William Howe Windham had the four windows of the Great Hall of the south wing fitted out in 1840 with a collection of medieval, Renaissance and nineteenth-century glass which was installed by John Dixon of Norwich.

One of the finest 17th-century houses in Norfolk, Felbrigg Hall was the home of the Windham family and its successors for 300 years. The house itself has a distinguished and varied pedigree. The Jacobean entrance front, built mainly in 1620, is attributed to Robert Lyminge (d1628). A west wing was added in 1674-86 to the designs of William Samwell (1628-1676), with interior plasterwork by Edward Goudge. In 1751-56 the Palladian architect James Paine (1717-1789) designed a service wing, Gothic library, staircase and several rooms, with interior decoration by Joseph Rose (1745-1799). In 1840, the great hall was remodelled in a neo-Jacobean style by John Chessell Buckler (1793-1884) and George Buckler (1811-1886).

Left - Congreve's Monument, 1736.

By William Kent (1685-1748).

For Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham (1675-1749).

Grade l listed.

A memorial to William Congreve, the playwright. It is in the form of a pyramid with an urn carved on one side with Apollo's head, pan pipes and masks of comedy and tragedy; the truncated pyramid supports the sculpture of an ape looking at itself in a mirror. , the playwright. It stands on a small island in the Octagon Lake.

Right - The Pebble Alcove.

By William Kent (1685-1748).

For Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham (1675-1749).

Grade ll* listed.

Built of stone before 1739. It takes the form of an exedra enclosed by a stone work surmounted by a pediment. The exedra is decorated with coloured pebbles, including the family coat of arms below which is the Temple family motto TEMPLA QUAM DELECTA (How Beautiful are thy Temples).

With peeling paintwork and overgrown courtyards, Calke Abbey tells the story of the dramatic decline of a country house estate. The house and stables are little restored, with many abandoned areas vividly portraying a period in the 20th century when numerous country houses did not survive to tell their story.

The site was an Augustinian priory from the 12th century until its dissolution by Henry VIII. The present building, named Calke Abbey in 1808, was never actually an abbey, but is a Baroque mansion built between 1701 and 1704.

South (Garden) Front.

Standing high above two terraces.

On the site of, and of the same general dimensions and layout as, the house built by William Winde circa 1674-77 for George Villiers, Second Duke of Buckingham.

In 1666 Cliveden was acquired by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers. The estate he purchased consisted of 160 acres and just two small lodges; however Buckingham had grand plans for Cliveden.

William Winde, Buckingham’s architect, created a terrace upon which to build the house. This terrace has formed the foundations of the two subsequent houses at Cliveden and, although altered over time, much of Buckingham’s design remains.

In 1849 Cliveden was purchased in the name of Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland as a retreat from London, close to her friend Queen Victoria at Windsor. In November 1849 Cliveden caught fire. Despite efforts by staff, neighbours and even the Queen’s fire engines; the central block was lost.

The Duke and Duchess immediately brought in architect Charles Barry to rebuild the mansion and by April 1852 the house was complete. Barry created the three story Italianate villa you see today. He provided extra rooms in the single story wings which are linked to the main house via curved corridors.