Sandringham

The estate was bought in 1862 and the house largely rebuilt in the 1870s in a red-brick Jacobean revival manner, sprawling and domestic rather than palatial, which is the point: it was built as a country house rather than a state residence and remains private property rather than part of the Crown Estate. The ground-floor rooms open to visitors are still used, so they are shown furnished as lived in. The gardens run to about a hundred and twenty hectares with a lake, rock garden and mature woodland, and the wider country park of some two hundred hectares is free to walk. St Mary Magdalene church in the park is small, heavily decorated with silver given by an American donor in the 1900s, and used by the family at Christmas. A museum in the old stables shows estate vehicles.

What you actually see

• The 1870s house - Jacobean revival brick, shown as a working country house.
• The gardens - about a hundred and twenty hectares with lake and rock garden.
• St Mary Magdalene - a small church with an unusual silver-decorated interior.
• The country park - two hundred hectares of free-access woodland walks.

When to go

April to October for house and garden opening; the estate closes to visitors for periods each year, including around Christmas, so dates need checking before travelling. Spring bulbs and autumn colour are the garden's strong points.

Honest expectations

Opening is genuinely irregular and closures at short notice do happen. Only part of the house is shown and photography inside is not allowed. Tickets are relatively expensive for the amount accessible.

Nearby

King's Lynn lies south; Hunstanton and the north Norfolk coast are north.