We are lucky enough to have three National trust properties of note in Norfolk – Blickling Hall & Estate, Oxburgh Hall and the one I had not visited in some 35 years – Felbrigg Hall.

So Jo and I set off to go and see this hidden gem…. Now, I have to be honest – and speaking as a normal chap, I do of course no things like roads and routes better than a SatNav…. Well – ish. Rather than googling the NT web page with the address etc, I just put in Fellbrig Hall post code into google… just to explain a little of the geography of this part of Norfolk, Fellbrigg is close to Cromer – and there are very few main roads around this neck of the woods…. Nearest dual carriageway being Norwich…. And we don’t have any motorways in Norfolk or Suffolk… we do have shit loads of tractors and combine harvesters though…. Anyway, it’s rural here…

Now, here’s the thing – because there are no real main roads in Norfolk it’s fun to explore and see the 19th century in real life…. But this time, I may have dropped a clanger… only a small one but…. The route that I ended up, to the hall’s post code, did indeed take us to the Hall’s address.

The hall’s estate office to be precise….

actually behind the hall, where there certainly was not any public cars, but lots of cattle – and cattle grids…. As Jo slid down her seat to hide from view, I concentrated on openening and closing gates – and taking the odd photo of views less well trod…

Anyway, we arrived and got parked up – the house itself was not open until 1200, but the walled garden was open – and oh my word. Words cannot do it justice – but here are some images

See what I mean? Any way, we saw it probably at its best – the huge variety of fruits – olives, multiple types of pear and apple – and then a hot house where chilli’s were being cultivated – right up to Ghosts, Reapers and Nagas… the garden was also working – squashes, peas etc – all intermingled in flower beds and an area for bee hives… this alone was worth the visit. There are 4 full time gardeners and 50 volunteers – and they should be very proud of their work. Having spent a good couple of hours exploring the walled garden and admiring the view, we headed off on the Victory V walk. This walk had been created by the last owner of the hall, who after his RAF brother was killed in action in 1942, decided to make something that returning pilots could see from the air as they flew towards Norwich – the planned focal point being Norwich Cathedral spire – in typical Norfolk style it is unfortunately, slightly on the huh. Either way, the V focal point and the tree lined avenues are there to see clearly. We extended our walk so we could enjoy parts of the estate and see the ice house – I was surprised to realise how deep underground that extended.

We then arrived back at the hall and queued through the Rose Garden to go into the main hall and I saw a plaque

Laughingly I said to Jo that it sounded a bit like Ralph and Ted – I didn’t realise just how close to the truth I was. Politically, I don’t know how I feel about the NT outing someone decades after their death – especially some one who bequeathed their family home to the National Trust.

Either way, the last owner, and his predecessors had impeccable taste – unusually for NT the estate was passed over intact and every room is as was… and the conservation work is exemplary – in the below gallery, the wall paper in the Chinese room has all been lifted off the walls, restored and then reapplied.

So, that’s a brief review of a hidden gem – Felbrigg Hall and estate is an incredible day out – the walled garden is priceless. Jo and I have worked out that we can now do three National Trust overnight trips that work Geographically – Felbrigg Hall and Blickling Hall – overnight stop near Cromer or Sheringham; Oxburgh hall and Peckover House and stay near Downham Market, and the Anglesey Abbey and the English Heritage site at Audley End House staying near Cambridge – that’s some regular short trips sorted then!