Blickling Hall is located in the village of Blickling in Norfolk, England. The first manor house on the Blickling Estate was owned by King Harold during the eleventh century when he was the Earl of the East Saxons.
The Boleyn Family
In 1437 Sir John Fastolfe, who was immortalized by William Shakespeare in his Henry V plays, sold Blickling Hall to his neighbor Geoffrey Boleyn. In 1499, the house was inherited by his grandson, Thomas. Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth, lived at Blickling from 1499 to 1505. Their first two children, Mary and George, were born at Blickling Hall. It is possible that Anne, Henry VIII’s second wife, was born at Blickling as well, but the exact date and place of her birth are unknown. Records indicate that, however, by 1505 George and Elizabeth were living at Hever Castle with their three children, which included Anne. After the death of Anne and George in 1536, Blickling Hall passed to the ownership of Sir Edward Clere and the house fell into disrepair.
The Hobart Family
In 1616 Sir Henry Hobart, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, bought the house from Robert Clere and replaced the original home with a another hall. Robert Lyminge, who designed Hatfield House, designed the new hall.
The home continued to pass to members of the Hobart family. In 1698, Sir Henry Hobart MP was involved in one of the last duels to be fought in Norfolk. On August 21, he met Oliver Le Neve on Cawston Heath. In 1746 John Hobart was created the 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire. His son, also named John, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire was named Ambassador to Russia and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. On a visit to Russia, the earl received a tapestry of Czar Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltawa from Catherine the Great. The tapestry can be seen in the Peter the Great Room today.
The National Trust
In 1850 Blickling Hall passed to the 11th Marquis of Lothian. In 1940 he left the hall and surrounding 4,500 acre estate to the National Trust in 1940. The estate has been in the care of the National Trust since. In 1960 the National Trust began restoring the property and it was opened to the public in 1962.
The Library
The library at Blickling Hall contains one of the most historically significant collections of manuscripts and books in England. Two of the most important manuscripts are the Blickling homilies and the Lothian Psalter. The Blickling homilies is one of the earliest examples of English vernacular homiletic writings. The Lothian Psalter is from the eighth century and is now owned by the Pierpont Morgan Library, located in New York City.
The Most Haunted
In October 2007 Blickling Hall was voted the most haunted house in Britain in a National Trust survey. It is said to be haunted by at least four ghosts. The most famous is Anne Boleyn whose headless ghost appears at the home on the anniversary of her execution, May 19. She arrives at Blickling in a carriage driven by a headless coachman and carried her head with her. Each year the ghost of her father, Sir Thomas, attempts to cross twelve bridges before the sun rises. In addition Sir John Fastolfe, who sold Blicking to the Boleyn family also haunts the hall. Finally, some workers have reported a “Grey Lady” who disappears through walls.
Sources:
McDermott, Nick. “Britain’s 10 Most Haunted Historic Homes Unveiled by National Trust” Daily Mail" (accessed July 4, 2010)
National Trust “ Blickling Hall ” (accessed July 5, 2010)
Norfolkcoast.co.uk “ Blickling Hall " (accessed July 5, 2010)
Phillips, Charles. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Royal Britain. London: Lorenz Books, 2009.
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