous Parterre garden. It was originally a sunken garden. Lindsay redesigned it in the 1930s. It has a beautiful 18th-century stone fountain in the middle. The garden is divided into four large, colorful flower beds. These beds are surrounded by roses and catmint.
On the terraces above the parterre, you can see peony flowers and other seasonal beds. There are also double borders created in 2006. These have many different perennials, shrubs, and grasses in various colors. Nearby, you'll find the White and Black borders, added in 2009.
The western side of the garden has a large lawn called the Acre. A spreading oriental plane tree shades it. People play outdoor sports like croquet here in the summer. Other highlights include a collection of magnolia trees and the kitchen garden.
Wilderness and Secret Spaces
To the north of the parterre is the Wilderness garden. It has paths lined with turkey oak, lime, and beech trees. You can also find naturalized bulbs here.
Hidden within the Wilderness is a Secret Garden. It has a summerhouse, sweet-smelling plants, and a central sundial. Close by is the listed 18th-century orangery. It houses a collection of citrus trees. Next to the orangery is a steep dell with many woodland plants. These include hellebore and foxglove. In 2009, a new woodland garden was created near the orangery. It has many woodland plants like camellia and mahonia. This area is now known as the Orangery Garden.
The Grade II listed Temple is reached by the Temple walk. This path is lined with azalea plants. Many garden ornaments are scattered throughout the garden. Some were supplied in 1877 by Austin & Seeley. Future plans include creating a philadelphus and rose garden in the Wilderness.
In 2015, it was announced that Blickling's unused walled garden would be restored. This project will take five years to complete.
See also
- Blickling Park mausoleum
