National Trust - Blickling Estate — Attraction in Broadland

During World War II the house was requisitioned and served as the Officers' Mess of nearby RAF Oulton. After the death of Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian (the last private owner of Blickling) in December 1940, the Blickling estate passed into the care of the National Trust as part of his bequest,4] under the terms of the Country Houses Scheme. RAF servicemen and women were billeted within the grounds in Nissen huts, whilst officers were housed in the house itself. The adjacent lake was used by RAF service personnel to practise dinghy drills during the Second World War.[5] The National Trust has created the RAF Oulton Museum on site in tribute to the RAF pilots and ground crew who served in the Second World War, and this may be visited for no additional entrance fee.[citation needed]

At the end of the war, the house was de-requisitioned. The National Trust again let it to tenants until 1960, when the Trust began work to restore the house to a style reflecting its history. The house and grounds were opened to the public in 1962 and remain open under the name of "Blickling Estate". During 2019, the site received 225,624 visitors.[6]

In 2015 the National Trust marked the 75th anniversary of Philip Kerr's death with a celebration of his life and times.[4]

Work began in October 2015 to introduce a heat pump system, using residual warmth from the estate's lake. Tubing, filled with a plant-based glycol, would be placed in the lake and the resulting liquid pumped into the house for further warming, enabling the heating of large parts of the house. The Trust estimated the project would save some 25,000 litres of oil each year, with cost savings in the region of £16,000.[7

In February 2021, it was reported that the parasitic wasp species Trichogramma evanescens was being deployed to the hall in an attempt to prevent damage to various artworks there, including a tapestry from Catherine the Great, caused by difficulties controlling the common clothes moth. In conjunction with this, chemicals to confuse the moths' mating behaviour would...

Don’t bother if you have accessibility needs!

We came with our 13month old and the pram on a cold and wet day. On approach to the house, but after paying, with our pram visible, we see a sign saying the lift is out of action. Bit annoying we wasn’t told but fine, I’ll carry her.

Went to leave the pram tucked to the side of the house hallway at the permission of staff, when another staff told us to put the pram outside with no consideration of the weather. The orginal staff member went to explain she had permitted it but was sharply cut off by this rude lady and overruled.

Partly cause I didn’t like the way she was speaking to her colleague, I asked “the pram would be okay around the house if the lift was working?”. She goes, no, you’d only she the ground level. The lift has been broken since October and we aren’t having it fixed.

Why not tell us this when we paid to enter?! Why lie on the sign and make it look like an unlucky day for us?

We were able to carry our baby but as she’s new to walking we rushed round as she started to fight being held, wanting to practice herself. Others may not have the options or may have accessibility needs themselves.

They will happily take your money and make the situation appear to be something it’s not. The rude staff set the tone for the visit and made us not...

This place is one of my favourite National Trust properties in the British Isles. There is so much history and beauty to be found in each room, and the guides are extremely knowledgable and more than happy to tell you about everything they know of the estate and its history.

If you happen to go on a Tuesday, you may come across a group of librarians caring for books in the Long Gallery, and they are the best source of information when it comes to learning about the staggering collection that Blickling possesses (think first editions from Jane Austen, and one of a kind bibles written in extinct languages!)

The Second-hand bookshop on site is the largest in the National Trust, with over 25000 on display, so if you’re a bibliophile, this is the place for you!

There are 55 acres of garden (including a kitchen garden) and 4,600 acres of parkland and farmland, so it’s a great place to come and stroll even if you can’t visit the house itself.

Most things close at 5, except the house and bookshop at 4, and the parkland which is open from dawn till dusk. House last entry is at 3.30pm, and gardens last...