Despite the overcast day, Sheringham Park was one of my favourite visits of the week. The park is enormous at almost 1,000 acres, so it’s perfect for long walks, and the woodland is magical – filled with rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as towering trees.
As you meander along the undulating path through the woods, it’s easy to see how it’s last owner, Top Upcher, held rhododendron champagne parties in the 1950s to show off his estate. Women in a cracking combination of ballgowns and Wellington boots would be invited to admire the flowers, champagne glass in hand.
The house itself is now privately rented, so you cannot visit it, and having seen the current occupants having afternoon tea on the veranda, it must be very odd to have strangers tramping through your gardens, no matter how gigantic they are. Definitely no surveying the land bollock-naked from the patio.
At the top of one of the hills is a very Pride and Prejudice-style stone folly which is worth trekking up to – even if just to see the views across the park.
Verdict: Lovely woodlands, and next time I’ll come in a ballgown, wellies and bring a bottle of bubbles.
Post-COVID note: You will need to book a time slot for the car park, but it is free for members.
A Year of Trust 