Read hall about it
Grand houses, hidden gardens and lovely places to wander
Closest to Bloomsbury House
Sheringham Park
This should definitely be right near the top. Nearly 1,000 acres of parkland, woodland, rhododendrons, coastal views and Humphry Repton's landscape. It's practically on your doorstep.
Felbrigg Hall, Gardens & Estate
A particularly good one for your guests — beautiful house, walled garden, lake, woodland and lots of walking. The estate is around 1,760 acres.
Blickling Estate
A proper full day out: magnificent Jacobean house, gardens, parkland, lake, woodland and the wonderful book collection.
Mannington Hall & Gardens
A lovely lesser-known Norfolk house and garden, surrounded by woodland, lakes and rivers. This would be a good one to mention because it feels more like a discovery.
Priory Maze & Gardens, Beeston Regis
This is particularly worth including because it's very close to you and is something quite different from a grand hall. Ten acres of gardens around the remains of Beeston Priory, with the unusual maze made from copper beech and hornbeam.
Walsingham Abbey
The ruins, gardens, woodland and river walks make this another lovely day out, particularly for the snowdrops in February.
Further afield, but very good days out
Holkham Hall & Estate
The grand one: Palladian Hall, enormous parkland, deer, beach, Walled Garden and lots to do.
Houghton Hall & Gardens
Especially relevant for you as an artist. The house, five-acre Walled Garden and contemporary sculpture collection make it quite different from the other estates.
Sandringham Estate
The Royal family's country residence, with the house, museum, church, gardens and country park.
Wolterton Park & Gardens
A beautiful and rather more unusual estate near Aylsham, with historic landscape design, parkland and gardens.
East Ruston Old Vicarage
This one is definitely worth your attention as an artist and garden lover. A 32-acre privately owned garden divided into extraordinary garden rooms — woodland, Mediterranean, gravel, subtropical, rose garden and much more.
Pensthorpe Natural Park
More nature and contemporary garden design than stately home, with several award-winning gardens and wildlife habitats.
Oxburgh Estate
A beautiful moated medieval manor house with gardens and estate walks, further west but a good option for a longer day out.
Norwich, absolutely worth its own section
And I think Norwich should be a separate part of the guide, rather than lumped in with the country houses.
The Plantation Garden
This is exactly the sort of place I think your guests would love. It's a hidden Italianate/Gothic garden created in an old quarry in the Victorian period, tucked just behind St John the Baptist Cathedral. It has been lovingly restored and is a real little oasis in the city.
Norwich Cathedral
The medieval cathedral and its enormous Close are beautiful, and the herb garden is particularly lovely. Visit Norwich actually describes the herb garden in the Cathedral Close as a hidden gem.
Cathedral of St John the Baptist
Norwich's other cathedral — the Roman Catholic cathedral on Earlham Road, right by the Plantation Garden. So you could make a really lovely little two cathedrals + Plantation Garden day.
Eaton Park
A beautiful historic park with its famous wisteria-covered pergola, boating lake, café, mini railway and lots of space. It's one of Norwich's heritage parks.
Waterloo Park
Another lovely historic Norwich park, particularly beautiful for its wisteria-clad walkways.
Chapelfield Gardens
Right in the centre of Norwich and an easy addition to a day exploring the city.
Mousehold Heath
For something completely different — wild heathland, woodland and big views over Norwich. It's 184 acres and the largest local nature reserve managed by the Mousehold Heath Conservators.
Norwich Castle
Not a garden, obviously, but I'd include it in the Norwich section because it's such an obvious part of the historic city.
Strangers' Hall
Another lovely historic house actually in the centre of Norwich, rather than a country estate. It's a fascinating medieval/Tudor house and would fit beautifully into your “houses and gardens” theme.
The above is to name just a few,
Hope to see you soon warm wishes, Annie x