On the way home from Bury St Edmunds we saw a sign for a National Trust property - Ickworth House, so we decided to make a small detour to pay a visit. As with most NT properties this time of the year, only the gardens and souvenir shop are open so we were not able to tour the house itself. It is a monstrous property with an incredi ble history.In 1795 the eccentric Earl of Bristol created this equally eccentric house to display his collection of paintings by Titian/Gainsborough and Velazquez and a magnificent collection of Georgian silver. Unfortunately Napoleon nicked his collection before he could bring it over from Europe!Successive members of the family (all oddballs and philanders)gradually completed the building and had a magnificent garden conpleted by the famous 'Capability'Brown.
Shortly after the end of World War 2, the current Earl, who was a London playboy and spending the family fortune as fast as he could, joined a gang of professional jewel thieves and was subsequently caught and jailed.
Then in the 1990's the incumbent was convicted of trafficking heroin, and had in the meantime finished of the millions left in the family coffers supporting his own drug and high lifestyle. And so the National Trust became the owners. The central rotunda is ornately decorated with carvings, and the two generous curved wings joining the rotunda contained dozens of rooms. One of the wings is now used as a high class hotel.
Inside the main entrance is a placard on which is displayed a comment by Queen Vicoria " Ickworth House is the ultimate folly" V ery true my dear, very true.
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