Blickling Hall

• 1. Fastolf And The Boleyns

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  Sir John Fastolf of Caister in Norfolk lived between 1380 and 1459. He made his fortune during the Hundred Years War. His coat of arms still hangs on display at Blickling Hall today. Between 1499 and 1505, the property belonged to the Boleyn family. Thomas Boleyn served as Earl of Wiltshire while living there with his wife Elizabeth. Historians including Eric Ives believe all three surviving children were likely born at this location. Mary arrived around 1499. George followed about five years later in 1504. Anne came into the world approximately in 1501. A statue and portrait found at the estate bear the inscription Anna Bolena hic nata 1507. This translates to Anne Boleyn born here 1507.

• 2. Hobart Builds A Mansion

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  The current house rose from ruins between 1616 and 1621 under Sir Henry Hobart. Robert Lyminge designed the structure for the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Hobart purchased Blickling from Lady Agnes Clere in 1616. The architect also designed Hatfield House nearby. Sir Henry married Dorothy Bell, daughter of Sir Robert Bell of Beaupre Hall. Their son John completed the building after his father started it. Frances Egerton married Sir John Hobart in 1621. They lived together at Blickling Hall for twenty years. They incurred huge debts during construction. Frances managed to reduce the debt by £6,000 but had to forestall her creditors. John became ill while they resided there. Only one child named Phillipa survived their many children. John died in 1647. Phillipa later married her cousin and her father's heir Sir John Hobart, 3rd Baronet.

• 3. War And National Trust

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  During World War II the house served as an Officers Mess for nearby RAF Oulton. Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian was the last private owner. He died in December 1940. The estate passed into care of the National Trust following his death. This transfer occurred under terms of the Country Houses Scheme. RAF servicemen and women stayed within grounds inside Nissen huts. Officers occupied the house itself. Personnel used the adjacent lake to practice dinghy drills during the Second World War. The National Trust created the RAF Oulton Museum on site. Visitors can tour this museum without paying extra entrance fees. The house opened to the public in 1962 after restoration work began. During 2019, the site received 225,624 visitors. In February 2021, parasitic wasp species Trichogramma evanescens were deployed to protect artworks from clothes moth damage.

• 4. Manuscripts And Homilies

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  The library contains one of the most historically significant collections of manuscripts and books in Great Britain. An estimated 13,000 to 14,000 volumes span 146 linear feet. Sir Richard Ellys formed the core collection between 1682 and 1742. The Blickling homilies represent one of earliest extant examples of English vernacular homiletic writings. This volume now resides in Firestone Library at Princeton University as MS 71. It remains privately owned by the Scheide family who live in New Jersey. Richard Morris edited and translated the text in the 19th century. His work is still considered definitive today. A more recent translation by Richard J. Kelly faced wide criticism from scholars upon publication. Another important manuscript formerly held here is the Blickling or Lothian Psalter. This 8th-century illuminated psalter features Old English glosses. It currently belongs to Pierpont Morgan Library as MS M.776. John Gandy began cataloging the entire collection online in 2010.

• 5. Gardens Evolve Over Time

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  Sir Henry Hobart remodelled gardens after acquiring estate in 1616. He included ponds, a wilderness area, and a parterre design. A garden mount provided views across flat landscape. Sir John Hobart expanded grounds in 1698 with new wilderness and Doric Temple construction. John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire radically changed appearance between 1765 and 1785. All traces of formality disappeared during this period. Naturally arranged tree clumps created a landscape garden style. An orangery built by 1780s overwintered tender citrus trees. Humphry Repton advised on matters after 1793 death of 2nd Earl. Lady Suffield employed him along with son John Adey Repton. William Schomberg Robert Kerr inherited estate in 1840 at age nine. He re-introduced formality and colour schemes of original parterre. Norah Lindsay remodeled gardens after disparaging comments appeared in Country Life magazine. She replaced tiny flower beds with four large square beds planted with herbaceous plants. Conifers lining Temple walk were removed for azalea plantings.