Art & History in Norfolk

Located in the village of Lode, the National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey is a Jacobean-style house with gardens and a working watermill. Owned by Lord Fairhaven from 1926 to 1966, the interior features fine furnishings, books, paintings, silver and rare clocks. Outside, 114 acres of glorious gardens offer beautiful colours and scents.

There is plenty to explore in the medieval city of Norwich, from the cathedral with its ornate cloisters and the city’s imposing gates, which lead to a once Saxon marketplace, to the Museum of Norwich, Norwich Castle and shopping opportunities.

This spectacular 18^th century Palladian house is rich in history and sits in the heart of a stunning 25,000 acre estate. Grand from the outside, the interior of this Georgian property is nothing short of opulent with its elaborate, colonnaded Marble Hall, magnificent state rooms and Classical Statue Gallery. One of the ten Treasure Houses of England, Holkham has superb collections of paintings, furniture, tapestries and statuary and is surrounded by rolling parkland filled with deer and other wildlife.

Explore the idyllic Norfolk Broads on boat journey. Whilst you drift past reedy marshes, the skeletons of windmills and amongst the tangle of bird-filled flora along the banks, learn about the wildlife, history and origin of this tranquil waterland.

This moated medieval manor house, home to the Bedingfield family for over 500 years, is known for its Victorian Gothic interiors. As well as early Mortlake tapestries in the Queen’s Room, Oxburgh houses beautiful embroidery by both Mary Queen of Scots and the famous Bess of Hardwick. Outside, guests can relax in the Victorian garden and enjoy woodland, streams, wildflower meadows and parkland.

Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the Tudor house that once stood at Blickling is widely believed to have been the birthplace of Anne Boleyn. The present red-brick Jacobean mansion was built by Sir Henry Hobart (1560–1626) after he purchased the estate in 1616. Inside, the ornate rooms boast incredible ceilings, tapestries, furniture and paintings, with stunning views out to the 55 acres of formal gardens. The beautiful Long Room houses an historically important national book collection, with a handwritten manuscript from the 1100s containing the Dialogues of Pope Gregory the Great.

Dating from 1096 and set in 44 acres of beautiful grounds, this awe-inspiring, welcoming building is known for its spectacular architecture, magnificent art and a fascinating history. One of the finest complete Romanesque cathedrals in Europe, with the second tallest spire and largest monastic cloisters in England, the cathedral houses more than a thousand beautiful medieval roof boss sculptures and a plethora of art and literary gems.