Ickworth Estate

Over het museum

The Hervey family lived at Ickworth for about five hundred years after acquiring it by marriage in 1460. The present house is the creation of Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry, known as the Earl-Bishop. Inspired by classical Rome, he began building in 1795 with an Italian architect, planning a central domed Rotunda joined by curved corridors to two wings, a design meant to unite grandeur with comfort and to display his growing art collection. Much of the collection was seized by French troops in Italy in 1798, and the house was still an unfinished shell when he died in 1803.

His son completed the building, and from 1829 the family lived in the East Wing while the Rotunda served as a gallery and a place for grand entertaining. The West Wing was built for symmetry and stayed empty for a long time. The grounds include one of the earliest surviving Italianate gardens in England, a large landscaped park and the estate church of St Mary. In the early twentieth century the 4th Marchioness of Bristol used her inheritance to pay off debts and modernise the house, including the servants' quarters in the basement with electric light, hot water and new bathrooms.

In 1956 the house and estate were handed to the Treasury in lieu of death duties and then passed to the National Trust, which opened it to the public. The Herveys stayed in the East Wing until 1996. Today the Rotunda shows an internationally important collection of paintings, furniture and silver, including works by Titian and Gainsborough, and a major roof conservation project was completed in 2020.

Hoogtepunten

• Domed Rotunda built in the early 1800s in the Italianate style
• Paintings including works by Titian and Gainsborough
• Hervey silver collection
• Hands-on servants' quarters in the basement of the Rotunda
• Italianate garden with a stumpery
• Parkland with an all-weather multi-use trail

Vaste collectie

• The Rotunda and its collections – State rooms showing paintings by artists including Titian and Gainsborough, furniture, sculpture and the Hervey family silver.
• Servants' Quarters – The hands-on basement rooms show how servants lived and worked in the 1930s, with drawers to open and games in the Servants' Hall.
• Silver collection – Silver acquired by the Hervey family, including a dining service by leading Huguenot silversmiths made for the 2nd Earl of Bristol.

Opgericht

1956

Beheerder

National Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are shown without Gift Aid; with Gift Aid the adult ticket is £16.50, the child ticket £8.30 and the family ticket £41.25. The whole-estate ticket gives entry to all areas open on the day. Free entry for National Trust members. Some activities, such as cycle hire and special tours, cost extra.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal
• Audiodescriptie

Ramped access leads into the Rotunda and the West Wing, and lifts serve all levels in both buildings; the estate's facilities list also mentions steps into the house and to the basement, and a tight section in the basement. The Rotunda and the West Wing are about 250 metres from the Welcome Point on a lightly gravelled route, and an accessible shuttle runs between them when volunteers are available. About 20 accessible bays lie in the main car park on a flat tarmac surface. Powered mobility scooters and wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge if booked ahead, but scooters cannot enter the Rotunda or the West Wing. Induction loops are at the Welcome Point, cafés and shop, and a portable loop is available. The Italianate Garden has steps and uneven ground, but accessible paths exist. An easy-read guide and a video guide are published online. Only assistance dogs may enter the garden, the house and the West Wing.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

The adventure play area is at the end of the main car park, with a grass area and picnic benches nearby. In the Rotunda basement children can open drawers and handle objects in the servants' quarters and play games in the Servants' Hall. Activity sheets are provided, and family events, trails and craft sessions are held in school holidays. Baby-changing facilities are at the Welcome Point and in the West Wing. The multi-use trail and several woodland walks are suitable for pushchairs, but pushchairs are not allowed inside the house.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

From the A14 take junction 42 towards Westley; the estate lies on the west side of the A143. The main entrance is through Horringer village, and the postcode should not be used for satnav. Avoid routes through Chevington, which is a dead end. The estate is 4½ miles from Bury St Edmunds on foot or by bike through Horringer.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museumwinkel

The West Wing Café serves light meals, sandwiches, cakes and drinks, and the dog-friendly Porter's Lodge Café offers drinks, snacks and ice cream. There is a gift shop, a plant shop at the Welcome Point and a second-hand bookshop in the West Wing basement. Toilets are at the Welcome Point, in the West Wing and at the Walled Garden (April to October only).

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

Je bezoek plannen