Join us at The George, a boutique hotel in a charming conservation area of Norwich. Boasting a fantastic reputation for its relaxed and friendly service, guests can enjoy well-furnished rooms, an excellent restaurant, and a convenient central location. From this ideal base, we explore some of the most stunning homes and enchanting gardens Norfolk has to offer. In this lovely part of the country, life moves at a slower pace – even the royal family come here to wind down. One of the highlights of this holiday is an after-hours exclusive tour of Sandringham – a remarkable experience not to be missed. If you are passionate about beautiful gardens and historic houses, this is the perfect tour for you!
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Make your own way to our hotel in Norwich, where you will meet an experienced Tour Manager who will assist with your check in. Dinner is served in the hotel tonight.
This morning, we will travel by coach to Blickling Estate, where you will have the freedom to explore the house and gardens at your own pace. Sitting right in the heart of the estate is a Jacobean mansion, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The Tudor house that once stood at Blickling is believed to be the birthplace of Anne Boleyn, due to her grandfather, Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, being one of the previous owners. Inside, there is plenty to explore as you immerse yourself in the history of Blickling; from the Great Hall and the Long Gallery to the South Drawing Room, each room has a unique story to tell. The gardens are equally spectacular, with highlights including the Walled Garden and the Parterre.
After our visit to Blickling, we will board the coach and travel to the market town of Aylsham to join the Bure Valley Railway. This delightful journey takes us through some of the most unspoilt countryside, crossing 17 bridges and passing through idyllic villages to reach Wroxham – the 'capital of the Norfolk Broads'.
We will have some free time in Wroxham before re-joining the coach and heading to Hoveton Hall, where we will visit the gardens with their variety of plants, trees, vistas, and walks. In the springtime, the grounds are carpeted with hundreds of different varieties of snowdrops and daffodils, some of which are very rare. Azaleas and rhododendrons take centre stage in early summer with their spectacular colours, and in the following months, the herbaceous and Kitchen Gardens come to the forefront, with manicured lawns and over 600 different, rare, and unusual plant varieties.
After free time to explore the gardens, we will return to the hotel by coach.
After a leisurely start, we will board our coach and head to Houghton Hall, one of the finest Palladian houses in the UK. The Hall was built in the 1720s for Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's First Prime Minister, and is a showcase of the work of architects James Gibbs and Colen Campbell. The richly ornamented interiors of William Kent complement the house's design, which was furnished to reflect Walpole's growing wealth and power. Today, Houghton is home to the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, Walpole's descendant, and his family. The five-acre Walled Garden is a must-see and includes a spectacular double-sided herbaceous border, a formal rose parterre, a Mediterranean garden, and a kitchen garden with arches and espaliers of apples and pears.
This afternoon, we travel by coach to Sandringham House and Gardens. Upon arrival, you will have free time to explore the gardens at your leisure. Later, when the house closes to the public, we will have an exclusive ‘after hours’ private tour of the house with an experienced guide. Sandringham House was built in 1870 by The Prince and Princess of Wales, who later became King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Queen Alexandra and later Queen Mary were great collectors of objects d'art, and members of the Russian and European Royal Families, who were frequent guests at Sandringham House, often brought gifts of enamel, silver, and silver-gilt. For example, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany gave a fine Dresden porcelain chandelier and mirror frame. The walls are hung with family portraits by leading contemporary court painters such as Heinrich von Angeli, Sir Luke Fildes, Franz Winterhalter, and Edward Hughes.
We return to the hotel and enjoy dinner this evening.
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we will board our coach and travel to Hindringham Hall Gardens, a moated manor house straight out of a storybook with its medieval moat and fishponds, working walled vegetable garden, and formal and informal borders wrapped around a brick and flint Tudor Hall. You will have some free time to explore at your own pace – smell the roses, watch the swans, and enjoy the peace and beauty of this special garden. Tea or coffee and cake are included in the café by the moat.
From here, we will travel by coach to Holkham Hall. Nestled within 25,000 acres of rolling parkland, Holkham Hall is an 18th-century Palladian-style house based on designs by William Kent and built by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. You will find the Marble Hall to be a truly breathtaking introduction to your visit, with its impressive 50ft dome ceiling and elegant walls of English alabaster – not marble as the name suggests! A grand staircase leads to a myriad of state rooms, including the Saloon with its rich, red velvet-lined walls, gilded coffering, and lofty ceiling, sumptuous bedchambers where royalty once slept, state dining rooms adorned with exquisite porcelain, galleries of statuary and art by the Old Masters, libraries bursting with books and manuscripts, and of course, the Old Kitchen with its rows of polished copper pots, pans, and moulds. Holkham has remained largely unchanged since the late 18th century, and much of what you will see is as Thomas Coke intended. With plenty of time to explore at your leisure, this will make for a wonderful afternoon.
We will return to the hotel for dinner.
After a leisurely breakfast, it is time to check out of the hotel and make your own way home.
You will stay for four nights on a half-board basis at the 3-star George Hotel in Norwich.
