A sumptuous confection of local red brick and Ketton limestone, Dutch gables and turrets, framed by massive yew hedges and service wings with even more picturesque gables.
The name Blickling was originally believed to derive from the Old English word 'Bekeling' meaning water-meadow but more recently it is thought to indicate the settlement of the family or followers of one Blicla. Blickling has been the site of a manor house since long before Sir Henry Hobart built the mansion which can be seen today.
The Jacobean house is built on the site of a late medieval predecessor, which determined the proportions and general arrangement of its plan. Between 1619 and 1626 Sir Henry Hobart rebuilt the south and east fronts. The projecting wings, begun in 1624, also incorporated parts of earlier structures. It was not until the late 18th century remodelling by the 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire that all visible trace of the earlier house was removed with the rebuilding of the north and west fronts.
Castles
Links: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
By: kjfitz
