Today we spend a leisurely day at Sandringham, where we will enjoy a guided tour of the gardens on arrival, with plenty of time to explore further before a self-guided visit of the house this afternoon.
Sandringham was built in 1870 by the Prince and Princess of Wales, who later became King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Both Queen Alexandra and later Queen Mary were great collectors of objects d'art.
Members of the Russian and European Royal Families were frequent guests at Sandringham House and brought gifts of enamel, silver and silver-gilt: Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany gave a fine Dresden porcelain chandelier and mirror frame. The walls are hung with family portraits by leading contemporary court painters: Heinrich von Angeli, Sir Luke Fildes, Franz Winterhalter and Edward Hughes. An important collection of oriental arms and armour is housed at Sandringham House, brought back from the Far East and India in 1876.
Sandringham Gardens displays a densely planted shrubbery with a shady woodland walk was instigated by Her Majesty in the late 1960s. A collection of rhododendron, camellia and magnolia trees were brought up from Windsor were planted to create more interest, shelter and privacy in the garden. Much of the planting has now matured and this, along with a wide range of rare and unusual trees, provides a spectacular display for those who enjoy the shape, colour and texture of leaves, stems and bark though the seasons. Created by Geoffrey Jelicoe in 1947 for King George VI, the formal enclosed areas of garden are informally planted in a cottage garden style and are usually at their best in late July where they act as a haven for bees and butterflies.
On the west side, the house overlooks a large expanse of lawn, once the site of an elaborate series of colourful formal flower beds and pathways, these were ploughed up during the Second World War to make way for crops as part of the dig for victory campaign. In recent years these large expanses of lawns have proved useful for large garden parties including one to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.
Throughout the garden areas, informal lawns are dotted with trees of all ages, including an oak tree planted by Queen Victoria and a giant redwood tree planted by Princess Christian of Denmark. The oldest tree in the garden is a veteran oak standing beside the upper lake which is said to be over 800 years old. Two ornamental lakes were landscaped in the 1880s for King Edward VII by James Pulham, a landscape gardener who specialised in stonework and the creation of grottoes, rock faces and stoneware.
Natural springs feed the lake, and an ornamental stream planted with moisture-loving plants meanders through meadow areas. This part of the garden is managed in a more naturalistic style to encourage a wide range of wildlife.
Enjoy dinner at the hotel this evening.