Stately Homes in North Norfolk

North Norfolk is steeped in history and heritage. With a past of prosperous landowners and rich proceeds from trade with the continent in goods like wool, many fine buildings including stately homes and halls were built in this era, and can still be explored today. Read on to find out more about our very own ‘Downton Abbeys’. (Please check opening dates and times before you visit).

Holkham Hall is an impressive example of English Palladian style built in local yellow brick. Steeped in history, Holkham Hall is set within a unique location, surrounded by 3,000 acres of rolling parkland rich in wildlife and near to the coast with its famous beach. Take a step back in time with a visit to the Hall and its fascinating exhibitions. The impressive entrance hall, with its coffered, gilded ceiling and English alabaster panelling, is thought to be one of the finest classical rooms in England, influenced by ancient Roman buildings.

You can explore the Estate by bike and boat hire, as well as marvel at the 18th Century walled gardens, the Grand Tour statuary and art collection and Victorian kitchen. There is a woodland adventure play area, nature trail, herd of fallow deer as well as estate buildings left by the 18th century farmer 'Coke of Norfolk' to discover. Find out more.

Houghton Hall & Gardens. With its domed corner towers, Houghton Hall is another fine Palladian-style house, built in the 1720s for Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister. Its sumptuous State Rooms including the Stone Hall, Marble Parlour and Cabinet Room are home to impressive pictures and fine furniture.

There is also the Marquess of Cholmondeley's lifetime collection of 20,000 model soldiers and militaria forming the Soldier Museum. This is the largest private collection of model soldiers in the world showing many reconstructions of battles, as well as displaying a selection of paintings and militaria.

The Hall is surrounded by parkland, home to a herd of white fallow and exotic deer and a restored walled garden. In recent years, Lord Cholmondeley has built up an impressive collection of contemporary sculptures by world renowned artists, which are displayed in the gardens and grounds at Houghton. Find out more.

National Trust’s Blickling Hall. The grand entrance to the Blickling Estate, birthplace of Anne Boleyn, is one of the iconic views in north Norfolk. Set at the end of yew tree hedges, nestles Blickling Hall, an impressive red-brick mansion, sitting in the heart of a magnificent garden and historic park in the beautiful Bure meadows.

This landscape with its hedges and tree-lined lanes has changed little over the centuries. Visitors can explore the house, with its nationally important book collection, see the kitchen and hear the real voices of the servants.
Explore the grounds on bike or foot by way-marked walks with stunning views and wildlife along the way. Find out more.

National Trust’s Felbrigg Hall. The 1,760 acre Felbrigg Estate, originally owned by the Felbrigg Family, was home to the Wyndham family before it was passed onto the National Trust. Felbrigg Hall, is an elegant 17th century country house with a blend of opulence and homeliness.

Each room surprises and delights, from the great hall and its stained glass windows, to the nodding mandarins in the Chinese bedroom. You can see Queen Mary's teapot in the dining room and the magnificent row of copper pans in the kitchen. To keep children entertained, there are story boxes around the house, explaining some of the history.

Outside, you will find an impressive walled garden which provides flowers for the hall, and allotments which provide fruit and vegetables for the community.
The lake, set in a rolling landscape, over 500 acres of woods and walking trails is a great place to explore nature and wildlife on this north Norfolk estate. Find out more.

Sandringham, the Royal Family's private country house, is the jewel in the crown. All the main ground floor rooms used by the Royal family are open to the public. Each year in the Ballroom, there is a different exhibition on display. In the museum, there are family possessions and vehicles displayed, including a 1900 Daimler and a half-scale Aston Martin used by Princes William and Harry. The vast estate includes 60 acres of informal gardens, 600 acres of country park and the St Mary Magdalene Church, where the Royals visit at Christmas. Find out more.

Hindringham Hall. This Tudor flint house is surrounded by a 13th century moat, and sits at the bottom of a river valley. It originally housed a community working for the Prior of Norwich and a number of medieval wooden buildings. The 15th century south-east wing (Henry VII) and Elizabethan (16th century) building, is virtually unchanged from the 16th century. The owners give a tour of the ground floor of the Hall revealing the fascinating story of the people who lived in the Hall and its grounds. Find out more.

The beautiful Hoveton Hall Estate covers 620 acres of parkland, gardens, woodland, arable and grazing land. The Regency Hoveton Hall on the edge of the Norfolk Broads, was built between in the early 1800s and has been owned by the Buxton family since 1946. Hoveton Hall Gardens is a stunning 15 acre garden open between April and September. Find out more.

Wolterton Hall is an 18th century house on the Wolterton Estate built by the diplomat brother of Sir Robert Walpole. It has a fascinating history and with collections to discover set amongst spectacular landscape views. The hall can be hired for functions.

Mannington Hall is known for its impressive gardens and roses are a theme throughout, especially with the walled Heritage Rose Garden and Modern Rose Garden. A perfect setting for country walks with trails open all year round, visitors can admire wildflowers, the lake and trees. The Hall is open by appointment only or for special events. Find out more.

Wiveton Hall, made famous by a BBC2 series, is situated on the north Norfolk coast between Blakeney and Cley-next-the-Sea. The flint-faced, Dutch-gabled, Jacobean manor house was built in the 17th century and the grounds are also home to a café, pick-your-own fruit farm, shop, art exhibitions and beautiful gardens.