A bit of a stretch for a day trip from London, while I was living in Cambridge I was much better placed to visit this gorgeous Royal Estate in the middle of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Picking a day off in early April, I managed to score some beautiful early spring flowers as well as a bitingly cold wind and on-and-off showers. Not a bad day for England!
History
Set in amongst the 8,000 hectare Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, Sandringham House has been a Royal retreat since 1862. That year Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were looking for a house away from London for the future Edward VII to call home and after looking at many properties, Sandringham was decided the most suitable and so was purchased just before his 21st birthday. At this time it was a Georgian building with a white stucco exterior from the late 18th century. After being made habitable and lived in by the future Edward VII and his new wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and their growing family following their wedding in 1863, it was demolished to make way for a bigger, less damp house. The architect A.J. Humbert was hired and the main building was completed in 1870, with further additions constructed through to the 1890s. 1975 saw the demolition of over 100 rooms to remove dry rot and save on heating, as well as the modernisation of the service wing of the house. It is still an enormous house, so it is difficult to imagine how much bigger it would have been.
The gardens make up about 240 of the 8,000 hectares of the Estate and have been open to the public since 1908. The House was first opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. There are estimated to be between 100 and 200 rooms in total, only a few of these are open to the public. Lived in by the Royal family every December to February, it is clear why this is a place they have loved to escape to for generations.
Itinerary
Catching the Great Northern line from Cambridge to Kings Lynn, followed by the 35 bus to Sandringham Estate car park, I arrived at this beautiful estate in just under two hours.
Sandringham Estate
While the House is estimated to contain 100-200 rooms in total, only a few of these on the ground floor are open to the public; however, they are well worth a visit to catch a glimpse at the inside of a Royal retreat. It definitely feels much more homely compared to some of the other Royal Palaces that can be visited, containing family photos and even a puzzle left unfinished by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Despite the homely feel, it is unquestionably a place of immense wealth, containing some exquisite artworks, furniture and furnishings, as well as hunting memorabilia. It is also a place where you can feel the layers of history around you and the guides in each room were more than happy to share interesting facts about the contents of each room, including pointing out a doorway to a little room where King George V delivered the first Christmas Broadcast.
My favourite items were a unbelievably beautiful Dresden porcelain mirror and chandelier decorated in delicate pastel flowers that had been gifted to Queen Alexandra by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, and a series of water colour sketches by the Dutch artist Rien Poortvliet, best known for his children’s book of Gnomes, of the Royal family hunting.
Stepping back outside I was frozen solid in seconds so headed for the Stables Cafe for a hot chocolate to keep me warm while wandering around the gardens. Sheltering from the cold a little longer, I explored the Sandringham Museum which includes a collection of Royal vehicles, the most eccentric of which was a 1939 fire engine used by the Sandringham Fire Brigade, founded in 1865 by the Prince of Wales.
While freezing, I thoroughly enjoyed wandering the gardens, particularly as I was treated to masses of bluebells throughout. I had expected manicured gardens, but there was only a very small section of this and the rest was far more relaxed, with wide beds of shrubs and flowers with no particular pattern (at least not obvious to my untrained eye). This made for many beautiful spots with big old trees shading clumps of bluebells.
Eventually working up an appetite, I headed back to the Sandringham Courtyard where I ate my lunch, perused the very large and well-stocked gift shop and headed off for a post-lunch power walk through the Sandringham Country Park.
Sandringham Country Park Hike
This walk follows the Yellow Nature Trail on the maps provided at the ticket office and is an easy stroll through some lovely parkland. Spotting a couple of deer, I enjoyed the solitude walking in the shade of beautiful old trees.
With a little time before my bus was due, I treated myself to some delicious ginger cake and tea from the Sandringham cafe before my return journey through the Norfolk countryside.
Xanthe Explores 
Leave a comment