Felbrigg Hall and Estate
Felbrigg Hall and Estate
Felbrigg Hall near the village of Felbrigg in Norfolk is a 17th-century country house noted for its fine Jacobean architecture, stylish Georgian interior and fine views over the open Norfolk landscape. The hall is on the beautiful Felbrigg Estate which covers more than 1,760 acres of parkland and woods. The Great Wood is a site of special scientific interest and is home to a great many old and ancient trees such as beeches, oak, chestnut and sycamore. The Walled Garden is a gardener's delight and is easy to walk around. The garden has an abundance of fruit, vegetables, herbs, shrubs and herbaceous plants and was once used to provide food for the kitchens. Felbrigg Hall is now in the care of the National Trust and is a Grade 1 listed building on the National Heritage List for England.
The Felbrigg Estate was originally the home of the Felbrigg family and dates from the middle ages. It later passed into the hands of the Wyndham family who lived there for centuries. It is thought that Sir John Wyndham (1558-1645) rebuilt Felbrigg Hall after inheriting the estate from his cousin Thomas Wyndham who died in 1599. As a token of his gratitude Sir John placed a monumental brass inlaid in Purbeck marble, in Felbrigg Church. William Wyndham III, with a great passion for books and reading, was the last Wyndham to live at Felbrigg who died in 1810 after trying to save valuable books and manuscripts from a fire in the library. His body was buried in the family vaults at Felbrigg Church close to the Hall. It is said that his ghost now haunts the Gothic library and only appears when an exact combination of books is placed on the library chair. The library was designed by James Paine in the 1750's.
The beautiful parkland and gardens at Felbrigg have been reopened by the National Trust and pre-booking a visit is now essential. The gardens have a wide range of unusual plants to follow through the seasons, while the 380-acre Great Wood includes a wide variety of trees of all ages, from ancient beeches and oaks to sweet chestnut, hawthorn, ash and sycamore trees.
Felbrigg Hall, Gardens and Estate
Felbrigg,
Norwich,
Norfolk
NR11 8PR
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