Ickworth House; overall view from the rear, from a photograph there

Rotunda; front view with corridors to the East and West wings

Rotunda Entrance Hall, wirh The Fury of Athamas sculpture

Upper floor; view of the East Wing, now a hotel

Ground floor; curved corridor to the east wing

Ground Floor; Pompeian Room - Marble specimen table top

Grounds; View of Walled Garden and the Summerhouse over the River Linnet

Ickworth House

April 13 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

We are on en route to Caister-on Sea to walk some more of the Norfolk Coastal Path and divert to stop off en route at Ickworth House, near Bury St Edmunds.

Ickworth House is a National Trust property and is a large neo-classical / Italianate country house set in Parkland. It was built by Frederick Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol, and also the Bishop of Derry, between 1795 and 1829. The "Earl Bishop," as he was known, travelled extensively in Europe and was inspired to build the Italian inspired Rotunda to live in, with galleries in the in the east and west wings to showcase the art and sculptures collected in his travels. It has been the chief dwelling of the Hervey family since then, before being passed to the National Trust in 1956.

We walk around the rotunda and east and west wings of the house, seeing the upstairs, ground floor, and basement (see captions on photos for details).

We then explore some of the gardens and grounds, walking the River Linnet trail, with part of Lady Hervey's walk for views of the Walled Garden. We then visit the Italianate Garden and walk the Alabana Wood Trail.

It has been a great visit.Read more