Is this the most beautiful house in England?

It's normally the gardens I rave about when I visit National Trust properties, but at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, it's definitely the house that steals the show. Built by the Bedingfeld family in the 15th century, they have lived here ever since. Inside, the family's Catholic history is revealed, complete with a secret priest's hole which you can crawl inside. I was captivated by the place, inside and out. Some of the walls are covered in gilded leather, and the colours are as vivid as the day they were made. Outside, the way this moated house sits in its grounds is so majestic. One is reminded of Ightham Mote and Bodiam Castle, but there's something about Oxburgh that makes you feel you could just move in.

As I've already implied, the garden is perhaps not the star attraction at Oxburgh, but the grounds are very pleasant. There are, however, a few features of note.

This formal parterre lies in the shadow of the hall.

This border must have looked lovely in the summer.

Sometimes I think the National Trust wishes its properties didn't have kitchen gardens. But in fairness, it is November.

Pensthorpe

Pensthorpe is set in 500 acres of countryside with miles of nature trails to explore through ancient fen meadows, woodland and a series of lakes. Pensthorpe is home to a collection of waterfowl including endangered exotic waterfowl from around the world. Dozens of migratory bird species can be seen during the winter and summer months and specially created hides help you get closer to nature. Originally flooded gravel pits until the early eighties, Pensthorpe has been restored as a safe haven for wildlife including the creation of islands for safe nesting areas, and shallow scrapes for waders and other species. A highlight of our visit was a trip around the reserve in a landrover, discovering some of the wildlife. The guide was excellent, pointing out various birds and habitats.

A crane of some sort...

Of course the main purpose of my visit, although I forgot to mention this to long-suffering garden visitor Dad, was to see the Millenium Garden, planted by Piet Oudolf. Created in 2000, this was Oudolf's first ever public creation, He was invited back in 2008 to refresh the planting. Even in November it was looking pretty good to me. Like all his prairie style gardens, the plants are not cut back in autumn, so that wildlife can enjoy the seedheads. This also gives his gardens a wild, rather dreamy quality I think.

Felbrigg Hall

A highlight of our second day in Norfolk last week was a trip to Felbrigg Hall, a National Trust property. The house is amazing, including a huge collection of antiquarian books. We were not expecting much of a garden, although there are hundreds of acres of landscaped grounds. But we were pleasantly surprised to discover a fantastic walled garden. The first section reminded me of Parham in West Sussex, with its straight gravelled pathways overflowing with flowers.

The other half of the garden is divided into a series of allotments, which members of the public maintain. This scheme seems to be working really well, as there was a wealth of produce on display.

This cheeky chap is one of the sculptures on display

Is this the best hen house in the world?!

The greenhouses have been restored and were full of tender plants.

These Agapanthus were still flowering on the 30th November!

Bressingham Gardens

Foggy Bottom, featured in my previous post,is just part of the gardens at Bressingham, developed over many years by the Bloom family. The steam railway runs around the perimeter of the garden. The planting is similar to that in Foggy Bottom, in that conifers are used as architectural fixtures to provide year-round colour, and island beds dominate. The Blooms are credited with bringing island beds into popularity in the 1970s. It takes a particular skill to plant them well so that they look good from all angles - which they definitely do at Bressingham!