Journeying a dozen miles north of the city of Norwich, the Tourist reaches the old town of Aylsham. A mile hence is the very ancient manor of Blickling[8]—famous so far back as the time of the Confessor, when it was in the possession of Harold, King of England; remarkable, in after times, when occupied by the Bishops of the See, and celebrated, in the history of various epochs, as a seat of the noble families of Dagworth, Erpingham, Fastolff, Boleyne, Clere, and Hobart. From this ancient house, Henry VIII. married the unfortunate mother of Queen Elizabeth; here the virgin queen herself is said to have been a guest, and here Charles II. and his consort were visitors—events referred to by the court-poet, Stephenson:

The mansion—Blickling Hall—is one of the most perfect examples remaining of the time of James I.; the exterior has undergone few changes; the bridge, the moat, the turrets, the curiously-formed gables, and the double row of spacious and convenient out-offices—connected with the mansion by an arcade—are characteristic of the period, while elaborate finish and costly ornament indicate the wealth and rank of its noble owners. The high-road passes the gates, and runs within a few yards of the house; a small green sward only separating it from the public pathway. The moat is crossed by a Bridge of remarkably light and graceful proportions; on either side of this bridge are Pedestals with bulls (the heraldic crest of the Hobarts) bearing blank shields. The entrance-porch is exceedingly beautiful; the design is simple and elegant; “it may be regarded,” according to Mr. Shaw, “as one of the earliest attempts at the restoration of classical architecture, and appears to be formed upon the model of the Arch of Titus at Rome.” In the spandrels are sculptured figures of Victory. Over the entablature, supported by two Doric columns, is an enriched compartment, bearing the arms and quarterings of Sir Henry Hobart, Bart. (by whom the stately mansion was erected). A massive Oak Door contains the date 1620; the knocker of this door is peculiarly quaint; a copy of it acts as the initial letter commencing this description. Passing a small quadrangular court, we enter the Hall, from which opens the grand Staircase of Oak, the newels of which are crowned with figures. Unhappily, the oak has been covered with paint; and time having removed some of the figures, their places have been supplied by others out of harmony with the character of the venerable structure.[9] Of the several apartments, the only one that demands particular notice is the Library—a noble room, filled with the rarest and most valuable books. It measures one hundred and twenty-seven feet; the ceiling is a magnificent collection of works of art, unsurpassed by anything of the kind in Great Britain. It consists of a series of models, representing the Senses, the Passions and the Elements, in low relief—comprising a very large number of subjects, no two of which are alike. The library is—as a private collection—extensive; the books it contains are generally “large paper copies,” and in the finest possible state. Some of its treasures are unique—here are a volume of Saxon Homilies, and a Latin MS. of the Psalter, certainly as ancient as anything we possess in the Latin tongue, and several others, with and without illuminations, of very remote dates. Here also are two copies (imperfect) of the Coverdale Bible; an uncut copy of the diminutive Sedan New Testament, and a vast assemblage of the choicest productions of the early English press. It was formed by Maittaire for Sir Richard Ellys, Bart., of Norton, in Lincolnshire, to whom he dedicated his “Anacreon,” in 1725. The curiosities of the library were shown to us by the Rev. James Bulwer, whose own family seat of Heydon is in the neighbourhood of Blickling Hall.

Mr. Harding’s print of this fine old mansion affords an accurate idea of its elegance and grandeur. Its form is quadrangular—having a square turret at each angle. Viewed from any point it is highly picturesque. The Park, which surrounds it on three sides, contains above 1000 acres. Its trees are celebrated for their exceeding beauty and prodigious growth. A remarkably fine piece of water, shaped like a crescent, adjoins the house, extending nearly a mile in length. Nature and Art have both contributed to adorn this artificial Lake; gentle acclivities rise from its sides, here and there fringed with evergreens infinitely varied, while gigantic oaks, and elms, and beeches, rising at intervals, seem the guardians of its banks.

We may sum up our account of Blickling Hall in the words of old Blomefield:—“The building is a curious brick fabric, four-square, with a turret at each corner; there are two good Courts, with a fine Library, elegant Wilderness, good Lake, Gardens, and Park; it is a pleasant, beautiful seat, worthy the observation of such as make the Norfolk Tour.”

The erection of the existing structure was commenced by Sir Henry Hobart, Bart., during the reign of James the First, but was not finished until the year 1628, when “the Domestic Chapel was consecrated.” The building, however, retained its original character, varying very little, in external appearance and internal arrangements, from the old Mansion in which Queen Anne Boleyne was born, and which had been famous for centuries.

When the Domesday Survey was made, one part of the Manor belonged to Beausoc, Bishop of Thetford (the seat of the See until 1088), the other part being in possession of the Crown. Both moieties were invested with the privileges of ancient demesne, were exempt from the hundred (of South Erpingham) and had the lete with all royalties. Having successively passed through the hands of many distinguished families, in 1431 it was the property of Sir Thomas De Erpingham, by whom it was sold to Sir John Fastolff, who, about the year 1452, sold it to Sir Geoffrey Boleyne, Knt., who was Lord Mayor of London in 1458, and who made Blickling his country-seat. From him inherited his second son, Sir William Boleyne, Knight,

who married Margaret, sister of James Butler, Earl of Ormond; dying in 1505, he was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas Boleyne, who, the 18th of Henry VIII., was raised to the peerage by the title of Viscount Rochford, and three years afterwards was created Earl of Wiltshire. His daughter, Anne, was privately married to Henry VIII., on the 5th of January, 1533. On the 19th of May, 1536, she was beheaded; her dismal fate having been shared by her brother, Viscount Rochford; and the old Earl died in 1538—it is believed of a broken heart. Soon afterwards the estate of Blickling, having been for a short time in the family of the Cleres, was purchased by Sir Harry Hobart, Bart., “a fortunate lawyer,” who became Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. He was succeeded by his son and grandson, the second and third Baronets; the fourth Baronet was created, by George II., Lord Hobart of Blickling, in 1728; and in 1746, Earl of Buckinghamshire. His son, the second Earl, died without male issue, but left four daughters, one of whom married the late Marquis of Londonderry, another William Lord Suffield, the third Lord Mount Edgcombe, and a fourth the Marquis of Lothian, whose surviving son, the fifth Marquis, died at Blickling in 1841, leaving a son, an infant, who is heir-apparent to the estate, now in the possession of his great aunt, the Dowager Lady Suffield.

The venerable Church of Blickling adjoins the mansion. It is built—in the style of nearly all the Norfolk Churches—of flint, a material that essentially impairs the solemn dignity of the structure. Many of the Brasses and Tombs are of high interest; the one of which we append an engraving (on the preceding page) is to the memory of Edward Clere. It is described by Blomefield as “a most curious Altar Tomb, placed between the Chancel and Boleyne’s Chapel. The Effigy which laid upon it is now gone; but there remain the Arms and Matches of his family, from the Conquest to the time that his son and heir, Sir Edward Clere, erected this tomb.” As a work of art, the Tomb possesses considerable excellence. The carved Armorial Bearings retain much of the original brilliancy of their colouring. Among the Brasses is one for Anne Boleyne, aunt of the unfortunate Queen, and another of Isabella Cheyne, (date 1485) remarkable as exhibiting the earliest authentic example of the necklace. An elaborately-wrought Oak Chest, of great size, strongly banded with iron, and secured by five curiously formed locks and keys, is preserved in Blickling Church; but a relic still more curious and unique is a Poor-box, of very primitive character, heart-shaped, and painted blue, the letters, “Pray remember the Pore,” being gilt. We give engravings of both these peculiar and very interesting antiquities.